SB Nation - Wisconsin Badgers

12/9 Game Links

SFBE.NF — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:14:49 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

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Is Harvard the tops in the Hub? Crimson down BC for second straight season

'Nova prevails in the Palestra

Badgers are tough at home, mere mortals elsewhere

Oral Roberts slips past Mizzou

Utah tops Meeeeechigan, Wolverines off to terrible start

Yes, that is really the final score; Green Bay tops UW 88-84

Adam Hoge — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:48:13 -0000

More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

about 24 hours ago: Wisconsin-Green Bay players and fans celebrate their overtime win over Wisconsin in an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Dec . 9, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. Green Bay won 88-84. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

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I just had a buddy of mine in Chicago text me, "Was that the real Wisconsin score I just saw??"

Yes. Yes it was. At least that's what they are telling us. Green Bay won its first game in 16 tries over the Badgers with an 88-84 win Wednesday night at the Resch Center.

This won't be your typical recap/reaction from us here at Bucky's 5th Quarter. Because of the snow storm and some other reasons beyond our control, we did not have anyone in Green Bay covering the game for us Wednesday and since it wasn't on TV, it would be unprofessional of me to really give an opinion on any specifics that transpired.

It's kind of like that saying about the tree falling in the forest. If we weren't there and the game wasn't on television, did it really happen? Unfortunately, I think it did, but this might be the first time in two years that I feel like I need to read a newspaper in the morning.

In a moment I'll pass along some links from other reporters who were actually at the game, because we have a better chance of solving a Rubik's Cube tonight than figuring out what the hell happened in Green Bay.

You're telling me Trevon Hughes scored 27 points, while Jon Leuer added 26 points and 12 rebounds and the Badgers lost? You're telling me a team that hasn't allowed 70 or more points in any game this season despite playing Arizona, Gonzaga, Maryland and Duke allowed 88 to Green Bay? I know it went to overtime -- I'm sorry, I heard it went to overtime -- but still, 88 points?

My only guess is that the real Badgers got lost in the snow storm somewhere. Folks in Waupun, Wis., if you see any tall people wearing full red jumpsuits who look lost, please return them to the Kohl Center, 601 W. Dayton St., Madison, WI 53715. Thank you.

OK, let's see if we can make some sense of all this:

My guy Rob Schultz from Madison.com has his recap here and includes some key numbers I was very curious about after the game. He mentions that Green Bay's 88 points are the most UW has given up since Arizona scored 94 in that ugly NCAA first round game in 2006. Green Bay is also only the second team to score more than 80 points against Wisconsin since the 2006-07 season.

Now you know why random people from Chicago were texting me to see if that was really the final score.

Schultz also reminds us that Green Bay improved to 1-15 all-time against Wisconsin and mentions that the Phoenix's leading scorer, Rahmon Fletcher (17.2 ppg) did not play in overtime "after banging knees with UW senior point guard Trevon Hughes on a drive." He says player of the game honors go to Bryquis Perine who scored a career-high 22 points for the Phoenix.

Meanwhile, Jeff Potrykus from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says UW got what it deserved. He also says Green Bay deserves kudos for winning the game.

If you are wondering what Bo Ryan has to say then you can check out some of his post-game quotes here.

Finally, the Green Bay coverage reminds us that this was the game of the season for the Phoenix. Much like the Badgers had been looking forward to Duke all summer long, this was Green Bay's biggest home game in years and they were ready. Give them credit.

For Badger fans, this is nothing new. Bo Ryan's teams typically lose one baffling game each season. The last two seasons have lacked a bad non-conference loss, but most fans remember tough losses to Pepperdine, North Dakota State and Missouri State in a recent three year stretch. The good news? All three of those teams reached the NCAA Tournament, one of them made the Elite Eight and another went on a 17-game winning streak after the "bad loss" and ended up being ranked the AP's No. 1 team at one point in the season.

I've already had people ask me if this "negates" the Duke win. No it doesn't. This team is much better off having beat Duke and lost to Green Bay than the other way around.

But I'm still not convinced this game really happened.

Heck, the beat writers aren't even sure where the game was played! Rob Schultz says the game was played in Ashwaubenon, while Potrykus claims it was really in Green Bay.

And what is more frustrating than trying to figure out this game? How I always want to put the "e" before the "o" in the word "Phoenix."

Maybe that should be the players punishment for allowing 88 points Wednesday night. They should each have to write the word "Phoenix" on the chalkboard 100 times.

