The Ohio State Buckeyes are playing the Badgers (5-5 Big Ten, 12-11 overall) at home on Wednesday, and they aren't traveling alone. They bring with them the best record in the conference (8-1 Big Ten, 17-3 overall) and one of the toughest backcourts in the country.
Senior guard Brian Brown averages just over 14 points and four rebounds a game and leads the Buckeyes, along with junior guard Brent Darby, who is one of the hottest players in the conference.
Darby is averaging more than 20 points and has made 23 of his last 26 free throws, including going 16-18 at the charity stripe against Illinois, in the Buckeyes' last two contests.
Along with Brown and Darby, Ohio State senior swingman, Boban Savovic, serves as the team's emotional leader and is a very legitimate third option with 12 points per game and an assist-to-turnover ratio of plus 2.0 per game.
Ohio State boasts a fierce triad, and the guards are the key to the Buckeyes' success as a team this season. When asked about Ohio State's backcourt, Badger Head Coach Bo Ryan responded by praising Darby.
\A guard like Darby, there really isn't a weakness in his game,"" Ryan said. ""If they need more scoring out of him, we need to answer that challenge, we need to stop the penetration and make them uncomfortable.""
But the big men can't be overlooked, no matter how important the guards are. Ohio State freshman forward Terence Dials leads the conference in field goal percentage, hitting 48 of 73 shots on the season. Though he and sophomore forward Zach Williams are not the first options for scoring down the court, combined they account for 15 points and 11 rebounds per game.
""They make good decisions and are strong with the ball,"" Ryan said.
Though the frontcourt is carrying its weight, the emphasis will be on the Buckeyes' guards. Darby and Brown comprise the most highly touted backcourt in the Big Ten, and the Badgers realize it.
""Darby and Brown [are] playing great ball right now, great penetrators, they can hit the open three [and] they are fairly complete players"" junior guard Kirk Penney said.
The key for a victory is dependent upon whether freshman guard Devin Harris and senior guard Travon Davis can contain Darby and Brown.
""I think we match up fairly well with Travon and Devin, and they've got Savovic as a third guy. I think player wise it's a pretty good match up,"" Penney said.
The Buckeyes have the best field goal percentage of any team in the Big Ten at almost .500, and have the second toughest defense to accompany it, allowing only 60 points per game. This combination of team averages has given Ohio State a plus 12 points scoring margin over their opponents.
The Buckeyes defense has been the key factor this season, and their senior dominated team has great chemistry, and they certainly have grown up since last year. The maturity of the Buckeyes gives them an edge over most teams in the Big Ten.
""They're solid that way [defensively], and don't get bumped off very easily,"" Ryan said.
The Buckeyes are riding a two-game win streak, while the Badgers are riding a two-game slide. But all statistics are out the door when the Badgers are at the Kohl Center, where Wisconsin is a perfect 4-0 in Big Ten play this year.
""It's great to have the crowd behind you, and we need to play well enough to get the crowd behind us, so we can use it to our advantage,"" Penney said.
