When covering a sports team, it is certainly important to make note of progress and improvement. It is essential to be clear in saying that a team notched a particularly important victory and took a clear step forward. It is irresponsible to gloss over successes or minimize them. Always waiting to criticize and being stingy on praise is a bad look every time.
At Badgers Wire, we have not done that after the Wisconsin Badgers’ authoritative win over the Tennessee Volunteers. We noted how impressive the Wisconsin defense was in this game, emphasizing the extent to which a defensive renaissance can raise this team’s ceiling.
We also pointed out that Wisconsin played a more complete game even without Micah Potter posting big numbers or logging much playing time. We have clearly noted the good developments connected to a genuinely impressive performance in Knoxville. We aren’t being stingy on praise. We aren’t being a bunch of Negative Nicks or Nancies around here.
However: When noting the successes of a team (or an athlete), it is still fair and reasonable to point out that a given success might have been the product of the opponent’s struggles. We shouldn’t completely ignore this element of Wisconsin’s win over Tennessee. We shouldn’t make too big a deal of it, yes, but we shouldn’t completely cast it aside.
Tennessee, as we pointed out before this game, was playing without senior point guard Lamonte Turner, a core member of last season’s Sweet 16 team which came within an eyelash of reaching the Elite Eight. Tennessee lost Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield to the NBA. Turner was one of the players who anchored this season’s team and gave Tennessee a real shot at another NCAA Tournament berth. Losing Turner just before the Wisconsin game clearly crippled Tennessee.
By all means, let’s give full credit to Wisconsin for pouncing on a vulnerable opponent and stomping on its throat. Nevertheless, one has to be mindful of the reality that future opponents won’t lack critical players — not just point guards, but quality players and upperclassmen who knit the rest of the team together. The timing of this game worked in Wisconsin’s favor. The Badgers made great use of their circumstances, but for all the good things they did, it certainly should be said that they faced a weakened opponent.
The next challenge for Wisconsin: Standing up to a good team on the road when that good team has all its weapons. It’s not being a killjoy to point that out.