With just under 17 minutes to play in the Wisconsin Badgers’ 68-64 win over the Michigan Wolverines Tuesday night, senior forward Vitto Brown, in the midst of an excellent performance, dove to the ground to snag a loose ball.
Shortly thereafter, he limped his way into the locker room to receive medical treatment. While he eventually returned to the game, Brown was visibly bothered by a leg injury and never imposed himself the way he had done in the first half.
With the No. 17 Badgers (4-1 Big Ten, 15-3 overall) travelling to Minneapolis this weekend for their 200th all-time date with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-3, 15-4), Brown’s status is up in the air. Listed as questionable on the injury report, this would be his first missed game in two seasons.
Brown’s injury is indicative of the physical game at the Kohl Center Tuesday night, which left everyone on the floor battered and bruised. Three Michigan players fouled out, and the two teams combined for an impressive 36 personal fouls.
“Obviously, [it was] a typical Big Ten game in terms of how physical it was,” head coach Greg Gard said.
He emphasized that the Badgers need to get to the free throw line and force their opponents to pick up some early fouls.
That will certainly be the case against a Golden Gophers team that currently ranks No. 5 in Ken Pomeroy’s defensive efficiency ratings. The Badgers will have to find creative ways to score points against a stingy Minnesota team, and free throws are the easiest option.
Of course, getting to the free-throw line is only half the battle. UW’s two biggest contributors, senior forward Nigel Hayes and redshirt sophomore forward Ethan Happ, have combined to make just 56.7 percent of their free throw attempts this season. The pair have already left 71 points at the line, and is missing out on nearly four points per game.
As a team, the Badgers have made just 66.3 percent of their free throw attempts this year, worse than three-quarters of the schools in Division I.
Though Minnesota hasn’t beat Wisconsin in nearly three years, the Golden Gophers have made a miraculous turnaround from a season ago. After finishing 2-16 in conference play last season, they have already eclipsed their win total in just six games this year and look poised to be a favorite in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.
Defensively, Minnesota will likely look to its lengthy forwards to slow Happ, who has struggled against defensive length at times this year. Eric Curry and Reggie Lynch, 6-foot-9 and 6-foot-10, respectively, could present a problem for the Badgers’ reliable big man.
Following this game, UW’s schedule lightens up significantly. The Badgers will host Penn State and meet Rutgers at Madison Square Garden before heading into a road game against Illinois. Minnesota will be the last big test of what has been a test-filled January for UW.
The annual Border Battle tips off from Minneapolis at 3:30 p.m.
The Daily Cardinal Calculator gives Wisconsin a 68.2 percent chance of winning.
