SB Nation - Marcus Landry

Badger Bits: Talking about the Axe already

Adam Hoge — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:15:20 -0000

The Daily Gopher released an in-depth Wisconsin Badgers preview today full of pessimistic comments from yours truely. Actually, I wasn't that tough on the Badgers, just fair. Be sure to check it out.

Meanwhile, TDG will return the favor next week when Tom joins me on The 5th Quarter Radio Show to preview the Gophers as part of the 2009 Schedule Tour. It all starts Tuesday at 1 PM CT and we might even make it a one hour show! Is that something you might be interested in?

On to some other links:

Landry and Krabbenhoft closer to NBA dream - UWBadgers.com
Marcus Landry has signed a summer league contract with the Sacramento Kings and Joe Krabbenhoft has a tryout with Portland. This is great news for these guys, but it is still a stretch to think that Landry, Krabbenhoft or Greg Stiemsma (who will play for Memphis this summer) will be with an NBA team in the fall.

World University Games Blog #7 - UWBadgers.com
Matt Ryan has another update from Serbia.

"Coach" Bohannon? - UWBadgers.com
With coaches not able to participate in summer programs, senior captains have to take over the team and Jason Bohannon is serving as "head coach" right now.

Badger Bits: Weekend wrap-up

Adam Hoge — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:06:58 -0000

Note: The 2009 Schedule Tour continues Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT (special time) as we break down the Michigan State Spartans with Pete Rossman from The Only Colors. As always, your phone calls are welcome. Don't miss it!

If you haven't noticed yet, it's Wisconsin Day on the Big Ten Network. At 5 a.m. CT this morning 24 hours of Wisconsin programming started with a replay of the UW men's basketball team's win over Maryland in 2000, followed by the 2000 Rose Bowl. Still to come today: a Wisconsin-Minnesota hockey game from last season, a Wisconsin-Michigan basketball game from last season and the "Brian Butch Bank Shot" game at Indiana from 2008 (that airs at 6 p.m. CT tonight). For some reason, the 2003 Wisconsin-Ohio State football game doesn't air until 3 a.m. Tuesday morning, but set your DVRs.

Badger Bits: Opening Day... just kidding, Edition

Adam Hoge — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:37:05 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

8 months ago: Illinois head coach Bruce Weber talks with his players from left, Findlay's Josh Bostic (21), Boston College's Tyrese Rice (5) and Wisconsin's Marcus Landry (31) during the college all-star basketball game at the men's Final Four NCAA basketball tournament Friday, April 4, 2009, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Browse more photos »

There are few Mondays as great as Opening Day, especially when the National Championship happens to be played on the same night. And the build up for Opening Day has never been greater with the extra week of Spring Training. So when your favorite team--In my case, the White Sox--postpones Opening Day about 20 hours before the first pitch, it makes you want to cry. And it's even worse when it's not even raining or snowing today.

Then there are the Brewers, who got the unlucky draw of starting their season on Tuesday in San Francisco. So I think the majority of the B5Q community is wishing their favorite team was playing today, except for the Cubs fans (and I know we have a lot of them) who get to see their team play today no matter what, because the Northsiders open their season in Houston tonight at 6 p.m. Of course, the Astros have a roof.

Anyway, while I was gearing up for baseball all weekend, there was a lot of Badgers news. So let's get right to it:

Marcus Landry (No. 31 in the picture above, with Illinois' coach Bruce Weber) scored 14 points Friday in the college all-stars game in Detroit.
The UW football team's game at Hawaii was officially scheduled for Sat., Dec. 5 and will be aired on either ESPN or ESPN2. There had been talk about the game being played on Fri., Dec. 4 depending on TV schedules. The kickoff time will be announced at a later date.
Here's a cool video from UWBadgers.com. Last week defensive coordinator Dave Doeren wore a microphone during practice and was followed with a camera.
Last week we took a look at the status of the high-profile UW head coaches. The same day, Andy Baggot (Wisconsin State Journal) had this take on whether or not UW women's head coach Lisa Stone should be replaced.
Former UW soccer player Aaron Hohlbein scored his first MLS goal Sunday as his Kansas City Wizards beat San Jose 2-0. You can see the goal here.
Eight NFL teams sent scouts to watch DeAndre Levy's solo workout in Madison last week. Levy missed the NFL Combine, which is why he was hosting the workout. Jonathan Casillas was supposed to participate but could not because of a hamstring injury.

