When you think Big Ten big men, the names Courtney Simms, Terence Dials, James Augustine, Marco Killingsworth and Greg Brunner might come to mind. While they all have their own style, their games are still similar. Banging bodies down low in the paint and concentrating on pulling down boards off the glass, a tough interior presence is commonly associated with forwards in the Big Ten conference.
There is a 6'8\ forward out of Split, Croatia, though whose game seems to break the mold. Vedran Vukusic, a senior on the Northwestern front line, has a style of play comparable to no other Big Ten forward. The lengthy, sweet shooting Vukusic’s game has translated to a conference leading 20.1 points per game, and has the Wildcats playing tough at home.
“He’s not your typical post-up player,” UW assistant coach Gary Close said. “Not only can he shoot the three, but you bring guys out to guard him and he can drive around them. He’s a special player. He’s one of the best in the league.”
Vukusic has the Wildcats (4-8 Big Ten, 12-12 overall) playing .500 ball and playing with confidence at home in Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern knocked off Iowa two weeks ago 51-48 behind Vukusic’s 26 points and an uncharacteristically high eight rebounds.
Attempting more than six 3-pointers per game, Vukusic will draw the Badger big men towards the perimeter when the Badgers head to Evanston, Ill. Thursday. He has attempted ten 3-pointers in three different games.
“He puts our bigs in positions that they’re not very comfortable with or familiar with,” UW assistant coach Howard Moore said. “Where [Jason] Chappell is used to going down low and guarding a Dials or a Simms or someone like that, now you got to play in the high post and show some perimeter defense.”
While Chappell knows Vukusic will provide a test for him and the other members of the Badger frontline, UW’s starting center says that he is used to being out on the perimeter, having practiced against the swing offense that the Badgers run in practice.
“I think we’re more used to that with the offense that we run being so similar,” Chappell said. “So the big guys don’t worry when they have to guard another big guy on the outside.”
The Badgers held Vukusic to 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting when the Wildcats came to the Kohl Center back in January. The big man hit a cold stretch then, scoring only 15 the next game in Michigan and then only five against defending Big Ten Champion Illinois three days later. Since then, only injuries have slowed down Vukusic.
After playing only 26 minutes in a win over Indiana-Purdue-Fort-Wayne with back troubles, Vukusic sat out of a 63-47 loss to Illinois. He returned, though, to score 17 points in a loss at Ohio State. The Badgers cannot count on injuries to slow down Vukusic.
“Our guys did a good job on him when they were here, but obviously we have got to do better at his place,” Moore said. “He’s dealing with a couple injuries as well, but that doesn’t matter. He’s a ball player, he understands what it’s all about.”
The game Thursday starts the final stretch of games for the Badgers before the Big Ten tournament, three of which are on the road. The Badger players know that in order to knock off their next opponent, they must hold Vukusic in check.
“He’s tough to guard,” Chappell said. “That’s why he’s one of the best scorers in the league. If you keep him contained, then you have a good shot at winning.”
