The Badgers have two chances for revenge this week, as they face off against both Iowa and Ohio State. The pair beat Wisconsin at the Kohl Center earlier this season – Iowa winning on New Year's Eve by seven, and the Buckeyes just weeks ago 58-52. The most recent loss to Ohio State on February fourth was a likely dagger-in-the-back to Wisconsin's hopes of getting in on the Big-Ten title race, which seems to be a certain two-team battle between Ohio State and Michigan State. Though, a double-win this week could give them just enough of a lift to get back into a reasonable position, if the Spartans drop their game at Minnesota; a tall, but not impossible, order.
Bo Ryan and his team's curious amount of loses at home, something very uncharacteristic of the team, doesn't seem to be following them on the road. The team has lost just three away games this year, although two of them were to conference opponents.
The Badgers will first travel to Iowa City on Wednesday. They will have to attempt to shutdown the Hawkeyes bench, which managed thirty-seven points against them in December. Meanwhile, Wisconsin's own reserves will have to step-up their performance from that game, when they scored just sixteen off the sideline. Luckily, Iowa's leading scorer, Bryce Cartwright, has been absent the past two games with an ankle injury. Whether he returns for Wednesday's game is not clear yet.
Despite Cartwright's injury, the Hawkeyes haven't had much trouble making up the difference. A pair of underclassmen and senior guard Matt Gatens led the team to a big win last week against Indiana, Gatens getting a whopping thirty points. The two youngsters, forward Aaron White and Devyn Marble, add to Gatens team-high fifteen points-per-game with over ten of their own. White also contributes about six rebounds a-game, another team-high.
Ohio State poses the larger threat to Wisconsin's conference revival. The Buckeyes have lost just one game this year in Columbus, while winning seventeen. Based on the Badgers performance in early February against the team, their task is straight forward: shut down sophomore forwards Deshaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger. The pair combined for forty of their side's fifty-eight points in the two team's previous meeting, sinking twenty apiece. And that wasn't a fluke either. Both Thomas and Sullinger are among the top fifteen scorers in the Big-Ten. Sullinger at third, and Thomas at twelfth. Teammate William Buford also joins that group, scoring fifteen per-game, good enough for ninth. Defensively, Ohio State's Aaron Craft leads the conference with two steals per-game, helping his team also top the Big-Ten in fewest points-allowed-per-possession.
For their part, the Badgers are going to have to improve both their bench efficiency and three-point shooting. Between the two previous loses to Iowa and Ohio State, Wisconsin capitalized on just eight-of-fifty-five from beyond the arc and nineteen points from reserves.
Bo Ryan and his team's curious amount of loses at home, something very uncharacteristic of the team, doesn't seem to be following them on the road. The team has lost just three away games this year, although two of them were to conference opponents.
The Badgers will first travel to Iowa City on Wednesday. They will have to attempt to shutdown the Hawkeyes bench, which managed thirty-seven points against them in December. Meanwhile, Wisconsin's own reserves will have to step-up their performance from that game, when they scored just sixteen off the sideline. Luckily, Iowa's leading scorer, Bryce Cartwright, has been absent the past two games with an ankle injury. Whether he returns for Wednesday's game is not clear yet.
Despite Cartwright's injury, the Hawkeyes haven't had much trouble making up the difference. A pair of underclassmen and senior guard Matt Gatens led the team to a big win last week against Indiana, Gatens getting a whopping thirty points. The two youngsters, forward Aaron White and Devyn Marble, add to Gatens team-high fifteen points-per-game with over ten of their own. White also contributes about six rebounds a-game, another team-high.
Ohio State poses the larger threat to Wisconsin's conference revival. The Buckeyes have lost just one game this year in Columbus, while winning seventeen. Based on the Badgers performance in early February against the team, their task is straight forward: shut down sophomore forwards Deshaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger. The pair combined for forty of their side's fifty-eight points in the two team's previous meeting, sinking twenty apiece. And that wasn't a fluke either. Both Thomas and Sullinger are among the top fifteen scorers in the Big-Ten. Sullinger at third, and Thomas at twelfth. Teammate William Buford also joins that group, scoring fifteen per-game, good enough for ninth. Defensively, Ohio State's Aaron Craft leads the conference with two steals per-game, helping his team also top the Big-Ten in fewest points-allowed-per-possession.
For their part, the Badgers are going to have to improve both their bench efficiency and three-point shooting. Between the two previous loses to Iowa and Ohio State, Wisconsin capitalized on just eight-of-fifty-five from beyond the arc and nineteen points from reserves.
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