Last week, I wrote about the reality that the Wisconsin Badgers, like the Virginia Cavaliers, were prone to a lot of bad shooting games… and that Wisconsin needed to be MORE like Virginia, not less. My point was not focused on offense, but defense. This gets to the central reality — and need — facing Wisconsin after its latest road loss to Rutgers on Wednesday night.
Wisconsin wasn’t brilliant on offense, but it wasn’t terrible, either. Wisconsin didn’t score in the low 50s. Wisconsin didn’t shoot under 40 percent. The Badgers allowed 72 points, and strangely, they did so even though Rutgers hit just 5 of 19 threes and made only nine free throws. That’s hard to fathom.
The one statistic which decided this game was offensive rebounds. Rutgers gathered 14 of them, Wisconsin only three. THAT is embarrassing. THAT is unacceptable.
Wisconsin wasn’t always precise against Rutgers. The Badgers didn’t get good offensive performances from Nate Reuvers or D’Mitrik Trice, which certainly hurt their cause. They committed 14 turnovers. None of those realities are good. Yet, a Wisconsin team at its best will make 65 points stand up on the road. A Wisconsin team playing to expected standards will turn 48-percent shooting into a Badger victory. Yet, being imprecise, inconsistent, inaccurate, or a combination of the three can all be tolerated if the effort level is there.
The 14-3 offensive rebounding differential showed that the effort WASN’T there for the Badgers. It’s one thing to be outshot or outmaneuvered by a clever game plan. This loss was not the result of shooting or tactics. This game was decided because Rutgers wanted the basketball more than Wisconsin did. Rutgers got more 50-50 balls and scrapped more urgently for every possession. Rutgers earned 63 shot attempts, Wisconsin only 48. That’s why Rutgers could shoot so poorly from 3-point range (26 percent) and make only nine free throws yet still win by seven points.
Talent sometimes wins, and after this game, some commentators remarked that Rutgers has more talent than Wisconsin:
Rutgers pretty clearly has more talent than Wisconsin. That says a lot about Steve Pikiell, but even more about this Wisconsin roster. Just not very talented and won't win much when Reuvers doesn't go off. Badgers fall to 5-5 as RU holds serve at the RAC.
— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) December 12, 2019
The point about Reuvers needing to be good for Wisconsin to win is well-made and well-taken. Rutgers might actually have more talent, too — I am not necessarily disagreeing with that (I am fundamentally neutral on that question right now). However, let’s get one thing straight: Talent and toughness are not the same thing. They aren’t strongly related.
Teams can lack talent and yet be very tough. Teams can have elite talent and yet be soft as marshmallows. When I wrote that Wisconsin needs to be MORE like bad-shooting Virginia, not less, I meant that the Badgers can always develop more toughness and cultivate better defensive habits. Talent isn’t needed to be tougher and more ferocious. Urgency, intensity, good habits, and competitive pride improve a team’s identity and performance on defense. Skill is needed on offense, but defense can improve through work ethic.
That work ethic was missing against Rutgers, and that is the biggest indictment of both this team and this coaching staff as Wisconsin takes the next week and a half off. See that basketball? Rutgers wanted it more. Wisconsin needs to want it more in every remaining game this season.