In typical Wisconsin-Northwestern fashion, defense was the theme Saturday night at the Kohl Center as the top-scorers on each team were non-factors.
The Badgers (5-0 Big Ten, 15-2 overall) struggled against Northwestern's 1-3-1 zone defense in the first half but used a 13-2 run at the start of the second half to pull away en route to a 62-50 victory.
While UW's leading scorer, sophomore guard Trevon Hughes, failed to hit a field goal for the first time this season, junior forward Marcus Landry became the fifth UW player in five Big Ten games to score 20-plus points and the second player in two games to notch a career high with his game-high 21 points.
They were giving up something in order to allow [Landry] to be open,"" head coach Bo Ryan said. ""They were stretching on a couple of other guys and looking to double. That's where good ball movement can find a guy like that. Plus he got on the glass. He was a little more active on the offensive boards.""
Ryan used a six-man rotation for most of the game to counter Northwestern's Princeton offense and zone defense. Freshman Jon Leuer was the only Badger who had never played Northwestern to log any playing time, but even he saw only four minutes of action. Junior guard Joe Krabbenhoft said that Ryan just went with the guys that had experience against the Wildcats.
""My freshman year I got beat twice and that was it for me,"" Krabbenhoft said. ""It's just something you learn and you get better at guarding that offense. It's more about learning it than actually going out there and doing it. You got to be around it and watch film a lot.""
Krabbenhoft proved that he has come along way since that game against Northwestern his freshman year, as the junior shut down Northwestern's best player Kevin Coble for most of the game. The sophomore, who averages 18 points per game for NU, was held to just eight points on 3-of-8 shooting.
""Tonight was a very tough matchup for me,"" Krabbenhoft, who tied his own career high with 13 points, said. ""Kevin Coble is a great player. I think he had 34 his last time out against Michigan and geez, the kid can score from anywhere on the floor. He puts it on the floor, he shoots threes and he gets out on transition. Collectively I thought we did a good job on him.""
The Wildcats (0-5, 6-9) kept it close in the first half only trailing 22-20 at halftime. But as Wisconsin has done all year long, the offense came alive at the exact same time the defense looked unbeatable. Northwestern failed to score its first second-half field goal until over seven minutes in and the Badgers took control of the game with a 13-2 run.
Landry scored five points in that stretch en route to his 21 points and much of the talk after the game was about UW finding its fifth different 20 point scorer in five straight games.
""Unbelievable. I don't think it has ever happened in the history of the game,"" Ryan said. ""And if it has, I want to know the team, I want to know the year, and I want to call the coach and say, 'Would anybody in their wildest dream think that would happen?' If that's ever been done I'll buy everyone in this room a diet pop in the back. Because they're free.""
Unfortunately for Ryan, it looks like he might have to get some drinks ready for the media. While UW is the only team to do it in conference play, two other teams (Seton Hall from Nov. 28- Dec. 22 and Providence from Dec. 19-Jan. 5) have done it this year.
Can UW make it six different players in six straight games when Michigan visits the Kohl Center Tuesday night? According to Landry, he would not be surprised.
""I believe someone else will have 20 points the next game,"" he said. ""That's just what I think '¦ You never know. Joe [Krabbenhoft's] night is coming. Hopefully it's next game.
