During today’s press conference, Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard stayed focused on the defensive end in preparation for Wednesday’s trip to Maryland.
The 9-7 Terrapins have been arguably the strangest team in a stacked Big Ten conference. Maryland upset the Badgers in late December, yet have only gone 3-6 in conference to find themselves laboring in 10th place. Those three wins, however, have come on the road at Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. An impressive trio of victories for the Terps, but far too many losses are on the books.
In their first meeting with the Badgers, Maryland used a second half scoring flurry to pull away for a 70-64 upset. The biggest difference in that December 28 shocker? Maryland finished with 38 points in the paint, while the Badgers had just 20.
Gard and the Badgers are ready for their first repeat opponent of the season, but the defense will have to pass the test.
“Because of how they play and matchup wise, there’s a lot of challenges that get put on the floor,” head coach Greg Gard said in today’s media availability when asked about the Maryland rematch. “It’s going to test our adherence to rules and discipline within our system. We’ve got to be better on the ball in terms of containing dribble penetration initially but also in the layers that build our defense.”
If Wisconsin can control the paint, the Badgers will be on their way to their 13th win of the season and right back on track at the top of the conference.