With names like Vedran Vukusic, Davor Duvancic and Mohamed Hachad on their roster, the Northwestern Wildcats are a sportscaster's worst nightmare.
But the hard-to-pronounce names are just as hard to defend on the basketball court, as the Wisconsin Badgers discovered last year.
The trio combined for 44 points in the Wildcats' 69-51 win in Evanston last season. Departed forward Jitim Young added 17 points, but the core of juniors Vukusic and Hachad and senior Duvancic will be back in full force Wednesday night as the Wildcats (2-5 Big Ten, 9-10 overall) look to once again knock off the No. 19 Badgers for the second straight season.
With the addition of junior forward Mike Thompson, a transfer from Duke, the Wildcats figured to improve on last year's 8-8 Big Ten record. But players like Hachad and Duvancic have underperformed and NU finds itself at a disappointing 2-5 conference mark.
Northwestern briefly brightened their fortunes with an upset win over Iowa last week, but the unpredictable Wildcats followed up with a loss at home to Ohio State over the weekend. Regardless of which NU team shows up, UW freshman center Brian Butch is confident the Badgers can cope.
\I don't think you can go into any game worrying. You have to be confident in yourself,"" Butch said. ""But we do know what they're capable of and that's like any team in Big Ten.""
While the Wildcats as a whole have been inconsistent, that is not the case with Vukusic. The Croatian-born player, who played at the same club team in Split, Croatia as Duvancic, averages 17.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Despite the big numbers, Vukusic remains under the radar. That is not to say, however, Wisconsin will take him lightly.
""There are a lot of players in the Big Ten that are effective and can hurt teams but they don't get the recognition they deserve because they're underrated players,"" UW junior forward Ray Nixon said. ""But they are good players, especially Vukusic.""
At 6'8', the versatile Vukusic can cause problems for defenses with his ability to step outside and score away from the basket. Wisconsin senior Mike Wilkinson, another forward who can shoot the 3-pointer effectively, recognizes the value of such players.
""We play a lot of big guys who don't shoot outside, but more and more every year, there are guys who can go outside,"" Wilkinson said. ""It opens up the floor for everyone else and makes you be much sharper as a defender and that much smarter in trying to take things away.""
Luckily for UW head coach Bo Ryan and his staff, the Badgers have several front-court players who have simulated the traits of Vukusic in practice, providing invaluable experience for big men like Wilkinson and Nixon, who will have to guard Vukusic.
""We have a lot of big guys who have decent feet ... who know how to move and are able to shoot outside and put the ball on the floor and do a lot of things like that, which definitely helps you prepare for playing against guys like Vukusic,"" said Wilkinson.
Yet for all the preparation, Wilkinson knows the only thing that really matters is what happens in the game.
""I've played against him quite a bit and he's one heck of a player,"" Wilkinson said. ""You have to be sharp all the time. If you relax one second, they're going to get you.""
