After an inconsistent week that ended in a blow out a victory against Northwestern and a disappointing loss to No. 15 Ohio State, the Wis…
After an inconsistent week that ended in a blow out a victory against Northwestern and a disappointing loss to No. 15 Ohio State, the Wisconsin Badgers have fallen three spots to No. 13 in the latest Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Although the Badgers looked phenomenal against a struggling Northwestern team last week, their extremely poor shooting and interior defense against the Buckeyes cost them the game. The loss to Ohio State also cost Wisconsin an opportunity to move into second place in the Big Ten.
It had been another turbulent week in the Big Ten with several teams moving significantly in the rankings. Michigan and Ohio State both jumped three spots after solid weeks to No. 4 and No. 15, while Illinois moved up two spots to No. 22 after their convincing victory against Penn State. In addition to the Badgers, Iowa and Minnesota also fell three spots to No. 7 and No. 20.
After two consecutive weeks of playing highly ranked opponents, the Badgers’ schedule will be a bit calmer this week playing unranked Maryland and Penn State.
After a commanding win against the No. 21 Minnesota Golden Gophers, the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers will play their third road game of the se…
After a commanding win against the No. 21 Minnesota Golden Gophers, the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers will play their third road game of the season against the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sunday morning.
Wisconsin will look to senior forward Micah Potter to lead them against the Nittany Lions, who scored his second double-double of the season against Minnesota. Despite no longer being the leading scorer, Potter has been a rock for this Wisconsin defense throughout the season and leads the team with 7.3 rebounds a game.
A matchup to watch will be between Penn State guard Izaiah Brockington and Wisconsin’s D’Mitrik Trice. Both have been the leading scorers for their teams this season, and it will be important for Trice to continue his excellent play coming off of the big win against the Golden Gophers to avoid an upset like what happened against Maryland.
The Penn State Nittany Lions(3-4) are not going to be the best competition that the Badgers face this year, but it will be important for Wisconsin to play well early on to avoid a trap game on the road in University Park, Pa.
How to watch Wisconsin basketball against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
How to watch:
Matchup: Wisconsin Badgers at Penn State Nittany Lions
Where: Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa.
When: Jan. 3, 2021 at 11 a.m. CST
Where to watch: Big Ten Network (BTN)
Where to stream: FOX Sports GO app, or online at foxsportsgo.com
Where to listen: Badger Sports Network on the iHeartRadio app, or Satellite on SiriusXM
So much about the Wisconsin Badgers’ offense remains the same for reasons which aren’t so good. The 3-point shooting, the lack of a high number of free throw attempts, the lack of a game in which all five starters shoot the ball well at the same time are all continuous elements of an offense which has yet to hit its stride. The Badgers have to win with defense for now, and in January, they have been better in that regard than they were in November and December. The defense is holding this team together (and when the defense doesn’t show up, UW is in big trouble). Meanwhile, the offense just has to be “okay” and not lose games.
Give Greg Gard and the Badgers credit, then: The turnover problem which was pronounced early in the season — during that ugly 5-5 start through 10 games — is being put in the rearview mirror.
If you have noticed, Wisconsin committed only nine turnovers against Penn State. The Badgers have committed under 10 turnovers in two straight games, and they committed exactly 10 against Ohio State. Committing under 10 turnovers in a home game is one thing, though; for Wisconsin to average just 9.5 turnovers per game in its last two Big Ten road games is impressive, and a definite indication that ball security is regularly manifested in this team’s halfcourt offense.
We all know where Wisconsin has to improve right now, mostly in realms of ball movement, drawing fouls, and hitting a higher percentage of shots. The turnover problem, however, has largely been solved. It can be said that if Wisconsin can average 9.5 turnovers per Big Ten road game on a regular basis over the next two months, it will continue to give itself a chance to win games. More precisely, the Badgers will give their DEFENSE a chance to win games.
Know who you are. Know what works. Play in and from and through your strengths. Develop your weaknesses as you go along. These are tried-and-true aspects of sports competition. Wisconsin has established its basic foundation of strong defense and few turnovers. Yes, it will need the offense to get better, but as long as the offense doesn’t give away possessions, this team can stay in the mix in the Big Ten.
On a day when Wisconsin hit only six 3-pointers on more than 20 attempts — a VERY familiar turn of events this season, if you study box scores — the Badgers beat Penn State primarily with defense. Holding the Nittany Lions under 50 points, and just under 33-percent shooting from the field, was the main reason Wisconsin grabbed a second Big Ten road win in 2020 (and in the span of eight days). No one can or should ignore that fundamental point.