Memorandum to Big Ten Basketball Players

PJS — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:14:51 -0000

MEMORANDUM

To: Big Ten Basketball Players

From: Concerned Fans

Subject: No Respect

Date: March 16, 2009

Dear Big Ten basketball star,

It's time to stand up and tell all of the two-bit talking heads ENOUGH ALREADY! From CBS' Digger Phelps to SI's Andy Glockner and just about every overworked and underpaid columnist and blogger in the country, they all spout the same foolish talking points.

They say with bravado, while sometimes waving magic markers that match their ties at you, that Big Ten basketball is no good. The pace of play isn't fast enough, you're told. Teams actually milk the shot clock (blashphemy, don't tell the advertisers!!!). The scores aren't high enough. Most coaches preach defense before offense, which is obviously insane because we can all see how well David Stern and the NBA has fared with its run and shoot version of basketball.

And then, simply by looking at the score (thanks a lot, Illinois and Penn State), the gatekeepers of opinion tell you that the players in the conference just aren't good. OK, sure.

Have they actually watched Kevin Coble play? How about Evan Turner? Raymar Morgan? Have they seen Damian Johnson take over a game without scoring? Have they seen Joe Krabbenhoft set the best pick in the country? How about Wisconsin senior Marcus Landry do just about everything on the floor? Have the pundits watched Kalin Lucas run around like a posessed lightning-bug? How about Purdue's Chris Kramer, JaJuan Johnon or a healthy Robbie Hummel? Let's not forget Talor Battle and Jamelle Cornley, the best one-two duo Penn State has ever seen.

Big Ten alums know that these are good players. We know these are sound and talented teams. But you get no credit. You didn't even get credit for having just about the best non-conference season possible. For the record, here's a snippet of who you beat: Oklahoma State, Texas, Vanderbilt, Tulsa, Missouri, Boston College, Davidson, Miami, Notre Dame, Butler, Virginia Tech, Louisville, UCLA, Duke, and Florida State.

But as Phelps, Glockner, Hubert Davis or just about anyone else would have it, because the Big Ten prides defense over offense, and because scores are lower, well, that means there is just no chance you could beat these same teams later this week.

So, our message to you is this: Put a chip on your shoudler and change that perception this weekend. You're good and great players. And you can beat just about anyone that is put in front of you. Let's shove the mainstream media's talking points back at them, shall we?

Good luck!

Big Ten Tournament Day 2

BoilerTMill — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:09:47 -0000

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has to be thrilled with the first day results in Indianapolis. The scenario to get eight Big Ten teams into the NCAA Tournament went perfectly. Michigan, Penn State, and Minnesota each had convincing wins over the teams that probably needed the automatic bid in order to dance. Only Northwestern had an outside chance at an at large bid without winning the auto-bid. Best of all, Michigan and Penn State weren't immediately eliminated with bad losses. Even ESPN's Bubble Watch agreed this morning.

There has been plenty of help around the country. Miami sucked yesterday, much to my chagrin. Kansas State is likely gone. Providence may be gone. Arizona may be gone. Boston College locking up a bid helps our seeding as that has been a nice win for us all year. If I had my way Virginia Tech and Maryland would already be out because I don't think any team that can't finish at least .500 in their league should get invited unless they get the automatic bid. For those Big Ten bubble teams that lose today they had better hope Baylor does not win the Big 12 tournament. That would steal a bid, and they absolutely have the talent to do so.

Anyone up for round 2?

#1 Michigan State (25-5) vs. #8 Minnesota (22-9) Noon

Blogcentric previews: The Daily Gopher, Spartans Weblog, Enlightened Spartan

Michigan State is obviously safe. Minnesota should be safe, but a win over the Spartans would likely take care of business. Taking care of business is exactly what Michigan State did in both meetings. The Spartans won 70-58 in Minneapolis before crushing the Gophers 76-47 in East Lansing. If Minnesota plays the way it did for much of its game with Northwestern yesterday you can expect another Michigan State blowout.

I think Michigan State has been on a mission since getting throttled by Purdue. They practically pitched a shutout in the final five minutes at Illinois to lock up the Big Ten title. They held off a determined Indiana team during the Hoosiers' final game in Bloomington, and judging by Indiana's results in their last two games it may have finally broken their spirits. The Spartans have won five straight since that night in Mackey Arena, and with Oklahoma, Connecticut, and Pittsburgh already waiting they can make a serious case for a #1 seed.

