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Saint Mary’s Basketball: Keys to success against Wisconsin in 2019-20

By Connor Hope

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 21: Jordan Ford #3 and Tommy Kuhse #12 of the Saint Mary's Gaels walk off the court after being defeated by the Villanova Wildcats during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. Villanova defeated Saint Mary's 61-57. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 21: Jordan Ford #3 and Tommy Kuhse #12 of the Saint Mary's Gaels walk off the court after being defeated by the Villanova Wildcats during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. Villanova defeated Saint Mary's 61-57. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 21: Jordan Ford #3 of the Saint Mary’s Gaels shoots against Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 21: Jordan Ford #3 of the Saint Mary’s Gaels shoots against Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

1) Open up the floor for Jordan Ford

It shouldn’t be any secret that Gaels senior guard Jordan Ford is one of the best offensive weapons in the entire country. Averaging 21.1 points on .489/.412/.800, Ford was a player that few defenses had the ability to slow down.

With that said, Wisconsin is a team that has the defensive stature to stifle offensive playmakers if their supporting cast is not playing well. We all know Malik Fitts is going to get his shots, but Ford will need Tanner Krebs, Kristers Zoriks and Logan Johnson to all contribute on the perimeter as well.

If they can space the floor, Ford shouldn’t have an issue scoring 20 or more points in this contest. However, if the other shooters struggle early, Ford is unlikely to have the space necessary to win this game on his own.

One strategy that may prove vital is the ability to run various offensive sets through Gaels’ big man Aaron Menzies. Because of Menzies strong offensive acumen, Wisconsin is likely to collapse, at least a little, whenever he has the ball. This should free up some of the shooters, who will have an easier time making defenses respect them.

Ultimately, however, the offense will need to run through Jordan Ford, and any half-court possession where he doesn’t touch the ball at least once should be discouraged.