Yet, if you have been reading Badgers Wire, you know that we focused on one aspect of the Badgers’ 2020 season which had marked a distinct lack of evolution and development. We pointed out that against Illinois, Ohio State, Tennessee, and even against Rutgers in early December, the Badgers placed just two scorers in double figures. When something like that keeps happening, a team and a coaching staff have to get a greater sense of urgency. It is simply unsustainable for any basketball team to go through a full season of games against Power Five opponents with only two players scoring in double figures.
To be clear, it’s not as though Wisconsin’s offense was especially good against Penn State. The 6 of 21 threes was a central problem (nothing new there, as noted), and the Badgers hit only 8 of 14 free throws. The 23 foul shots earned against Illinois were not and are not reflective of this team’s prowess in getting to the foul line. Many problems remain.
Yet, one thing the Badgers did against Penn State: They created three double-figure scorers. Micah Potter starred with 24, Brad Davison had 11, and Kobe King had 10. No, we shouldn’t throw a ticker-tape parade for UW, especially since two of the three double-figure scorers barely reached 10 points. It’s not as though this was a whole new Wisconsin offense.
It was, however, a small pinch of progress.
When a second scorer has 11 points and a third scorer has only six or seven points, that is reflective of a differential among the non-primary scorers for that game. When the opponent takes away the hot shooter (Potter, in this case, on Saturday), can Wisconsin offer two credible alternatives, not just one? King and Davison both cracking double figures gives Greg Gard a little more reason to think his offense can generate three reliable scorers in a game.
It isn’t a transformation. It isn’t a huge step forward… but it IS a step forward. If Wisconsin keeps making small forward steps with very few backward steps, that’s a good progression for the rest of the season.
Wisconsin picked up a huge road victory over No. 20 Penn State on Saturday. Here are our top three takeaways from the game for the Badgers.
Wisconsin picked up a critical road victory over No. 20 Penn State on Saturday afternoon, taking down the Nittany Lions 58-49. Here are our top three takeaways from the game for the Badgers.
A career performance for Micah Potter
Jan 11, 2020; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Micah Potter (11) and Penn State Nittany Lions guard Curtis Jones Jr (4) reach for the rebound during the second half at Bryce Jordan Center. Wisconsin defeated Penn State 58-49. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Kobe King (10 points, 4 assists) and Brad Davison (11 points, 13 rebounds) both had excellent overall performances and made some timely plays, but there’s no question that the day belonged to Potter.
The Ohio State transfer was nearly unstoppable in the first half, scoring Wisconsin’s first 12 points of the game and finishing with 18 at the intermission. Every one of them was critical with the rest of the rotation struggling mightily to start the day.
Potter came down to earth a bit in the second half, but he hit some massive shots in the final 20 minutes, and ended up with a career-high 24 points on 4-6 shooting from downtown and 9-14 overall. He was also a monster on the glass, racking up 13 boards.
While it’s wrong to suggest that Potter’s lack of eligibility was the sole reason for Wisconsin’s rough start to the season, or that his presence has made all the difference in Bucky’s 5-1 record over its last six, but there’s no denying that he has provided a massive lift for this team since joining the rotation against UW-Milwaukee. This is a result of both his individual production and the load he has taken off of Nate Reuvers’ shoulders.
Potter’s career day against Penn State will undoubtedly make Badger fans even more furious at the NCAA for holding him out for the start of the season.
Wisconsin plays Penn State on the second Saturday of January. In most years, this would be a game in which Wisconsin is the safe NCAA Tournament team and Penn State is trying to improve its shaky resume.
This isn’t most years.
Both teams need this game, to be sure, but if you had to pick a team which needed this game more, it’s Wisconsin. The Badgers’ win over Marquette is valuable, as is their win at Ohio State. However, their win at Tennessee won’t mean too much since the Vols were without Lamonte Turner and are likely to fall to the bottom of the SEC without him. The win at home against Indiana might have more value later in the season, but the Hoosiers look very unconvincing right now. It is not easy to think that Indiana will make the NCAA Tournament in its current state.
Wisconsin’s resume doesn’t have a lot of meat on the bone. The Badgers don’t have to crush the Big Ten to make the NCAA tourney, but they do have to collect several wins against good teams in the league. In other words, they can’t just sweep Nebraska and Minnesota and beat Northwestern and think they have it made. No, Wisconsin will have to grab a number of wins against the likely NCAA Tournament teams in the conference. This season, that currently includes Penn State. True, PSU could falter, but right now, a win over the Nittany Lions would rate as a solid result which boosts a resume.
