The Badgers men's basketball team (5-2 Big Ten, 15-4 overall) will have visions of first place dancing in their heads Wednesday when they take the court in Lafayette, Ind., for a conference game against No. 24 Purdue (6-1, 14-4).
Despite their solid play of late, the Badgers have failed to receive the same national attention as the Boilermakers--a problem that Wisconsin Head Coach Bo Ryan does not mind, as long as his mom pays attention to him and his team.
\My mom called last night and said she thought we were playing pretty well; I thought that was pretty good that she noticed,"" Ryan said. ""I think you'll get to know me in the next couple of years ... I'm concerned about what our players are doing, how they're working, how they respond.""
Fortunately for Ryan, Wisconsin has the weapons with which to attack Purdue. The combination of senior guard Kirk Penney, sophomore guard Devin Harris and freshman forward Alando Tucker will give Purdue's defense a tough night. Penney reached a milestone against Penn State last Saturday, becoming one of the top ten scorers in UW history, and he hopes to rise further in the ranks against Purdue.
In order to win, the Badgers need to stop Purdue senior guard Willie Deane, who received the Big Ten Player of the Week award for the second week in a row after averaging 24 points per game over a two-game stretch for the Boilermakers.
Even with Penney and Deane, the game may be decided by the teams' defenses--Purdue against the Badger trio and the Badgers' defense against one of the top scoring teams in the conference.
Purdue faces a UW offense that is ranked second--only behind Minnesota-- in the Big Ten with a 75.8 ppg average.
The Badgers' defense, however, is as tough as the offense. The Badgers lead the Big Ten and are sixth nationally in forcing turnovers. The defense also leads the conference in scoring defense, allowing only 59.1 ppg. Purdue is ranked six spots below, allowing 64.9 ppg.
Historically, the trip to Lafayette has not been in Wisconsin's favor, as the Badgers' last win there came in 1972. The team will seek to end their 31-year winning drought at Purdue by expanding on its current five-game winning streak. Ryan, as usual, has chosen to ignore Wisconsin's history in the Boilermaker's Mackey Arena.
""This is the precious present,"" Ryan said. ""Let's go in there and see what we can do.\