Nah. They should probably just worry about Marquette. A good win against the Eagles Saturday and most people will probably forget this loss ever happened. Did it?

Tonight's Picks

SFBE.NF — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:24:10 -0000

Ouch! GMU's Sherrod Wright had a 3 pointer at the buzzer, which barely covered the spread and gave us a paltry 1 for 3 start. Like they say, you win some and you lose some. Tossing some back on the table, we're back at it again:

#3 Villanova (-13.5) over St. Joes: Villanova should cruise past St. Joes in this lopsided Big 5 matchup. Phil Martelli's bunch has lost four straight and their isn't much light at the end of the tunnel. Watch for Villanova's backcourt, mainly Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher, to dominate from beyond the arc.

#4 Kentucky (+2) over #12 UConn: More appointment television coming to you live from Madison Square Garden. Kentucky proved it can hang with the big boys after toughing out its victory over UNC and UConn proved the opposite with their loss to Duke earlier this year. I'll take the Wildcats with Patrick Patterson and John Wall all day long.

WI-Green Bay (+5) over #23 Wisconsin: Wisconsin is definitely the better team in this matchup, but the Phoenix already have eight wins worth of experience going into this game. I like this spread for Green Bay over the Badgers because of the home court advantage in this cheese state rivalry.

Things we missed during the first week of December

SFBE.NF — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:01:10 -0000

More photos » by Andy Manis - AP

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We neglected to make a note of it but, as you probably already know, the Big 10 won their first challenge against the ACC. The game that shifted the balance? Wisconsin's win over Duke. The Badgers were the underdog going in, but Bo Ryan (who clearly was perplexed by Vegas's line) proved once again that you shouldn't bet against his kids in the Kohl Center. They currently sit 6-1 with wins over Maryland and Arizona, in addition to the Dookies.
Tom Crean used the media to reprimand the Indiana University student body, after fans repeatedly directed chants of "PUSSY" at Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez during Tuesday's game. Apparently Crean is looking to get under the skin of future opponents, just not using this degree of vulgarity. Good luck.
UCLA is well on their way to having a, by their standards, terrible season. To further worsen the situation Bruins sophomore, and starting center, Drew Gordon is leaving the team. Gordon reportedly didn't get along with Ben Howland and some of his former teammates. AOL Fanhouse has the "get" here with an on-campus interview with Gordon.
Fordham fired head coach Dereck Whittenburg, ironically during ESPN's "Jimmy V Week." That hurts. Whittenburg finished 69-112 in six seasons and change.

Badgers simply too much for Tigers in third straight win

Jbharris87 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:49:05 -0000

More photos » by Andy Manis - AP

5 days ago: Wisconsin's Ryan Evans slams dunks over Grambling State during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

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The hangover from Wednesday night's party didn't last long for the Wisconsin men's basketball team. After beating a top-ten opponent in Duke at the Kohl Center, winning the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and celebrating with thousands of fans on the court, the arrival of Grambling State in Madison was anticlimactic, to say the least.

Nonetheless, the more talented Badgers did away with the Tigers in blowout fashion, 79-46, Saturday at the Kohl Center.

Both the players and the fans in attendance were lacking in intensity early, and Wisconsin led by just two at the first media timeout. The Badgers' halftime lead of 41-27 probably should have been a lot larger. But an 8-0 run opened a dominant second half, one in which Wisconsin held Grambling State to just 19 points. Tigers head coach Bobby Washington said the beginning of the half essentially sealed the victory for the Badgers.

"It was like the first three minutes, the first four minutes, we didn't come out to compete," Washington said. "I had to lay into my team, because that's one thing we're going to do. We're going to compete."

The Badgers limited the Tigers to 29 percent shooting overall and just 21 percent from the floor in the second half. Donald Qualls made three shots from beyond the arc for Grambling State, but the rest of the team combined to go 0-for-8 in that department. Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan credited his team's defense with forcing the Tigers into poor shooting.

"The key is that we stayed disciplined in our lanes, in our positions defensively and limited them to very few at-the-rim-type shots," Ryan said. "The best part was our discipline."

Qualls was the only Tiger in double figures. He scored 15 points in 30 minutes off the bench, going 4-for-8 from the field.

The play of Wisconsin's three guards was the story of the afternoon. Trevon Hughes and Jordan Taylor combined for nine assists and 19 second-half points. Hughes, Taylor and Jason Bohannon were three of the four Badgers who finished in double figures. The guards helped Wisconsin shoot 60 percent from the floor and make 50 percent of its three-point attempts. Bohannon went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.