If Michigan State plays as they have lately I have a hard time seeing Minnesota beating them. I think it will take a lackluster effort by the Spartans for Tubby and Co. to move on. The Gophers do have a win over a #1 seed-esque team in Lousiville. They dominated that game as well, so the ability is there. I like Minnesota's size because with it they can compete with Michigan State on the glass. The Gophers didn't use it well yesterday though in getting outrebounded by Northwestern. Northwestern is the worst rebounding team in the league, while Michigan State is easily the best. Michigan State 75, Minnesota 65

#4 Wisconsin (19-11) vs. #5 Ohio State (20-9) 2:30pm

Blogcentric Previews: Eleven Warriors, Bucky's 5^th Quarter,

I see two identical teams here, and that is often what you get in the Big Ten's 4/5 game. Wisconsin gets the white jerseys by virtue of their 55-50 win in Madison, which was the only previous meeting between the two this year. Both were 10-8 in Big Ten play. Both played tough non-conference schedules, but Ohio State's win over Butler is a difference maker. Wisconsin lost to Marquette, Texas, and Connecticut. Both teams are likely safe, but I think Wisconsin needs this one just a little bit more. In my mind, getting to 20 overall wins in a tough conference like the Big Ten is still a solid litmus test for an at large berth. Of the eight teams in question, Wisconsin is the only one not there yet. They would be well served not to have that strike against them as competitive as the race for bids is. That 6 game losing streak in the middle of conference play is still a mark against them, as is Minnesota's sweep of them.

Marcus Landry had a big game for Wisconsin the first time around, but Evan Turner was even bigger with 23 points. Dallas Lauderdale was ineffective and Jon Diebler couldn't get open for anything. Wisconsin also kept Ohio State off the glass, winning the rebounding battle 30-21. That helped the Badgers overcome a very poor shooting night. Wisconsin was 20 of 55 the first time around, but allowed just 3 offensive rebounds and limited Ohio State to just 38 field goal attempts. Ohio State also had 19 turnovers.

If Wisconsin puts up those defensive numbers again the Buckeyes will have a difficult time getting the win. Ohio State had to grit out wins over Iowa and Northwestern to close the season as well. Wisconsin has gotten every game it absolutely had to win down the stretch here except the loss at Minnesota. Indiana is the only team to score more than 60 against them in that span, and Wisconsin countered that by scoring 85 for the first time since the second game of the year. They are playing great defense right now, and that is why I give them a slight edge in what should be a great Big Ten-style game. First team to 60 wins. Wisconsin 61, Ohio State 55

#2 Illinois (23-8) vs. #7 Michigan (20-12) 6:30pm

Blogcentric Previews: Maize N' Brew, Hail to the Orange, UM Hoops, Michigan Sports Center

Maize N' Brew practically had a party yesterday during their Cover it Live event with Black Heart Gold Pants. The convincing win over Iowa combined with solid victories over Purdue and Minnesota to finish the year likely put the Wolverines into the Dance for the first time in 11 years. That is the longest non-Northwestern drought in the conference. If Michigan wins the rubber match with Illinois they are definitely in. The Wolverines won in Ann Arbor 74-64 while The Illini won in Champaign 66-51.

Few teams in America rely on two guys as much as Michigan relies on DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris. They combined for 45 points yesterday and Michigan won in convincing fashion. If one or both are off Michigan looks awful. If Laval Lucas-Perry helps out like he did against Minnesota, Michigan becomes that much tougher to beat. Illinois has to prevent Sims from establishing himself down low early. If they can do that it allows them to get out on Harris.

A big factor in Michigan's favor could be the status of Chester Frazier. He is one of Illinois' top defensive players and he is doubtful with a hand injury. He also is the catalyst of Illinois offense with 5.3 assists per game. The Illini offense wasn't exactly a well-oiled machine down the stretch in losses to Michigan State and Penn State. It has had a tendency to disappear at times this season, especially in the infamous 38-33 loss to Penn State.

Michigan is on a mission right now. They want to erase any lingering doubt about an NCAA bid and they can do that with another win over the Illini. I can't see Illinois functioning the same way without a player like Frazier who means so much to them on both sides of the ball. Michigan 70, Illinois 61

#3 Purdue (22-9) vs. #3 Penn State (22-10) 9pm

Blogcentric Previews: Boiled Sports, Black Shoe Diaries

Our historical performance in the Big Ten Tournament is awful. Since winning our first two games ever in 1998 we're 2-11. That's just sad. Only Northwestern has been worse, never making it to Saturday or having a first round bye. They are now 4-12 in the event, and with a loss tonight we will join them. We also played like crap in our last two games.

Despite that, I like our chances tonight. While the fans have been grousing, things have been strangely quiet from Mackey Arena since the Michigan State loss on Sunday. No players have spoken. Coach Painter hasn't said much. You get the sense this team is simmering right now after having their nose rubbed in two straight dismal performances. And they should be pissed off. We're better than this, and we need to freakin' act like it.

