It is not an accident or an idle coincidence that when Wisconsin Badgers basketball is mentioned, one of the other major college programs which often comes to mind is Virginia.
The Cavaliers and the Badgers have some obvious stylistic and method-based connections. We know that Dick Bennett began this golden era of Wisconsin hoops, and that Tony Bennett took the Bennett Formula to Virginia by way of Washington State. When Virginia beat Purdue to make the Final Four this past spring, it was another instance of a member of the Bennett family beating Purdue, as was the case in the 2000 Albuquerque Regional Final, when Dick Bennett beat Gene Keady for a ticket to Indianapolis and a national semifinal against Michigan State.
The other big connection between Wisconsin and Virginia is neatly explained below. The two programs have a deserved reputation for playing great defense, but have never received due credit for running structured, smart, fluid, often beautiful offense which — at its best — is highly efficient:
For a decade the media has mocked Wisconsin and Virginia as ugly defensive teams that couldn't play offense while, in reality, both were always offensively spectacular.
This year, neither team can hit a god damn shot. It only took a decade, but the media is finally right.
— Jeff (BPredict) (@BPredict) December 5, 2019
As the commentator above noted, this year is a year when the “ugly offense” critique of Wisconsin and Virginia is finally right. This leads me to my main point: Even though Virginia is struggling on offense at a level which is comparable to Wisconsin, the Cavaliers still serve as a model for what this specific Wisconsin team (2019-20, not necessarily the program in a larger context beyond this season) can become.
I will begin to explain that thesis statement with this general point: Virginia’s offense HAS been really bad this season. If you haven’t noticed, here’s all you need to know:
No. 5 Virginia lost 69-40 vs Purdue, their 4th-fewest points in a game during the shot clock era (since 1985-86).
The Cavaliers are the first ranked team to be held under 50 points in 3 straight games, all within the same season, since 1951-52 Utah. pic.twitter.com/rrDOTVCY0L
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 5, 2019
The Cavaliers have shot poorly in a lot of games. Yet, they have lost only once. They have some good road (Syracuse) and neutral (Arizona State) wins in addition to a home win over a very good Vermont team. No, they are not going to be a No. 1 seed this March, but they figure to be very good. They’re not a complete team, but they’re going to be fine. Why? Their defense.
Yes, Virginia is going to lose games this season which it won last season because it doesn’t have DeAndre Hunter, Kyle Guy, or Ty Jerome to hit big baskets. However, UVA is still going to win a lot of games with its defense, which enabled the Hoos to win games this season in which they scored 48 (held Syracuse to 34), 48 (held Arizona State to 45), and 46 points (held Maine to 26). Virginia will lose some rock fights, but it will win some as well. All things considered, an incredible defense won’t fully cancel out a weak offense, but it will compensate more than a lot of other teams would be able to do.
This is the path forward for Wisconsin, at least in the short term while Greg Gard tries to develop his offense (and the NCAA intolerably fails to allow Micah Potter to play). Yes, the Badgers definitely have to improve at the offensive end of the floor; you don’t need to say anything more to any Wisconsin fan on that point. However: Wisconsin did allow North Carolina State to score 26 points in a 10-minute segment at the start of the second half on Wednesday night in Raleigh.
Wisconsin might not be able to make threes this season — just like Virginia — but the Badgers can always defend better. They can always get in better position. They can always rotate and slide and move their feet. They can always box out. They can always contest shots. Wisconsin has to be able to win a 48-45 game, at least this season. THIS team isn’t the Frank Kaminsky team. It isn’t the 2017 team, either. This team won’t be pretty; that’s okay… as long as it can learn to win ugly.
We make use of what we have, not what we wish for. Wisconsin games don’t figure to be elegant. So be it. This team has to embrace rugged rock fights in which it wins not by scoring, but by preventing the opponent from filling it up. Yes, Virginia is struggling on offense. Yet, the Badgers need to embrace Tony Bennett’s methods MORE, not less, in this season of pronounced limitations.