"It feels good," Bohannon said. "You just have to have confidence in your shot. The shots were there again today and they happened to fall today. If my shots aren't falling, I'm trying to contribute in some other way."

"It's important to have confidence and everybody believing in one another," Hughes said. "We're getting the open look this year. Our shots are actually going down for us."

Taylor was particularly efficient, with a 5-for-6 shooting day in 25 minutes off the bench. Rob Wilson saw 19 minutes of action at guard as well. Washington was impressed with the Badgers' effort and talent.

"They did a great job," Washington said. "They're big, they're strong, they're talented and they continue to run their system.

The Badgers attempted twice as many free throws as the Tigers, an advantage of 28 to 14. But while getting to the line hasn't been a problem for Wisconsin this season, the struggle to make free throws has been somewhat of an Achilles' heel. That issue won't go away after this game, as the Badgers shot only 68 percent from the charity stripe.

Wisconsin plays its first true road game Wednesday night at UW-Green Bay. Ryan said, despite a busy week at the Kohl Center, the team is now entirely focused on the next game.

"We all know what these are like," Ryan said. "Our guys get a day to catch up a little bit, then they're in the weight room at 6:45 a.m. Monday morning, getting ready for Green Bay."

-Jake Harris

Fifth Quarter Consensus: Mahalo for the win, Hawaii

Adam Hoge — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:00:17 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

2 months ago: Hawaii wide receiver Greg Salas dives over the line for a touchdown on a 7-yard pass play as Washington State's Myron Beck defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009 in Seattle, 2009. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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Wisconsin at Hawaii

Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. CT

Location: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii

Weather Forecast: 73F, Partly Cloudy, Wind W at 3 mph

TV: ESPN2

Radio: WIBA-AM 1310, WIBA-FM 101.5 and the Badgers Radio Network

Coverage: Our Wisconsin-Hawaii Game Page

The Consensus

Adam Hoge (10-1, +171): Wisconsin 38, Hawaii 31

Jake Harris (9-2, +146): Wisconsin 42, Hawaii 35

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.com: Wisconsin 38, Hawaii 27

The Reasoning

The Badgers have a lot to play for in this one, but Hawaii actually has more to play for. Barring a few unforseen circumstances, Wisconsin will likely be playing for an Ourback Bowl berth. Meanwhile at 5-6, the Warriors will be playing tosimply become bowl eligible. Hawaii has won four games in a row after an awful start to their season and it also happens to be Senior Day in Honolulu. This match-up has suddenly become one to feel a little nervous about.

Still, the Badgers are the better team and it's games like this one where their physicality really overmatches their mid-major opponent. UW's offensive line will overpower Hawaii's front seven and John Clay will be too much to handle. The Warriors will have a chance in this one and could win if the Badgers make a few critical mistakes -- which they have done on the road this season. This game will be closer than it should be, but Wisconsin will win and likely head to Tampa.

Who has the edge?

Offense: Wisconsin

Defense: Wisconsin

Special teams: Even

Coaching: Wisconsin

Intangibles: Hawaii

Poll

Who ya got tonight at Aloha Stadium?

Wisconsin

11 votes

Hawaii

4 votes

15 votes | Poll has closed

Around the Big Ten, post-Challenge.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:46:04 -0000

More photos » by Andy Manis - AP

7 days ago: Wisconsin's Jon Leuer celebrates Wisconsin's 73-69 win over Duke in an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

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While IU played no part in it, and I'm not ordinarily a conference-kumbaya guy, it was refreshing to see the Big Ten finally best the ACC in this made-for-TV event. The current status of the Big Ten is a mixed bag for IU fans. On one hand, after nearly a couple of decades in the wilderness, the conference finally seems to be returning to its last 80s/early90s status as every bit the peer of the ACC: you remember: the Bob Knight/Gene Keady/Tom Davis/Jud Heathcoate/Lou Henson glory days, with occasionally excellent teams at Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio State as well. Overall, it's a positive development, but it comes at precisely the wrong time for IU's program. The Big Ten is deeper than it has been in a generation, and that will make it difficult for IU to turn its improved play into an improved record.

In any event, here's a quick tour around SB Nation's Big Ten blogs for postgame reaction for both the winners and the losers (Maize n Brew hasn't posted a wrap-up, so I linked to excellent Michigan basketball blog UMHoops.com instead).

First, a quick look at the conference standings. Thanks, Iowa!

