Wisconsin will travel to Milwaukee Saturday to renew its intense in-state rivalry with No. 25 Marquette in a non-conference clash.
For the most part, both teams have taken care of business early in their schedule. Wisconsin enters the contest with a 7-1 record and hopes to ride the momentum they got Monday after defeating Virginia Tech on a late jump shot by junior guard Trevon Hughes.
Marquette comes into the game 6-1 with its only loss coming at the hands of Dayton in the Chicago Invitational Challenge.
Earning a victory will be difficult for Wisconsin against a veteran squad that beat the Badgers at the Kohl Center last year. The Golden Eagles return four starters from last season, such as senior guards Wesley Matthews, Dominic James and Jerel McNeal.
We just have to stick to our game,"" junior guard Jason Bohannon said. ""They have a lot of experience, but we have a lot of experience, too.""
In recent contests the Badgers had to focus on shutting down James, who had been the focal point of Marquette's offense. But this year Matthews has emerged as the Golden Eagles' premier scorer, averaging 22 points per game.
""He's their most improved player, and that says a lot with the strides [James] has made and [McNeal] has made as well,"" assistant head coach Greg Gard said.
""He's gotten bigger and stronger as his career's gone on. He's really stepped up as a senior.""
Limiting Matthews' production will be vital for Wisconsin, but simply shutting down Matthews will not be enough.
Marquette currently has four players averaging double-digit point totals per game.
McNeal averages 17.4 points per game, junior forward Lazar Hayward is scoring 16.7 per game and James is adding 11.7 points per game as well as 5.6 assists for an explosive offense.
Matthews may have materialized as the top scorer for Marquette, but the offense still runs through James, and his quickness and elusiveness as a point guard is difficult to defend. In last year's game between Marquette and Wisconsin, James tallied a game-high 20 points and six assists.
Wisconsin's key to winning will start on the defensive end, but the Badgers cannot rely on completely shutting down such a high-scoring offense. The Badgers will need several players to step up on the offensive end to keep up with Marquette.
Hughes and Landry lead the Badgers in scoring with 13.9 and 13.3 points per game, respectively. Third on the team is sophomore forward Jon Leuer who is playing 16.1 minutes per game and averaging 9.9 points off the bench.
Junior guard Jason Bohannon has been a regular in the starting lineup this season after coming off the bench his first two years, and has struggled shooting the ball while playing extended minutes. In 31.3 minutes per game, Bohannon is shooting 30 percent from the floor and 28 percent beyond the arc.