The good news for Wisconsin is that Penn State is now a value-bearing opponent on an NCAA resume. The bad news is that in this 2019-2020 season, Penn State — along with Rutgers and Illinois — isn’t a pushover anymore. Penn State shows that Wisconsin’s status as an upper-tier Big Ten team can’t be taken for granted this season. Wisconsin owned a long winning streak over Illinois… until Illinois improved. Wisconsin has a long winning streak over Penn State… but Penn State has improved.
There are more obstacles in Wisconsin’s path this season. Yes, this means that Wisconsin has more chances to polish its portfolio, but if the Badgers don’t convert enough of these chances, their NCAA hopes will take a hit… and teams such as Penn State and Rutgers will earn their dance card.
In a normal college basketball season, Wisconsin would be heavily favored and widely expected to beat Penn State in State College on Saturday. Again, this isn’t a normal season. This isn’t “most years.” It is up to Wisconsin to find a “most years” identity to this year, 2020, which is defined by uncertainty and weirdness in the present moment.
One of the things which fascinates me the most about major college sports — football and basketball together, not just one — is that athletic programs often display consistent and enduring traits over decades, even though players and coaches constantly change. It is as though certain athletic programs exhibit the characteristics of actual persons, with nervous tics, psychological tendencies, and other traits we assign to individual human beings.
A great example: Penn State basketball, Wisconsin’s next opponent on Saturday afternoon in Happy Valley. If you study Penn State basketball’s history, several details emerge. Chief among them is the uncanny tendency to make the NCAA Tournament in 10-year periods of time or something very close to 10 years.
Penn State’s first NCAA Tournament berth was achieved in 1942. The next one was attained in 1952. The most prosperous period in Penn State basketball history was a four-year sequence from 1952 through 1955 in which the program made three Sweet 16s and its only Final Four in 1954. Other than that one burst of prosperity, Penn State NCAA bids have been spaced out, generally in 10-year blocks.
After Penn State made the 1955 Big Dance, its next trip to the NCAA Tournament was in 1965. Then came the worst period in program history, a 26-year desert journey without a single Dance card. The program returned to the NCAAs in 1991. It then made a trip in 1996 and another in 2001, 10 years after that 1991 appearance. Penn State’s next NCAA bid after 2001? In 2011, on the 10-year plan. The Nittany Lions haven’t been back since, but now here they are, about to make the NCAAs one year ahead of the 10-year plan.
Yes, Penn State could actually make the Big Show nine years after its previous appearance. By historical standards, that’s not too bad. Except for that golden four-year period in the first half of the 1950s, Penn State basketball has become a place where the administration and various coaches have had to display enormous patience.
One statistic which shows how rarely Penn State makes the NCAA Tournament: No PSU men’s basketball coach has made more than two NCAA tourneys. Elmer Gross (who coached the 1954 team to the Final Four) made two NCAA Tournaments. John Egli and Jerry Dunn also made two. That’s it.
To the current administration’s credit, chiefly AD Sandy Barbour, Penn State didn’t dump Patrick Chambers after the 2019 season. Barbour stuck with Chambers and is about to reap the benefit of an NCAA bid, barring a complete tailspin in Big Ten play.
Penn State looks the part of an NCAA Tournament team. The Nittany Lions can beat Iowa in a track meet (last weekend in the Palestra), but they also have long defenders such as Mike Watkins who can provide a tough, rugged, blue-collar identity.
Penn State has shown resilience this season — coming from nine points down with 15 minutes left to beat Alabama — and it has shown it can deliver a butt-kicking to talented opponents from start to finish, as it did against Syracuse and Wake Forest. Penn State can throw a first punch, but it can also take a punch, as it showed in a 76-69 win over Maryland in December.
The Nittany Lions are deeper than they have been in some time. They don’t let late leads slip through their fingers this season, a key difference from talented teams in recent years which played the top teams well, but not well enough to win. Penn State has been away from the NCAA Tournament for roughly a decade. The light is back on in State College.
Wisconsin’s task will be to turn that light off on Saturday, and create fresh doubt in the minds of Penn State players. Given that Penn State is coming off a loss to Rutgers, we will see if PSU knows how to play mad, or if that NCAA bid isn’t as secure as some people think.
Wisconsin hits the road to take on No. 20 Penn State on Saturday. Badger fans should be sure to know these three opposing players.