Big Ten Conference Standings

(updated 12.3.2009 at 12:57 AM EST)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Purdue Boilermakers	0	0	6	0
Northwestern Wildcats	0	0	6	1
Ohio St. Buckeyes	0	0	6	1
Wisconsin Badgers	0	0	5	1
Penn St. Nittany Lions	0	0	5	2
Michigan St. Spartans	0	0	5	2
Illinois Fighting Illini	0	0	5	2
Minnesota Golden Gophers	0	0	4	3
Michigan Wolverines	0	0	3	3
Indiana Hoosiers	0	0	3	4
Iowa Hawkeyes	0	0	2	5

Even at this early date, Purdue remains the only undefeated team, and Iowa and IU are the only teams under .500. Will either team end up in the black again this season? Enough with depression and on to the scores.

Wisconsin 73, Duke 69: Of course, this was the signature win of the Challenge. It's appropriate that Duke lost its first Challenge game in the season in which the Big Ten finally prevailed. Bucky's Fifth Quarter:

If the Big Ten was going to win the ACC/Big Ten Challenge for the first time in its 11-year existence, you knew it was going to have to get an unexpected win. Consider it done. Behind Trevon Hughes' 26 points, the Badgers upset No. 5/6 Duke 73-69 Wednesday night at the Kohl Center, spilling a rowdy student section onto the court and starting a celebration that spread across the entire Big Ten conference. The significance of the win was lost on no one, including Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "It was a night Wisconsin fans should feel pretty darn proud," he said. "They should feel very proud of their basketball team. Just minutes after UW's win, Ohio State topped Florida State 77-64, giving the conference its first ever victory in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The loss was also the first for Duke in the challenge, which was previously 10-0 in challenge games.

Ohio State 77, Florida State 64: The Buckeyes won the last game of the event and therefore had the honor of clinching the win. WWAHT:

I'll talk about another ridiculous night from Evan Turner in a minute. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the New Jon Diebler. Diebler has been taking smart shots for the better part of the year, but for whatever reason, they weren't falling as consistently as anyone would like. In an interview played early in the game, Thad Matta attributed it to Diebler's ability to deal with expectations; when the crowd inhaled, expecting him to make the big trey, he'd tense up. That's not happening quite so much anymore, and this team is that much better for it. That's two wins in the Big Ten-ACC challenge in a row now for Thad Matta. Last year, the Buckeyes traveled into Miami and scored an upset over the favored 'Canes. This year, the Buckeyes controlled the game almost from the get-go, hitting timely shots, forcing key turnovers and limiting the ability of FSU's big men to affect the tempo of the offense.

North Carolina 89, Michigan State 82: This is the second time that the Challenge has included a rematch of the previous NCAA title game, but unlike IU in 2002, the Spartans could exact no revenge. The Only Colors was disappointed in more than the final score:

But what disappointed me--and the reason I don't think this loss can be easily swept away--is the lack of composure shown by the Spartan players at key moments. With the amount of experience MSU has among its perimeter players, they needed to do a better job of knowing when to push things and when to step back and let the game settle down. Kalin Lucas made more out-of-control plays than he has since he was a freshman, taking ill-advised off-balance shots (6-17 from the field) and narrowly avoiding turnovers after dribbling into crowds in the lane. I credit Raymar Morgan for his aggressiveness on offense (18 points on 10 FGA) but he also made some very poor decisions along the way (5 turnovers). And the 2-20 three-point shooting line the team posted was a sign, to me, of a lack of confidence.

Purdue 69, Wake Forest 58: Purdue, after a disappointing home loss to Duke last year, blew the doors off Wake Forest in the second half. Hammer and Rails was on press row:

Purdue's hosting ability - If I hadn't been so flustered and freaking out (more on this in a moment), I could have really enjoyed sitting down and seeing the placard that said, "Purdue welcomes Travis Miller" right in the press section. Talk about a moment of vindication after working on this blog for over three years. I've covered tons of high school games since 1999, but this was like getting called up to the Majors after toiling for ten years in the minor leagues. Everything was first class on Purdue's end. I owe a big thank you to Randy at Rush the Court for setting everything up, as well as Purdue's basketball SID Cory Walton and his staff for everything on Purdue's end. Let's hope this does not turn into a cup of coffee situation and instead becomes a 10-year journeyman career.

Northwestern 65, NC State 53: Quality road wins have been a rarity in NU's basketball history, but Sippin on Purple was disappointed in the second half.