I honestly don't see how you can have Penn State listed as the worst of the Big Ten Bubble teams. If you say that the Big Ten definitely has three locks right now Penn State went 4-2 against them. Rhode Island, Temple, and even at Iowa in double OT aren't horrible losses. They have 22 wins and I think they should be in with yesterday's convincing win over IU.

They won 67-64 in Happy Valley, but we were without both Chris Kramer and Robbie Hummel in that game. Even then, I felt like we let one get away. We were dominating in the second half and had actually built a small lead before we froze up at the end. With both Kramer and Hummel in West Lafayette we dominated, shutting out Talor Battle and winning. 61-47.

We need angry Purdue tonight. This is our fourth two game losing streak. We followed the previous three with convincing wins over Arkansas Pine Bluff, Wisconsin, and Penn State. We also showed we like the rims at Conseco Fieldhouse before the season by blowing out Davidson there. We will be the last team to take the floor in the Big Ten Tournament, but we were the only ones to play a regular season game there. I think we're going to come out angry tonight. We have a lot to prove and we're a dangerous team when that is the case. We need to keep harassing Battle and not let Cornley dominate down low. We also absolutely need Calasan and Green to show up tonight. They have been absent the last two games and need to start playing like men again. Purdue 68, Penn State 62

I'll be in and out throughout the day to comment on games. I'll also likely do a separate open thread for tonight's game at 9. I am still hoping to score some cheap tickets, so I may actually be there. If not, I may try a Cover it Live event.

Badgers clinch No. 4 seed with win over Indiana

Adam Hoge — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:28:10 -0000

Joe Krabbenhoft scored a career-high 19 points in his final game at the Kohl Center and the Badgers clinched a first-round bye in next week's Big Ten Tournament with an 85-61 win over Indiana Sunday night.

Marcus Landry added nine points in his final home game, while classmate Kevin Gullikson finished with seven points in 19 minutes of playing time. Even seldom-used senior Morris Cain added a late field goal to cap a great Senior Night.

Wisconsin will now take on No. 5-seeded Ohio State Friday at approximately at 1:30 PM on ESPN. UW won the only previous meeting between the two teams this season 55-50 at the Kohl Center Feb. 14.

We will have much more on the Big Ten Tournament tomorrow, but here is the official bracket.

By the way, if you haven't heard, Gus Johnson will be calling the Big Ten Tournament for the Big Ten Network. BTN has the first game on Thursday and the last two quarterfinal games on Friday night.

Swept Away By Westbrook: Minnesota 51, Wisconsin 46

PJS — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:47:27 -0000

Lawrence Westbrook could have sulked. He could have complained at the end of the bench about Tubby Smith's decision to keep him on the sidelines to start the game.

Westbrook didn't do any of that. And for the second time this season, Westbrook took over a game during the final minutes against the Badgers of Wisconsin. The junior guard rescued an otherwise stagnant Minnesota offense by scoring 15 second half points--and the team's last 10--to lift Minnesota to a fun 51-46 win over the Badgers Wednesday night at Wiliams Arena..

For their part, the Badgers didn't give this game away. They played their typical stingy defense. And senior Marcus Landry did his best to put his team on his back, scoring a game-high 18 points to give the Badgers a late 46-43 lead.

But Westbrook had none of it. On the bench to start the game, the enigmatic shooting guard put the Golden Gophers back in the thick of the NCAA Tournament conversation.

Before Westbrook stole the show, the Gophers claimed a 10 point first half lead by pounding the ball inside. Minnesota's high-low set with freshmen Ralph Sampson III and Colton Iverson was effective, if not proficient. At one point, the Gophers led the inside scoring battle 20-2. That couldn't have made Bo Ryan happy.

But it was an indication that Tubby Smith has laid down the law. With the team's porous outside shooting of late, the Gophers are clearly at their best when they are scoring inside (or in transition). Iverson had 8 points inside and Sampson had 4. But along with their points, both big men also were able to get the Badgers in to early second half foul trouble.

Speaking of laying down the law, Westbrook wasn't the only starting guard to ride the pine at the beginning of the game. Al Nolen was replaced in the starting lineup by Devoe Joseph. Frankly, I completely agree with Smith's decision to bench Nolen and Westbrook. He needed to send a message to both players, who have had a tendency to play out of control lately.

Joseph played admirably. He hit an open jumper on the wing to open the game. And he played solid defense during crunch time. The fact that Joseph was on the floor in the final minutes should indicate Smith's confidence in the freshman guard. Blake Hoffarber started at the other guard spot and contributed despite not being the three-point ace he was last year. As someone noted in the game thread, Hoffarber is superior to all of his teammates when it comes to executing a simple entry pass. Hoffarber only had 2 points, but he led the team in assists (3) and, in my opinion, earned more playing time.

