If the college basketball season was a meal, the Badgers would have just finished the first course. Games against Mercer, Southern, Delaware State and Florida International may have whetted Wisconsin's appetite, but UW will soon have tougher competition on its plate.
Entering play on Sunday, the Badgers' first eight opponents have posted a combined record of 26-33. Take Auburn and Missouri State out of the equation and the mark drops to 14-29. Out of the eight teams, only Southern made it to the NCAA tournament last season. The Jaguars have not won a game yet this year.
Florida State, Missouri State and Delaware State earned spots in the NIT in 2005-'06, but only Missouri State made it past the second round.
Southern has lost three games by more than 50 points. Until it defeated Kennesaw State Saturday night, Mercer's only victory came against Emory University. Florida International has lost five games by an average of 23.6 points. Delaware State has scored more than 60 points twice. Ironically, one of these offensive outbursts came in a 65-63 victory over Southern.
Auburn may hold a record of 6-3, but the Tigers have benefited from an extremely soft non-conference schedule. They defeated Troy, East Tennessee State and Nicholls State, and also trounced Miles College.
Unlike its first eight opponents, Wisconsin's next five foes have posted a combined record of 27-14. All five went to the NCAA tournament in 2005-'06. Although UW-Milwaukee and Pacific have lost key players from last season's squads, Winthrop, Marquette and Pittsburgh possess more than enough talent to return to the tournament.
All five starters for the Winthrop Eagles average more than eight points per game. The Eagles have won six games by an average margin of 25.3 points. Despite losses to then-No. 2 North Carolina and No. 24 Maryland, Winthrop competed with both teams and actually held an eight-point lead over the Tar Heels at halftime.
The Marquette Golden Eagles have followed their age-old tradition of scheduling non-conference cupcakes such as Hillsdale, Idaho State, Maryland-Baltimore County, Morgan State and Savannah State. The Golden Eagles also embarrassed themselves Saturday, losing 64-60 to North Dakota State at home. Nevertheless, Marquette has beaten Duke and Texas Tech.
Early upset losses aside, the 113th meeting between Marquette and Wisconsin might be the most highly anticipated game in the history of the rivalry.
Golden Eagle point guard Dominic James has lit up the scoreboard, averaging more than 17.4 points per game. The sophomore standout from Richmond, Ind., has received support from fellow guards Jerel McNeal and Wes Matthews who post 13.7 and 11.7 points per game respectively.
While Marquette looks to stay atop the talented Big East conference, the Pittsburgh Panthers continue to impress. Ranked No. 3 in the country, the Panthers have held all eight opponents under 70 points. Pittsburgh has also won by an average margin of 16.8 points.
Future NBA center Aaron Gray leads the Panthers with 16.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Junior swingman Mike Cook also averages 12 points per contest.
Gray might dominate the inside, but despite the graduation of point guard Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh boasts one of the top backcourts in the country. Senior Antonio Graves and junior Ronald Ramon contribute 9.9 and 8.3 points per game respectively, while sophomore Levance Fields averages a whopping 6.3 assists per contest.
As the days grow shorter and the nights colder, the time for feasting on sub-par competition comes to an end. Beating Southern, Florida International and Delaware State may have left a good taste in the Badgers' mouths, but the great teams stay hungry all season long.