But at halftime, they must have been watching the ESPN halftime shows talking about how Northwestern could be a tournament team, and got full of themselves and came out very flat for the 2nd half. There were turnovers, bad passes, forced shots, mental mistakes, defensive breakdowns, you name it. Had they been playing a top Big Ten team, they would have gotten run out of the gym. But two things kept them in the lead, the first that NC State couldn't knock down an open 3 if their life depended on it, and second that Michael Thompson put Northwestern on his back and made big play after big play down the stretch. The final margin was a comfortable 12 points, but this game was much closer than that.

Illinois 76, Clemson 74: Hail to the Orange compares the thrill of the comeback win over Clemson to the comeback win over Arizona in the 2005 regional final. Seems a bit much, but a nice win for the Illini nevertheless.

Oh what is there is there to be said about this game? Other than of course that this was the greatest comeback for an Illinois team ever, that it was as improbable of a comeback as there could be and that I have not had this much fun watching a basketball since Arizona in 2005. I cannot stress enough just how bad the Illini looked in the first half. With Demetri sitting on the bench with fouls in the first half, the freshmen wilted under the pressure of Clemson. The Illini seemed to turn the ball over on their end every trip down the court, and give up a foul on every defensive stand. Bad passes, offense not getting set, and a lazy defense giving up long 3's.

Penn State 69, Virginia 66: The Nittany Lions opened the classic with a close win over the Cavaliers. Black Shoe Diaries discusses the Lions' luck:

What's behind this PSU phenomenon? As Gasaway wrote late in the 08-09 season, "Penn State (Actual: 8-7; Predicted: 6-9) . The Nittany Lions popping up here is actually quite interesting. Last year Ed DeChellis' team posted the single most fortunate conference season out of the 219 complete league records in this particular vault. (PSU went 7-11 in the Big Ten in 2008, with a scoring margin that would more customarily give you a 3-15 record.) Meaning Penn State has been lucky now two years in a row. How can this be? Take it away Ken Pomeroy: 'When you have 340-some D-I teams, you would expect about a fourth of them to be lucky two years running.' The Nittany Lions are very much in the vanguard of that fourth. Either that or Talor Battle really is Robert Horry. You make the call."

Boston College 62, Michigan 58: One of the Big Ten's most disappointing teams turned in the Challenge's most disappointing loss. UMHoops:

Well that’s certainly not how to snap a losing streak. Michigan picked up right where they left off with another terrible performance. Michigan knew the importance of this game but they played without any mental toughness. They blew routine layups, fell asleep on inbounds plays, couldn’t hit a shot, and lacked defensive intensity. The whole nine yards.

Miami 63, Minnesota 58: Another candidate for worst loss was the Gophers' slip-up in South Florida. The Daily Gopher:

For the third straight game the Gophers were atrocious from the free throw line (7-15). For the third straight game the Gophers couldn't develop anything consistent in the half-court offense. For the third straight game the Gophers defense had some nice moments, but also way too many costly lapses. The result? A 63-58 loss in Coral Gables to the Miami Hurricanes.

Virginia Tech 70, Iowa 64: A home loss to one of the ACC's worst programs won't deter Black Heart Gold Pants from reveling in reflected glory:

For the first time in the matchup's 10-year history, the Big Ten has won their annual battle with the basketball-obsessed ACC this season. And for that, they can thank... the Iowa Hawkeyes. Granted, if you want to be all technical about it, Iowa didn't "win" their part of the series, having lost to perennial powerhouse* Virginia Tech. We're not so sure the Hawkeyes didn't lose on purpose. Hear us out. Had Iowa selfishly and short-sightedly won their game, the series would have stood at a deceptive 4-2 lead for the Big Ten coming into today. John Wooden Todd Lickliter, ever wise beyond our comprehension, knew such a lead would have a deleterious effect on the conference's remaining teams, lulling them into a lethal complacency.

ACC Overlords Vanquished

Bama Hawkeye — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:27:38 -0000

It only took 11 tries, but the Big Ten finally won a BigTen-ACC Challenge. Most impressive was the manner in which the Big Ten took the trophy. Rather than win games against lesser foes (I'm looking at you Minnesota and Michigan), the Big Ten had Illinois come storming back from 23 points down in the second half to knock off ranked Clemson in South Carolina. If that wasn't shocking enough, Wisconsin, not even picked to be in the top half of the league in many preseason projections, defeated Duke. DUKE. DUKE! The same Duke that had gone 10-0 in the previous editions of the challenge.

So a tip of the hat to Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio State, Purdue, Northwestern, and Penn State -- the six teams that made Jim Delaney a very happy man this morning.

