Coming into Wednesday’s match-up with the Panthers, Wisconsin ranked sixth in the nation in scoring defense and that was exactly the story as the Badgers held down Milwaukee 61-40 for their third straight win.
Wisconsin’s (7-2) domination of Milwaukee (4-6) continued as they are now 27-1 all-time against the Horizon League foe.
By: Nick Grays
What It Means: Non-conference opponents seem to have no chance against the Badgers at the Kohl Center. In a game where Wisconsin was not spectacular from behind the arc (5-for-15), they made sure to stifle Milwaukee’s offense and prevent them from running up and down the floor. It will be interesting to see if the Badgers can do the same against a Marquette squad who seems to be getting better each and every week at raising the tempo.
Player of the Game: Senior Forward Jon Leuer
Leuer is starting off the season in fashion as he was most recently named the Big Ten’s Player of the Week. He showed no signs of slowing down on Wednesday night as he posted yet another 20 point game to go with seven rebounds.
Not only is he a force to be reckoned with in the post, Leuer’s ability to stop and pop the three-pointer and drive the lane when he feels like it allows the senior to score in bunches.
Highlight of the Night: Late in the first half, Badgers Keaton Nankivil used all of his 6’8″ frame to record back-to-back blocks in the same possession against the Panthers. Nankivil jumped to his right to deny Milwaukee’s Jerard Ajami while Anthony Hill grabbed the ball only to be the second Panther denied in a matter of five seconds. Nankivil ended the game with three blocks.
Stat of the Game: Jordan Taylor dished out six assists to just one turnover. This should come as no surprise for the Badgers who entered Wednesday’s contest with a nation-leading 1.80 team assist-to-turnover ratio. Taylor is averaging 4.5 assists while committing just one turnover in each of his last five games. Not too bad for the starting point guard who averages just over 33 minutes a game.
Quotables: “When you are talking Leuer, he just makes shots that really aren’t defendable for us. He catches it in the post and just turns and shoots over the top. I mean other than not allowing him to catch the ball, I am not sure what else we can do, maybe tickle him or something when he catches it, I don’t know,” joked Milwaukee’s Head Coach Rob Jeter.
On the play of Nankivil (10 points and 9 rebounds), Badgers Head Coach Bo Ryan found it appropriate to address his attire.
“One sock wasn’t quite as high as the other. He must have been unbalanced when he got dressed, but other than that he had a pretty good night,” said Ryan.
Taylor fielded a question about what the team will need to do against Marquette this weekend.
“We like to get good shots. Even if it’s early in the shot clock, we will take it. Obviously, they have a history of taking good shots and making reads on the offensive end. Forcing the other team to make a defensive decision will be the key to the game,” said Taylor.
What’s Next: On Saturday, December 11th the Badgers take part in game two of their annual three game series with in-state rivals. This time it’s the hot Marquette Golden Eagles (7-2) who rank 8th in the nation with 18.4 assists per game. Marquette’s only two losses on the season are to #1 Duke and #18 Gonzaga. Wisconsin will travel to the Bradley Center for a 1:30 PM tip-off.
What did you think of the Badgers convincing win over UW-Milwaukee? Let me know by commenting below!
Rapid Reaction Archive:
Wisconsin 99 Prairie View A&M 55 (11-14-10)
Wisconsin 85 North Dakota 53 (11-16-10)
Wisconsin 87 NC State 48 (12-1-10)
Follow Nick Grays on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best.