Between the end of finals and a showdown with a top-10 team, focus can sometimes be an issue. That, however, was not the case for Wisconsin Saturday afternoon.
The Badgers beat Coppin State 57-46 in their final game before a Dec. 23 match-up with No. 5 Texas. Despite facing a team in the midst of 11 straight road games, the Badger never quite managed to pull away but also did not allow CSU to close the gap to less than eight in the final 30 minutes.
Each possession was contested and that's good. [Coppin State] shuffled players in and out of there,"" Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. ""It was just one of those games that was typical of what you would say is a 'grinder.'""
The Badgers only made it to the free throw line twice, but made up for that with creative interior passing against six different zone looks which the Eagles employed. Senior forward Marcus Landry was a big part of that as he looked to distribute more out of the high post.
""Marcus [Landry] was like [former Harlem Globetrotter] Meadowlark Lemon when they used to feed the post and he'd hit guys going backdoor,"" Ryan said.
Landry handed out four assists, repeatedly finding teammates cutting to the basket.
""Earlier in the year I noticed I was getting doubled a lot so when practicing different things like that I try to really be aware of my teammates cutting and realizing when the trap is coming,"" Landry said ""Today, every time I touched the ball, they trapped me or my teammates were cutting and they had a better shot than I could have had, so I passed them the ball.""
One player who benefited from the team passing effort was sophomore forward Jon Leuer who led Wisconsin with 16 points. The Minnesota native scored ten straight points early in the game, often as the result of moving without the ball.
""It made it easy with my guys finding me. I was open in some spots and my teammates found me,"" Leuer said ""We adjusted to the zone and we got some good shots""
Landry and junior guard Jason Bohannon each scored 11 for the Badgers.
Wisconsin established a double-digit scoring advantage eight minutes into the game and held a 25-11 lead before a string of missed shots and turnovers helped Coppin State cut the deficit to eight at the half.
After the game, Ryan emphasized the fact that Coppin State was reticent to foul and that 3-point shots would be key in putting the Eagles away.
""They were going to contest the threes and we had to have a little better release and we needed a streak,"" Ryan said. ""The teams that have played [Coppin State] that have opened it up, they hit from outside and we didn't do that. So we really didn't get a whole lot of separation.""
The Badgers, however, could only hit 23.8 percent of their 3-pointers.
UW scored the first five points of the second half and maintained a comfortable margin the rest of the way.
Coppin State's zones may have forced the Badgers to work more on offense but it also allowed Wisconsin to dominate the offensive glass. Ryan's team collected eight more offensive rebounds and held a 17-0 edge in second chance points.
The Eagles are not taking it easy in their non-conference season by only playing a single home game before MEAC play. Aside from the trip to Madison, CSU has already visited Purdue and Kansas and will play at Okalahoma, Syracuse and Missouri.
""I've dealt with coach John Cheaney, my mentor, and he's always said to try and play as tough a schedule as you can, it will get your kids ready,"" Coppin State coach Ron Mitchell said. ""Let [the players] feel a little adversity in their lives and it will be worth it to us in the long run.""
As for Wisconsin, its next date is with the 9-2 Longhorns who lost their last game on a late 3-point shot against Michigan State. When these teams played last year in Austin Texas, the Badgers won a 67-66 thriller when Michael Flowers hit a 3-pointer with just two seconds to go.
Tipoff is at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Kohl Center and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