GO CRAZY MAD-TOWN!

Adam Hoge — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:52:10 -0000

Win over Duke makes statement for UW, Big Ten

MADISON, Wis. -- If the Big Ten was going to win the ACC/Big Ten Challenge for the first time in its 11-year existence, you knew it was going to have to get an unexpected win.

Consider it done.

Behind Trevon Hughes' 26 points, the Badgers upset No. 5/6 Duke 73-69 Wednesday night at the Kohl Center, spilling a rowdy student section onto the court and starting a celebration that spread across the entire Big Ten conference.

The significance of the win was lost on no one, including Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

"It was a night Wisconsin fans should feel pretty darn proud," he said. "They should feel very proud of their basketball team.

Just minutes after UW's win, Ohio State topped Florida State 77-64, giving the conference its first ever victory in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The loss was also the first for Duke in the challenge, which was previously 10-0 in challenge games.

For Bo Ryan -- who has never hid his displeasure for how the ACC/Big Ten Challenge games are scheduled -- the win was somewhat of a personal statement.

"Sometimes you have to push a little bit to get a message across," Ryan said in reference to getting one of the ACC's premiere programs at the Kohl Center. "The message was received but we had to finish it on the court. I'm really happy for our team and fans to get a game like that here and finish it."

Wisconsin never trailed in the game and held an 11-point lead when Hughes hit a three with 5:08 left in the game. But that would be UW's last field goal.

Duke went on an 11-2 run when true freshman Andre Dawkins hit three 3-pointers in a row to cut the lead to 67-65.

But Wisconsin nailed seven of its last nine free throws and milked the clock long enough to secure the win.

"Fortunately we were able to shorten the game because [Duke] found their shooting touch," Ryan said.

The biggest example of Wisconsin shortening the game was on the possession that led to UW's final field goal with 5:08 left. The Badgers grabbed three offensive rebounds before Hughes finally knocked down a three. The possession lasted for a minute and four seconds.

"How much clock did we use on that possession? That was a lot of clock and it probably won the game," Ryan said.

The sequence of events came in the middle of a nearly five minute stretch in which Duke did not score.

Kyle Singler was the star for Duke with 28 points, but Hughes nearly matched him with 26 of his own. He shot 9-of-16 overall, including 4-of-7 from behind the arc. After the game, Krzyzewski had nothing but good things to say about Hughes.

"He's a damn good player," Krzyzewski said. "In the last two years he has gone from a good player to a great player."

Coach K added that it was an honor to bring his team to the Kohl Center.

For the Badgers, it was an honor to beat them.

Big Ten / ACC Challenge - can the B10 finally win the challenge?

GopherNation — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:22:32 -0000

We all know that the ACC has dominated this "challenge" going a perfect 10-0 through the challenge's 10 year history. The Big Ten is back to being a heavyweight this year. The question is, are they good enough to finally beat the ACC head-to-head? The strength and depth of each conference is put to the test and each and every year the ACC wins. It becomes harder and harder to come up with appropriate excuses as to why the Big Ten is still better/deeper despite being unable to win more than they lose in this "challenge".

The conventional wisdom (especially in the Midwest) is that the Big Ten is arguably the best conference in the country and could go as deep as getting seven or eight into the NCAA Tournament. But unfortunately that may not translate into a B10/ACC Challenge win. I'll breakdown the match-ups in slightly greater detail below but here is how I see things playing out.

ACC Locks

Duke over Wisconsin
Maryland over Indiana
Virginia Tech over Iowa

Big Ten Locks

Purdue over Wake Forest
Ohio State over Florida State (admittedly this is closer than a lock)
Penn State over Virginia (only because it is over)

The Rest

Michigan State @ North Carolina
Minnesota @ Miami
Northwestern @ NC State
Illinois @ Clemson
Boston College @ Michigan

The Penn State win was huge and makes this much more winable. The Big Ten still needs to snag three of the toss-up five and four of those are on the road so...

Here is a brief look at each match-up with some key tempo-free stats.

Penn State @ Virginia - We kick off the Challenge with Talor Battle vs. Sylven Landesberg. And Battle won the battle, will it be enough for the Big Ten to win the war? (that analogy was awesome) Let's not waste time on this game since it is over.

Wake Forest @ Purdue - Here is a lock for the Big Ten and this may be the biggest lock of the entire challenge. Purdue is at home and so far has been the best looking team in the conference. Wake is 4-1 but has four meaningless wins and then a loss to William & Mary (that is one loss, not two).

	Wake Forest	Purdue
KenPom Rank	90	7
Off Eff	1.034	1.101
Def Eff	0.914	0.792
TO%	21.1%	17.7%
Off Reb %	42.2%	32.6%
Def Reb %	69.3%	71.7%

Wake rebounds on the offensive end of the floor very well but they tend to turn the ball over a bit too much, while Purdue forces turnovers to the tune of 28.3% of their opponents possessions. Wake is lead by Al-Farouq Aminu who is averaging 18.8 ppg and 11.2 rpg, he should be fun to watch but Purue's balance and overall efficiency should carry the Boilermakers to the home win here.

Northwestern @ NC State - NU is coming of a big win over the overrated Notre Dame Irish and NC State really hasn't played anybody yet. They did beat Auburn but that isn't a terribly impressive win. After the loss of Kevin Coble the Wildcats have turned to a the combo of Michael Thompson and John Shurna who are averaging a combined 32.7 ppg (48% of NU's offense), 9.4 rpg and 6.2 apg.

	Northwestern	NC State
KenPom Rank	87	46
Off Eff	1.086	1.068
Def Eff	0.978	0.895
TO%	18.4%	22.0%
Off Reb %	29.2%	35.2%
Def Reb %	64.1%	67.2%

This is one of the more interesting match-ups. The Wolfpack should be favored but Northwestern is a unique team to defend and could pose some problems for NC State. Northwestern has been pretty bad rebounding the ball this year and NC State has had their turnover problems. Whichever team can minimize their problem area the most will win this game. I'm calling the road upset here for Northwestern. I think they force just enough turnovers and then shoot their way to a win here.

Maryland @ Indiana -A lock for the ACC. Indiana is just too young, inexperienced and unimpressive to beat a decent but not great Maryland team. The Terps are on a two-game losing streak and really have not beaten anybody significant in this short season but I just don't see a way that Indiana pulls this one out. The Terps have four players averaging double-figures, three of whom are seniors. On the flip side Indiana is led by three players averaging 12 points or more per game but they include two freshman and a sophomore.

	Maryland	Indiana
KenPom Rank	51	189
Off Eff	1.028	0.945
Def Eff	0.868	0.966
TO%	15.2%	22.6%
Off Reb %	29.4%	33.6%
Def Reb %	66.3%	65.9%

This one will be a turnover fest for the Hoosiers. Maryland forces turnovers and Indiana loves to give it up. Add that to the fact that IU already struggles to score and you see why I have Maryland winning.

Michigan State @ North Carolina - My initial reaction is that this is another ACC win. The Tar Heels are just not a great match-up for Michigan State and the Spartans are on the road. Neither team has lived up to their preseason hype but the rematch of last year's NCAA final is the marquee match-up nonetheless.

	Michigan St	North Carolina
KenPom Rank	45	75
Off Eff	1.123	1.075
Def Eff	0.933	0.930
TO%	19.9%	22.8%
Off Reb %	43.4%	43.3%
Def Reb %	69.9%	69.2%

UNC has a turnover issue and they are not scoring nearly as efficiently as we are used to seeing Roy Williams team score. But Michigan State doesn't force many turnovers so I really don't expect that to be an issues. All other efficiency stats are virtually even. Both teams hold opponents to about .93 points per possession, both teams score right around 1.1 ppp and both teams rebound at near identical percentages. Whichever teams boxes out and keeps the Michigan State is probably a more experienced team but UNC is home and until the Spartans actually beat the Tar Heals I'm going with UNC.

Virginia Tech @ Iowa - I don't know that I need to spend much time on this one, Iowa is pretty bad this year.

	Virginia Tech	Iowa
KenPom Rank	145	207
Off Eff	0.915	0.955
Def Eff	0.886	0.995
TO%	16.3%	23.0%
Off Reb %	38.4%	32.6%
Def Reb %	69.3%	73.9%

On the surface and looking at the numbers I just don't see how Iowa gets this one done. Virginia Tech is also not very good and they struggle offensively more than Iowa does but I'd be surprised if they were to fall to the Hawkeyes.

Illinois @ Clemson - This might be the game I'm most looking forward to. Both teams are balanced with good inside/outside threats. Illinois is led by Demetri McCamey on the perimeter and Mike Davis on the interior. McCamey is averaging 12.7 ppg and 6.0 apg while Davis is averaging a double-double with 11.8 ppg and 10.0 rpg. For Clemson they are led by their senior forward Trevor Booker who is averaging 13.9 ppg and 8.7 rpg, but he's not alone as Tanner Smith is chipping in 11.6 ppg from the perimeter. These guys may not exactly guard each other but their match-ups should be a lot of fun to watch (especially if you like the color orange).

