Coming off a big victory against Iowa, the Wisconsin men's basketball team (3-2 Big Ten, 13-4 overall) looks to stretch its current winning streak to four games tonight at the Kohl Center against the Northwestern Wildcats (0-5, 8-8).
The Wildcats enter the game on the opposite end of the spectrum, bringing with them a five-game losing streak and a 1-4 record on the road.
Every game the Badgers play is important, but especially those at home, where the fans have provided a tough atmosphere for opposing teams. A couple of victories this week here in Madison could go far in providing some momentum for next week's road stint.
The players certainly appreciate the advantage of playing in front of the \Grateful Red.""
""It's huge for us to get into a rhythm and get some wins, especially at home because it's really tough to win on the road,"" junior guard Freddie Owens said.
""We love playing at home. What a great crowd. They get behind us if we get down and are with us if we're up,"" senior guard Kirk Penney said.
Despite Northwestern's lowly record, Wisconsin will prepare for this game just like any other. They know that they cannot take any game or team for granted at this point in the season.
With a Big Ten bye this past weekend, Wisconsin has had a full week to prepare for the game against Northwestern, and plenty of time to treat the many injuries that they have picked up along the way. For Head Coach Bo Ryan, UW has no excuse to not be prepared.
""We prepare for every team like they are going to play their best game against us,"" Ryan said.
""[Northwestern] [is] a good team that plays a lot better than their record shows,"" sophomore forward Mike Wilkinson said.
This game should provide an interesting matchup. The Badgers come into the game giving up a league-low 59 points per game, whereas the Wildcats are last in the Big Ten, allowing almost 75.
Freshman guard T.J. Parker leads the Wildcats in scoring with 13 points per game and is closely followed by junior guard Jitim Young and senior center Aaron Jennings, who both average 12 points per game.
""They are a team that is real similar to Iowa. Everyone scores for them. You can't leave anyone open,"" Wilkinson said.
""From a defensive standpoint it's a really tough offense to guard. You have to just stay focused on what's going on. Everyone has to have an all out team effort from the defensive end,"" Owens said.
The Badgers have played great as a team all season, with four players--Penney, Owens, sophomore guard Devin Harris and freshman forward Alando Tucker--averaging more than 10 points per game. (Wilkinson scores just under 10 points per game).
They rank second in the Big Ten in both free throw and field goal percentage.
One of the biggest surprises thus far has been the play of Tucker. Tucker is averaging 13 points and five rebounds per game, but more importantly has been a presence during both practices and games. He continues to improve on a regular basis.
""Alando Tucker has improved more as a basketball player in a short period of time than any player that I have ever coached,"" Ryan said. ""[He] is fun to coach because he is a decent player now. He is going to get even better, but he has improved at every phase of the game, more than anybody I have seen.""
With a 3-2 record in the Big Ten, where parity reigns for the second year in a row, the Badgers are still very much alive in the hunt for another conference championship. Even with their recent success, the Badgers are concerned with not getting too far ahead of themselves.
""We've been trying to take it one game at a time. You never know what's going to happen,"" Wilkinson said. ""If we try and take care of our business every game, we'll be right where we want to be at the end of the season.""
Victories against the cellar dwellers of the Big Ten are a must for the Badgers. Home wins against Northwestern tonight and Penn State Saturday will keep the momentum going, all building up for an exciting finish in the Big Ten conference.
