When starting point guard Traevon Jackson went down with a foot fracture in Wisconsin’s still baffling loss to Rutgers, there was a very real worry the Badgers were about to do what they did last season: collapse. Instead, Wisconsin has been on a roll that would make a steamroller blush.
The No. 5 Badgers (8-1 Big Ten, 20-2 overall) will take a dominant five-game win streak into the Kohl Center Saturday to face a Northwestern team (1-8, 10-12) in free fall.
When they last met Jan. 4 in Evanston, the then-No. 4 Badgers dominated the 10-4 Wildcats 81-58. Northwestern has not won since, currently riding a seven-game losing streak and sitting in last in the Big Ten standings.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin has routinely blown the doors off opponents with its offense. The Badgers are averaging an ungodly 1.27 points per possession in their last five games and now hold the No. 1 spot in Ken Pomeroy’s offensive ratings.
They still have one of the slowest paces in the country, ranked 336 in Pomeroy’s tempo measurements, but they are doing a fantastic job at maximizing possessions thanks to strong 3-point shooting and a ridiculously low turnover rate. In those five games, the Badgers have averaged just 5.4 turnovers, even with the starting point guard on the sidelines.
Since taking over Jackson’s starting spot, sophomore guard Bronson Koenig has been superb as a ball handler. His two-turnover game in Tuesday’s game against Indiana was the first time Koenig gave up more than one turnover as a starter.
Of course, as bad as Northwestern has looked, Wisconsin fans aren’t likely to forget last season’s loss to the Wildcats in the Kohl Center, easily the most confusing component of the 1-4 stretch that had derailed a perfect start to the season.
Northwestern played a game of forcing Wisconsin to settle for deep shots and rode hot shooting to a shocking victory.
This year’s team is different due the graduation star forward Drew Crawford, replaced by what has been a solid group of recruits. On a per game basis, freshman point guard Bryant McIntosh currently leads the Wildcats in minutes (33.4), points (12.2) and assists (4.5). Forward Vic Law also comes in at fourth in scoring with 6.5 points per game and second in rebounding with 4.5 per game.
By really any comprehensive measure, Northwestern is still one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. But, as we all learned last season, anything can happen in Big Ten play and even the most dominant of UW teams can be taken down by a frisky Northwestern team.