	Illinois	Clemson
KenPom Rank	83	10
Off Eff	1.089	1.125
Def Eff	0.967	0.843
TO%	15.6%	21.0%
Off Reb %	35.1%	39.6%
Def Reb %	74.7%	68.6%

Clemson is more efficient on offense but Illinois takes better care of the ball and their defensive rebounding is better. I want to go with Illinois here but after their losses to Bradley and Utah last week they make it really difficult to make that leap. Clemson will likely get the home W here.

Minnesota @ Miami - This is a Gopher blog so I'm going with a Gopher win. Miami is 7-0 but they have not played anybody of even relative significance.

	Minnesota	Miami
KenPom Rank	8	31
Off Eff	1.018	1.042
Def Eff	0.753	0.842
TO%	18.3%	26.5%
Off Reb %	31.2%	43.7%
Def Reb %	71.0%	71.4%

I think the numbers will back me up here. The Gopher offense struggles but this game comes down to defense and turnovers. Miami turns the ball over at an alarming rate and the Gophers offense thrives when the ball is given to them as much as the Hurricanes have been giving it up this year.

Boston College @ Michigan - A couple weeks ago I would have felt this was a lock for Michigan, but the Wolverines have struggled lately and this is going to be another tough match-up for them.

	Boston College	Michigan
KenPom Rank	82	130
Off Eff	1.174	1.034
Def Eff	1.032	0.979
TO%	18.3%	13.8%
Off Reb %	43.4%	29.9%
Def Reb %	70.7%	61.0%

Boston College is pretty efficient offensively but not so much on the defensive end. Michigan has really struggled with rebounding on both ends. The numbers support a BC win but when the lights get bright and when playing at home I expect Manny Harris to lead Michigan to a big win for the Big Ten. He can't do it alone but I think he'll be the catalyst.

Duke @ Wisconsin - I have great respect for Bo Ryan but Duke is just plain too good. I don't need to spend much time on this one. Wisconsin is experienced and it is at the Kohl Center but Duke is just too good.

	Duke	Wisconsin
KenPom Rank	3	50
Off Eff	1.188	1.096
Def Eff	0.809	0.920
TO%	15.5%	18.3%
Off Reb %	41.3%	32.2%
Def Reb %	67.6%	74.8%

The number support a Duke win. They rebound better, they take care of the ball better, they are are more efficient on both ends and they shoot better. This would be a huge shock if the Badgers were to pull this one out.

Florida State @ Ohio State - This also appears to be a really good match-up. Ohio State has been great in the early part of the season largely because Evan Turner has been outstanding. He is leading the Big Ten in rebounds (12.8) and assists (6.7). And also throwing in a decent 19.8 ppg which is third best in the league. He'll be the man the Seminoles should be most concerned about but they can't lose Jon Diebler who is making nearly four three-pointers per game and averaging 15.7 ppg. Florida State is athletic and lead by their own big time forward, Chris Singleton. He is averaging 12.3 ppg and 8.1 rpg. FSU is also big in the middle with Solomon Alabi and Xavier Gibson measuring out at 7-1 and 6-11 respectively.

	Florida St	Ohio St
KenPom Rank	17	25
Off Eff	0.992	1.132
Def Eff	0.758	0.895
TO%	26.4%	15.5%
Off Reb %	40.0%	34.1%
Def Reb %	68.4%	72.4%

Looking at the numbers FSU is very good defensively. They hold teams to just .758 points per possession which is third best in the country. They also hold teams to a 37.8 eFG% and block 22.9% of their opponents shots; both of which are also third best in the nation. This team will defend and it will be interesting to see if Turner, Diebler and Lighty can find some offense in this game. The Achilles heal of FSU is their turnover rate. When you give up the ball on 26.4% of your possessions you will allow good teams to stay in the game regardless of how good you are on defense. Ohio State is very good offensively scoring 1.132 pnts per possession and recording an eFG% of 59.5 (6th best in the country). If FSU continues to turn the ball over then I think OSU's offense will roll. Rebounding should be an important stat, but I think the key will be the turnovers. OSU wins this game at home.

After all of that (and one game in the books) I am seeing a Big Ten win, finally.

Big Ten -6 (PSU, Pur, Minn, OSU, Mich, NU)

ACC - 5 (Mary, Duke, UNC, VTech, Clem)