Game Day Essentials: Game #25 at Wisconsin

One thing I didn't mention: I spent a lot of time watching McVeigh playing in the U18 games this summer and most of his game was taking it to the rim to the point I had no idea that he had an outside shot.  I'd expect a little more aggression to the basket from him this game.

Wisconsin has won 6 straight so their last time out was not an L to RU.

<EDIT> Apparently I gave the Badgers the benefit of a 6th consecutive win, guess it is so now

Wisconsin has won 6 straight so their last time out was not an L to RU.

Thanks for the heads up on my whiff of my stat recycle job from last year

 

Wisconsin has won 6 straight so their last time out was not an L to RU.

 

Thanks for the heads up on my whiff of my stat recycle job from last year

 

No prob, Dimes.

By the way, that was the last time that Rutgers has won a Big Ten game, *AT* Wisconsin over a year ago!!

Wisconsin uni's:

FYI - that January game last year that Wisconsin lost to Rutgers was the last time RU won a B1G game (!). Inexplicable loss for the Badgers, although Kaminsky didn't play and Traevon Jackson was injured during the game. There was a joke going around in the offseason - what do Rutgers & Duke basketball have in common? Their last win was against Wisconsin.

FYI - that January game last year that Wisconsin lost to Rutgers was the last time RU won a B1G game (!). Inexplicable loss for the Badgers, although Kaminsky didn't play and Traevon Jackson was injured during the game. There was a joke going around in the offseason - what do Rutgers & Duke basketball have in common? Their last win was against Wisconsin.

What's the rumlings in Wisconsin...is Greg Gard going to be around long?  Wisconsin being good is good for the conference so I'm hoping you all can keep the momentum going. 

Man if we can pull off the upset I will be stoked. I think we will need a balanced scoring effort. White is almost always good for his scoring average give or take a couple points. It will come down to Watson/Webster/McVeigh/Jacobson/Morrow. If three of those five go double figures along with White I think we pull off an upset. But we definitely cannot have another game where Jacobson, Morrow, and McVeigh combine for like six points. Goodluck to the team and GBR!!!

 

FYI - that January game last year that Wisconsin lost to Rutgers was the last time RU won a B1G game (!). Inexplicable loss for the Badgers, although Kaminsky didn't play and Traevon Jackson was injured during the game. There was a joke going around in the offseason - what do Rutgers & Duke basketball have in common? Their last win was against Wisconsin.

 

 

What's the rumlings in Wisconsin...is Greg Gard going to be around long?  Wisconsin being good is good for the conference so I'm hoping you all can keep the momentum going. 

 

First off, the loss to Rutgers last year was in NJ, not in Madison. Still inexplicable.

As you can imagine, the Gard permanency question is foremost on every Badger fan's mind. Most fans think he's doing a better-than-good job. Fans don't make the decision, though. We went through something similar when we ended up with Bo Ryan - Dick Bennett quit 3 games into the season & his hand-picked successor, Brad Soderberg, was the interim coach that led the Badgers to the NCAAs that year. Soderberg was not retained, however, which was pretty controversial at the time - Bennett, like Ryan was a Wisconsin basketball icon having coached at UW-Stevens Point & UW-Green Bay before landing in Madison (Ryan was UW-Platteville & UW-Milwaukee). Many people thought at the time that Soderberg should have gotten the job. Needless to say, Ryan worked out pretty well, and Soderberg ended up coaching St. Louis for a while and some lower level colleges, but he's now on Tony Bennett's staff at UVA.

Which brings us to Tony Bennett. Tony is Dick's son and played for him at UWGB - he had a brief NBA career, too. Tony stayed on the UW staff after his dad quit and through the first year or two of Bo Ryan's tenure. He is a Wisconsin basketball icon in his own right, and if he wants the UW job, he could probably get it. Trouble is, he's got a good gig, and the rumor is that if he leaves UVA, it will be for the pros.

At this point, I think the fans want Gard or Bennett, and no one else. There is a wild card, though. Barry Alvarez is rumored to be close friends with Mike Brey at Notre Dame. He's coached at Marquette, so he knows the state. Alvarez himself is close to retiring, so this will likely be his last big hire and he's known for doing things his own way, so who knows what's going to happen. Myself, I think Gard should get it.

Wisconsin Likely Starters                

No. Name                Po. Yr. Ht.     Wt.   G/GS  PPG RPG  Other

3     Zak Showalter    G   Jr    6-2   184   23/23   7.5   4.1   2.2 apg

24   Bronson Koenig G   Jr    6-4   193   23/23 13.4   2.3   2.2 apg

10   Nigel Hayes        F   Jr    6-8   240   23/23 17.1   6.0   3.5 apg

22   Ethan Happ        F  RFr  6-9   235   23/23 12.3   8.1   1.5 spg

30   Vitto Brown         F   Jr    6-8   230   23/22   8.6   5.0   0.6 bpg

Nebraska – Likely Starters

Wisconsin has won 6 straight so their last time out was not an L to RU.

FWIW, I believe Wisconsin's current win streak is only five. 

1/12, L, 65-70 @ Northwestern

1/17, W, 77-76 vs Michigan State

1/21, W, 66-60 @ Penn State

1/26, W 82-79 vs Indiana

1/31, W, 63-55 @ Illinoin

2/4,   W, 79-68, vs Ohio State

2/10  vs Nebraska

http://www.uwbadgers.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball&