The Wisconsin men's basketball team has blown two consecutive second-half leads, resulting in devastating overtime losses. Saturday, the Badgers (3-3 Big Ten, 12-6 overall) will try and turn things around on the road against No. 24 Illinois (4-2, 16-3).
The Badgers opened their Big Ten season with three consecutive wins but have since lost their last three to fall to .500, tied for fifth in the conference. In its last two contests, Wisconsin has been unable to finish off its opponents due to sloppy second-half play.
Wisconsin junior point guard Trévon Hughes has struggled recently with his decision-making. After committing more than two turnovers just once in Wisconsin's first 15 games, Hughes has committed three or more turnovers in each of the last three games and a total of 14 takeaways. Although UW head coach Bo Ryan certainly expects more from his starting point guard, he is still optimistic that Hughes will be able to redeem himself.
He's lost some of his mojo right now,"" Ryan said. ""He's got to get it back. But if anybody can, he can. Maybe he needs some help, too, from the other guys.""
Hughes and company will have their hands full against a talented Fighting Illini squad. Last year, Illinois failed to reach the NCAA tournament after finishing just 13-18, its worst record under head coach Bruce Weber. But so far this season, the Fighting Illini have been a force in the Big Ten, and their 4-2 record has them tied for second in the conference.
Illinois currently has four players averaging double-figures, including leading-scorer and sophomore guard Demetri McCamey, who is averaging 11.7 per game and also ranks fifth in the Big Ten with five assists per game. Sophomore forward Mike Davis is averaging 11.1 points per game and ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 7.3 rebounds per game. Senior guard Chester Frazier has also been a solid playmaker for the Fighting Illini, leading the Big Ten with 5.7 assists per game.
The Fighting Illini have already knocked off two ranked, Big Ten opponents in Purdue and Michigan. They are also coming off a commanding 67-49 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes. In this contest, Illinois had 13 steals and created 20 Buckeye turnovers.
This type of intensity from Illinois' defense will make it even more important for the Badgers to keep their composure and hold onto leads to pull out a victory.
""You've got to finish on some plays and you've got to keep that little bit of cushion,"" Ryan said. ""We've been there, we've done it where we get a little momentum.""
Recently, Ryan has tried to jumpstart the Badgers' momentum by trying to expand Wisconsin's rotation of players. With five freshmen, this year's team has not shown the same level of depth as in years past, but two solid performances in Wisconsin's loss to Iowa have shown that maybe the Badgers' bench will surprise opponents as the season continues.
Freshman guard Jordan Taylor set career-highs with 10 points, three assists and two steals in 20 minutes of action. Taylor also hit a long three-pointer as time expired in regulation to force overtime against Iowa.
Also, senior forward Kevin Gullikson made his first career start for the Badgers, playing 21 minutes and registering four points, two rebounds and two assists. If Gullikson continues to play well, he could take some pressure off the rest of Wisconsin's forwards.
Saturday's tip-off in Champaign, Ill. is set for 3 p.m. The game will be nationally televised from Assembly Hall on ESPN.
