After a great road win, Wisconsin basketball is hoping to stay on focus when they travel to face the Temple Owls in a non-conference battle.
Matchup: Wisconsin Badgers (4-5, 1-1 Big Ten) at Temple Owls (4-2, 0-0 AAC)
Tip Time: 7:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 6
TV schedule: ESPNU
Location: Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Wisconsin Badgers Basketball
Overall, the Wisconsin Badgers are off to a very rough start this season. They already have five losses and although four of those came against top-25 teams, the other was an absolute annihilation by Ohio State on Wisconsin’s home floor. Yet, the team was able to bounce back in a big way in their second Big Ten game of the year, knocking off Penn State on the road.
Due to that win, the Badgers should be coming into this game feeling confident. Ethan Happ remains one of the best big men in the entire nation and he is starting to get more help from the supporting cast. True freshmen Brad Davison, Kobe King, and Nate Reuvers are all playing key roles either in the starting lineup or coming off the bench.
In addition, Aleem Ford, a redshirt freshman, has stepped in to be a serviceable starter who knows his role on the team. Sophomores Brevin Pritzl and D’Mitrik Trice, along with junior Khalil Iverson, fill out the rotation for Greg Gard.
At this point in the season, Wisconsin’s NCAA Tournament hopes are very much up in the air. They have one solid win (at Penn State) on their resume but they also have four huge missed opportunities against top-25 teams. It looks like the Badgers are just an average Big Ten team this season and, in a down year for the league, they are far from a guarantee for the Big Dance.
That makes this game against Temple all the more important. Adding a few marquee non-conference wins would be absolutely huge for their resume and a road victory over Temple would qualify as a quality win.
On the other hand, this would also be a big win for Temple. The Owls are also a fringe NCAA Tournament team this season and have started their year at 4-2. Although the team does have three solid wins over major conference opponents (Clemson, Auburn, South Carolina), each of these wins would be better if they occurred in college football.
As for their two losses, LaSalle and George Washington are tough defeats for a potential NCAA Tournament resume. With an “iffy” resume at this point in the season, Temple will need to take advantage of their home games against highly-respected programs like Wisconsin.
To this point in the year, the Owls are led by a three-headed monster of scorers. Leading the way for this group is sophomore Quinton Rose. After coming off the bench and averaging 10.1 points per game last season, Rose has emerged as a breakout star in the first six games for Temple. He has started every game so far and has chalked up 19.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while connecting on 52.9% of his shots from the field (40.0% from three on 4.2 attempts per game).
Related Story: Is Temple for real this season?
Next on the list of scorers for Temple is guard Shizz Alston Jr., who is drilling 51.6% of his 3-pointers (31 total attempts) in the early going. Alston’s 16.0 points per game are second on the team and his 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game also rank near the top of the roster.
Lastly, senior Obi Enechionyia has been his usual consistent self. He averaged in double-figures in each of the last two seasons and is doing that once again this year. With his ability to shoot the three (37.5% shooter from deep in his career) at 6’8″, he is a difficult matchup for any defense. Through six games, Enechionyia is averaging 14.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
This game will come down to the play of Wisconsin’s supporting cast around Happ. As we have seen in recent games, Happ’s impact can be limited if attacked by a strong double (or even triple) team. For Wisconsin to win, they will need their other players to step up for big performances. The play of Reuvers, King, and Iverson was instrumental in the Badgers’ win over Penn State and that success will need to be replicated in this one.
Next: Big Ten power rankings (edition one)
Similar to the Penn State game for Wisconsin, Temple has three players that can explode for major scoring outings at any time. The key for Temple is to have at least two of those players show up with solid games. Wisconsin was able to beat Penn State because Lamar Stevens and Tony Carr both struggled from the field and Temple’s stars will need to knock down shots to come away with the home win. That being said, the Owls are a more experienced and disciplined team than Penn State and should defend their home court.
Final prediction: Temple 72, Wisconsin 69