With road victories few and far between in the Big Ten this season, the No. 21 Wisconsin men's basketball team (2-1 Big Ten, 11-3 overall) hopes to take advantage of back-to- back home games at the Kohl Center this week.
After a disappointing 53-51 defeat to Purdue last Wednesday, the Badgers have had a full week to prepare for tonight's matchup against Michigan (1-2, 10-4) and Saturday's contest against Illinois (2-2, 11-4).
The Wolverines have had an impressive season so far, but home losses to Boston University and Indiana have raised questions about how solid this team is. Sophomore guard Daniel Horton has played poorly after a fantastic freshman season that saw him average 15.2 points and 4.5 assists per game.
This year, however, Horton's numbers have dropped to 12.1 ppg and he is only averaging 3.0 assists per game. But Badgers' Head Coach Bo Ryan still considers him a threat for Wolverines.
\[Daniel] Horton is still one of the best point guards around,"" Ryan said. ""Sometimes your shooting goes up, your percentages will go up and down.""
Making up for Horton's dismal play has been senior forward Bernard Robinson Jr. and sophomore guard Lester Abram.?? Robinson leads the team with 13.6 and Abram is close behind with 12.4 ppg.??
With a 6'6', 210-pound frame, Robinson creates matchup problems for teams with his athletic moves to the basket, yet also has the ability to post up and rebound.
The Wolverines marched into Madison last February in prime position to win the Big Ten title, but the Badgers stole the show and embarrassed Michigan with a 73-42 victory.??
Illinois comes to the Kohl Center with last March's 60-59 loss for the Big Ten Championship still fresh on their minds.??
In that game, sophomore guard Devin Harris nailed a free throw with less than one second left to clinch the title for the Badgers.
Illinois brings a similar team to Madison, minus 2003 Big Ten Player of the Year Brian Cook and under the new direction of Head Coach Bruce Weber.??
Weber and the young Illini have had its share of growing pains, most recently with a home loss to Purdue and road loss to Northwestern.
Sophomore guard Dee Brown has struggled to find his shot, but the co-Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year still leads the team with 13.1 ppg.??
Sophomore guard Deron Williams sat out three games with a broken jaw, but seems to be the most consistent player for U of I, and is averaging 12.8 points and 5.9 assists per game. Towering at 6'10"" sophomore James Augustine has been a force down low for Illinois averaging 11.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.??
With a shortage of post men, the Badgers may have trouble stopping Augustine and his tough play inside the paint.
Harris and Wilkinson have been consistent scorers for the Badgers all season, but it has been the role players that have stepped up and helped Wisconsin get off to a great start this season.?? Sophomore guard Boo Wade and junior guard Clayton Hanson had 15 and nine points respectively in the Badgers' victory against Michigan State earlier in the season.??
Against Purdue, sophomore guard Ray Nixon played impressively, scoring nine points and hitting a late three-pointer that put Wisconsin back in the game. In almost every game this season, a bench player has made a significant contribution to the Badgers whether it be junior forward Zach Morley's impressive defense and hustle, or sophomore center Andreas Helmigk's ability to give Wilkinson a breather and guard against some of the taller players.
Ryan has a much deeper team this year, and has the opportunity to play eight or nine guys in any given game, something the Badgers have lacked the past few years.
""Look at the job Zach's [Morley] done and he's never been in the system until this year. Ray [Nixon], having been around the system last year, he learned things,"" Ryan said. ""I think it's good to have players who understand that you never know when your number is going to be called.""
With victories this week, the Badgers would put themselves in a good position to make a run at a third straight Big Ten title. Ryan has never lost a Big Ten home game and he must get the players to forget last week's loss to Purdue.