Wisconsin enters Saturday’s contest against No. 20 Penn State in State College having won 12 straight against the Nittany Lions, but this could very well be the second game in a row the Badgers see an impressive head-to-head winning streak come to a close after snapping a run of 15 straight victories against Illinois in Wednesday’s loss to the Illini in Madison.
Head coach Pat Chambers has his squad ranked in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time in 24 years, and the Nittany Lions look like a pretty safe bet to get back to the NCAA Tournament after an eight-year hiatus. Before falling at Rutgers on Tuesday, Penn State had put together a five-game winning streak that including home victories over No. 4 Maryland and No. 23 Iowa. It’s clear at this point in the season that this is the best group Penn State has had in a very long time.
With that being said, here are the three players on the other side who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout Saturday’s contest.
One of the all-time great players in the history of Penn State’s program, Stevens is capping off a marvelous career with an outstanding senior season.
The 6-8 forward from Philadelphia was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list that was released earlier this week and is looking like a top contender for Big Ten Player of the Year honors as the conference’s No. 5 scorer and No. 13 rebounder. Stevens is also one of Penn State’s top defenders, ranking second on the team in both blocks and steals.
The Nittany Lions may have lost both matchups to the Badgers last season, but Stevens certainly was not to blame; he scored 22 points in both contests.
Dec 14, 2019; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Lamar Stevens (11) and forward Mike Watkins (24) react to a play against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at the Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
At this point, you have to sympathize a bit with Nate Reuvers and Micah Potter. The two bigs have had to bang with two of the Big Ten’s most formidable post players in Ohio State’s Kaleb Wesson and Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn in Wisconsin’s last two games, and the trend is set to continue on Saturday against Watkins.
While the 6-9, 254-pound senior isn’t as dangerous a scorer as those two, he’s just as much of a dominant force in the paint. One of the Big Ten’s top defenders, Watkins leads the conference in blocks per game, and he’s a monster on the boards as well (No. 6 in rebounds per game).
While racking up points isn’t exactly what he does best, Watkins is still more than capable of getting his on that end of the floor. At 61.9 percent, his career field goal percentage ranks second among all active Big Ten players.
After averaging 4 points in just 10.8 minutes of action per game as a freshman last year, Jones’ production has skyrocketed in year two.
Thee 6-3 guard out of Birmingham has added more than ten points to his scoring average as a sophomore and has been Penn State’s best offensive player not named Lamar Stevens this season. He ranks behind only Stevens in scoring and is also the team’s top facilitator at just shy of three assists per game.
Jones is one of the Big Ten’s top marksmen from long-range, boasting the No. 10 three-point percentage in the Big Ten.
Penn State basketball is searching for its first NCAA Tournament berth under coach Patrick Chambers. The former Boston University head coach is in his ninth season in State College. Penn State administrators have been very patient with him. A 10-2 start with a win over Maryland has Penn State firmly in the NCAA Tournament hunt with a legitimate chance to give Chambers prolonged job security in the Big Ten. In the short term, that is obviously PSU’s foremost goal and challenge. Yet, the decade of the 2020s presents a bigger question surrounding the Nittany Lions on the hardwood: “Can they develop real momentum?”
Penn State isn’t Rutgers or Nebraska. Penn State has actually made a Sweet 16 this century. Rutgers and Nebraska are programs where momentum is less important than making a one-time breakthrough. Rutgers wants to make an NCAA Tournament. Nebraska wants to win its first NCAA Tournament game. Those programs will worry about other, bigger things after reaching those milestones. Penn State doesn’t have a 29-year NCAA drought (Rutgers) or the unique burden of never having won an NCAA tourney game (Nebraska). The Nittany Lions, as they pursue the Big Dance this season, need to figure out how to have a period of modest — but continuous — success. They don’t know what that looks like, at least not in modern times.
Penn State has made four NCAA Tournaments since the expansion of the tournament field to 64 teams in 1985. Those four bids have all been spaced out by at least five years: 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2011. Penn State would love to have just one period of five years in which it makes two NCAA Tournaments, or a nine-year period in which it makes three NCAA tourneys. Just that — just that modest pattern of continued success — would represent a BIG improvement for Penn State basketball.
It makes one appreciate the phenomenal consistency of Wisconsin basketball this century, and it also reminds one of the landscape in the early 1990s, when Wisconsin was the Big Ten program in search of a transformation. That transformation clearly arrived in Madison. The people of University Park, Pa., are looking for the same in the coming decade.
