While the North Dakota Fighting Sioux looked stellar on the ice in a series sweep of the Badgers last weekend, the hardwood should tell a completely different tale as the Badgers play host to North Dakota Tuesday night.
Not only is home where the heart is, but home seems to also be where the Badgers are virtually unbeatable. After finishing 16-1 in Madison last season and outscoring opponents by an average of 17.7 points per game, head coach Bo Ryan enters Tuesday's contest 67-5 in non-conference games and an inexplicable 24-0 in home games during November.
No. 24 Wisconsin's homecourt confidence will only be intensified after an explosive win over Prairie View A&M Sunday. Wisconsin racked up 58 second half points on their way to a resounding 99-55 victory, marking the most points for a Wisconsin squad in a single game since the scoring 105 in a game during the 1995-'96 season
After losing last season's starting backcourt of Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon, the biggest question mark in the offseason was who would pick up the slack.
""With the team we have this year we are going to have to do it by committee,"" head coach Bo Ryan said. ""There is no question it is going to have to come from different sources.""
While senior forward Jon Leuer was a steady contributor in Sunday's lopsided victory, recording a game-high 24 points, it was the underclassmen who spurred Wisconsin to victory. Freshman guard Josh Gasser had a dominant debut, totaling 21 points and a game-high nine rebounds, including six off the offensive glass.
""Maybe he's the next Devin Harris,"" sophomore guard Jordan Taylor said.
Taylor's comment may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. Gasser's 21 points places him second all-time for scoring in a Badger debut, just ahead of none other than NBA all-star Devin Harris and his 20 point debut.
However, Gasser isn't the only underclassman playing beyond his years.
""We have guys right down the line that can step up,"" senior forward Jon Leuer said. ""You don't know who's going to put up numbers or score points on any given night.""
In the season opener, the emerging backup frontcourt, consisting of sophomore Mike Bruesewitz and redshirt sophomore Jared Berggren, chipped in 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists, helping the Badgers'underclassmen amass 66 percent of the team's points.
As good as things have been recently for Wisconsin, they can't get out to a slow start against North Dakota. In their last game out, the Fighting Sioux went up 25-3 after six minutes of play and never looked back on their way to a 77-46 victory over the Waldorf College Warriors. The victory was largely attributable to the 18 points apiece by the guard combination of junior Patrick Mitchell and freshman Troy Huff.
Even with the scoring prowess North Dakota exhibited last week, the Fighting Sioux can expect a much different opponent Tuesday. Wisconsin led the Big Ten in scoring defense last year, allowing a meager 56.9 points per game and, after only one season facing a full Divisoon 1 schedule, the Sioux are still adjusting to competing against the heightened size and athleticism of top-level opponents.
