When the Wisconsin Badgers host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Sunday, they already know they will need a different formula and a different set of team leaders to help them win. Why can we be so confident and immediate in saying this, you might wonder?
Recall that when Wisconsin lost to Rutgers on Dec. 11, the leading scorer for the Badgers and UW’s best player on the floor was Kobe King. Yep, a player Wisconsin no longer has on its active roster was the best Badger two months ago in New Jersey. That detail alone means Wisconsin must necessarily find other prime players to get the job done against Rutgers and extend the Badgers’ February winning streak.
Wisconsin, given a series of home games, is currently moving through a favorable portion of its schedule and therefore has a great chance to solidify its NCAA Tournament status. Cashing in on that softer patch of its schedule can’t be taken for granted, though; Rutgers has already dealt one loss to the Badgers, so Wisconsin has to make sure the Scarlet Knights don’t go two for two.
It will have to be done without Kobe King, who scored 18 points and handed out three assists on Dec. 11. A win over Rutgers this Sunday will probably not involve 11 points from Trevor Anderson. Yes, Anderson scored 11 points against Rutgers two months ago. Maybe he will surprise us all, but it doesn’t come across as probable that he can replicate that performance on Sunday. Possible? Surely. Probable? No.
The player on the Wisconsin roster who might have the highest level of motivation heading into Sunday’s game: Micah Potter. Remember that the Rutgers game was the last game of the season which Potter was prevented from playing by the NCAA. His first game was the Milwaukee game on Dec. 21, Wisconsin’s first game after the Rutgers loss. Having Potter available — with King not available — underscores why a win over Rutgers has to be forged by a formula which is different from the one UW used on Dec. 11 in Piscataway.