What’s Going Wrong In Wisconsin?
Total Pro Sports - One of the biggest stories in college basketball right now is not what’s happening at the top of the rankings, it is what’s happening off the charts as Wisconsin tumbles down the Big Ten standings.
For the first time in Bo Ryan’s career as Wisconsin head coach, the team has lost two games in a row at home, and for the first time since 1998 the Badgers have lost five conference games in a row.
During the most recent loss to Purdue, the ESPN announcers diagnosed the problem as a “lack of offensive identity.” The one thing they didn’t point out is that Bo Ryan, as coach, is responsible for creating that. Players can only do so much individually and Ryan’s job is to bring them together as a team.
Last night against the Boilermakers with the game on the line, Ryan put the ball in the hands of freshman point guard Jordan Taylor instead of junior Trevon Hughes. Taylor missed an off-balance lay-up that would’ve tied the game, and the Badgers had to foul. After Purdue made both their free throws, Trevon Hughes sank a three with .2 seconds left on the clock, and the Badgers lost by one point.
Granted, Taylor did make a big three against Iowa to send that game to overtime, but still, why not give the ball to Hughes, one of your best scorers?
As a Badger sports fan, it is frustrating to watch another season where our high hopes are smashed immediately after conference play starts. We just went through this in the fall with the football team, and now it’s déjà vu all over again, to quote the great Yogi Berra. The basketball team, like the football team, has the talent but is underachieving.
For a team expected to challenge for the Big Ten title, this five-game losing streak isn’t the final nail in the coffin – it’s the dirt being poured in and the grass being replaced.
Unless there’s some sort of miracle in the last ten games of the season, the Badgers’ high hopes will have to wait another season.
Via guest reporter Brian at Illegal Use Of Hands
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I think the Badgers have always had this problem it is just now catching up with them. They can still get it done defensively but their style of play is boring to watch, they need some electricity in the lineup.
The badgers are lacking in three areas this year; One, they don’t have a major stud that can consistently score in the clutch, something Wisconsin has had during most of Coach Ryan’s tenure, and when they haven’t, they could rely on a strong senior led team to provide the points.
This year they’re offensive success is relying on balanced scoring from at least four guys every night. The seniors are not enough – Laundry is not big enough to consisently score inside, so his 13 to 15 is solid, but not enough to single handedly win a game. Krabenhoft is a gutty gabarageman, that provides the rebounds, tough inside defense, and additional hustle possessions to help a team, but his game has never really materialized into a big scorer, he is generally good for 8 points per game, Gullickson is a low scoring reserve to provide minutes. The let down has been erractic production from Bohanen, who has simply been way to inconsistent at this stage of his career, he should be a solid scoring shooter (ie. Kirk Penney), the other missing link has been a consistent John Lauer. Maybe Taylor, Nankivil and Wilson will get some time on the floor to develop for next year.
Secondly, has been their porous defense, by far the worst it’s been during Ryan’s tenure. This year they lack size on the front line to patrol the rim and clean-up any missed assignments, they don’t have a lock down defender on the perimeter with the athletic ability to keep with the likes of Purdue and MSU in check on the perimeter while concurrently locking down the paint.
Finally, they’ve been absolutely terrible shooting free throws in the clutch.
Sum up these issues and your going to get beat, particularly in a conference that is getting better. Even with all that said, things are not that bad, there is light in the tunnel, given nearly all of these losses are to top 25 teams and Wisconsin has basically been in everyone of these contests to the final minute.
They just need to find the two key scoring options to close out the contests.
I win against Illinois at home and Northwestern on the road gets them to .500 in the conference.
Wow, I didn’t know all that, I knew Bohanen was their scoring leader but didn’t know he was struggling. The defense is really that bad this year, that is one thing that Wisconsin could always rely on.
Those wins are far easier said than done, Illinois is better this year and Northwestern is always tough at home, Wisconsin may be on the bubble come March.
Mike I’m going to disagree with you about the defense, somewhat, they’re in the top half of the league in PPG, defensive rebounds, so the defense is there it just seems they lose it at the end of the games.
Offense is really their biggest problem, if they could score a little bit they’d be 4-1 instead of 0-5 over these past five games. You’re right about Bohannon he’s been shooting badly (only 3 pts against Purdue) and he’s supposed to be one of the team’s best three point shooters.
These guys have potential its just too bad they couldn’t bring it together this year