When No. 23 Wisconsin (6-1) takes on No. 15 Marquette (5-1) at the Kohl Center Saturday, the annual battle will serve as a litmus test for two teams looking to solidify their spots in the top-25. And while Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan has his players following a game-by-game mentality, even junior forward Joe Krabbenhoft admitted the Marquette game means something special to the Badger players from Wisconsin.
They're a good team and anytime we play Marquette, no matter what they're ranked, it's going to be a lot of fun for the fans [and] for the players,"" Krabbenhoft said. ""People know each other. I'm not from Wisconsin, but some of my teammates are ... and they talk about how fun it is to play Marquette every year.""
Saturday's game will showcase two successful basketball programs with contrasting offensive styles.
Wisconsin will, of course, stick with Ryan's swing offense, but Marquette head coach Tom Crean uses multiple offensive sets, preparing a play sheet similar to that of some NFL coaches.
The majority of Crean's plays focus on springing junior guards Dominic James and Jerel McNeal for open shots or drives to the basket. The high pick-and-roll forms one of the Golden Eagles offensive staples. These plays could potentially draw Wisconsin's big men away from the basket.
""Our big guys have got to pretend they're 6'2'\