During Minnesota's February struggles, perhaps the biggest issue was turnovers. Well, tonight the Gophers had just 10 turnovers to Wisconsin's 14. If the message Smith was sending was to protect the ball, the kids heard it.

But the night, even if it started auspiciously, belonged to Westbrook. It was a team effort, but the young man from Chandler, Arizona is the biggest reason Goldy the Gopher was running around with a broom at Williams Arena late Wednesday night. For the Badgers, it had to be almost like deja vu. Let's flash back to Minnesota's 78-74 overtime win in Madison.

In particular, Westbrook was insane. He finished with a career-high 29 points (nine in overtime), and it was the type of offensive performance that he's always been capable of but rarely produced. He was every bit the go-to man the Gophers need. He hit from outside. He made Jordan-esque hanging, double-clutch, reverse, under-handed layups. OK, that's a stretch. But he was damn good.

Westbrook has had his ups and downs this year, but for the second time this season he's carried his teammates during the final minutes against our border rival. And for taking the benching in stride and performing anyway, Westbrook deserves the accolades he will receive.

Next up: One more at Williams Arena. Senior night for Jamal Abu-Shamala and Jonathan Williams. A win and we're in.

Wisconsin Wins Most Boring Game Ever

BSD — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:28:49 -0000

Final - 2.8.2009	1	2	Total
Wisconsin Badgers	28	26	54
Penn St. Nittany Lions	21	23	44

Complete Coverage >

If I were one of the 14,686 fans in attendence at the Bryce Jordan Center, I would ask for my money back. In fact, I'm thinking about calling my satelite television provider and demanding a discount on my monthly bill. The biggest travesty of this game is that none of us will get that two hours of our lives back. This rivals the infamous 6-4 football game against Iowa as the worst sporting event ever.

You have to suck pretty bad to hold your opponent to just 54 points and still feel like you lost in a blowout. But that's exactly what Penn State did. They started off well working out to a 20-16 lead midway through the first half. But then Wisconsin went on a 12-1 run to take a seven point lead into the break. In the second half Penn State would pull within four or six points, but Wisconsin would answer and keep the Nittany Lions at arms length.

The Good

Not much. Andrew Jones chipped in with nine points and D.J. Jackson added six. Jeff Brooks even contributed four points. Usually when we get contributions from these guys you can count on Penn State winning pretty comfortably. Hopefully they can keep contributing like this down the road.

Overall Penn State played a pretty smart game only turning the ball over seven times. Too bad Wisconsin only turned the ball over six times.

Penn State was respectable from the free throw line hitting 10-of-14 shots. Talor Battle seems to have fixed his free throw motion. I noticed he used his legs and didn't fade away on his two attempts. And he made them both.

The Bad

There were entirely too many defensive lapses in the half court. Marcus Landry and Jon Leuer had several wide open layups under the rim. And too many guys were getting wide open cuts through the lane for easy points.

Jamell Cornley only had four points on seven shots in 39 minutes. At one point he looked like he injured his hand. He was also wearing a protective sleeve on one leg. On Thursday night they said he partially dislocated his left shoulder.

Talor Battle was getting destroyed every time he drove to the net and went down hard. (And yet he only got two free throw attempts!) One time he layed on the court for an extended period of time and got up holding his lower back. Another time he had to come out of the game and get his right arm looked at. At first I thought they were looking at his shoulder. But then the trainers were asking him to flex his fingers which makes me think it's a hand or wrist problem. The toll of the Big Ten season is really taking its toll on Battle and Cornley. Ed is starting to pay the price for playing these guys 38 minutes every night.

The Ugly

Penn State went 0-for-14 from three point range. Wow. You're not going to win any games like that.

Add that to the fact that Penn State didn't pull down an offensive rebound until midway through the second half and you have a recipe for disaster.

This entire game was ugly. It was slow, methodical, and just unbearable to watch. It's pretty sad when our football team scored more points against Wisconsin than our basketball team did.

Next Up

This was a game we needed to win. Wisconsin is a team that has been struggling, and if you want to be a tournament team you have to win these games at home. A week ago we were riding sky high thinking we could beat anyone in the nation. Right now I don't think there is another team in the Big Ten other than Indiana playing as poorly as we are.

We let two winnable games get away from us. Now we play three ranked teams in the next three games with Purdue, Minnesota, and Illinois. Two of those games are on the road, and then we travel to Ohio State after that. So at this point I have to say our tournament chances are not looking good unless we get things turned around quick.