Wisconsin Basketball displayed a lot of grit and determination on Sunday by forcing overtime against the Michigan Wolverines after trailing by eight points at halftime. Unfortunately, the Wolverines overwhelmed them in the extra period and were able to emerge with an eight-point victory in front of their hometown fans.
While there are no moral victories in sports, staying competitive against the 2nd ranked team in the Big Ten has to be encouraging for a Badgers team that has lost six out of their last ten games and is currently ranked 10th in the Conference. On Thursday, they will get their shot at redemption when they take on the only team in the Big Ten to be ranked in the Top 25 in the Nation this year, the Purdue Boilermakers.
The Wisconsin Badgers only have one win against ranked opponents this season. A victory against the Purdue Boilermakers would be a huge upset.
Although the Badgers will have a homecourt advantage against their Conference rivals, they will still have to execute a near-perfect gameplan to pull off the upset. The Boilermakers feature a National Player of The Year candidate in Zach Edey. Overall, they are an experienced ballclub that features two Seniors and six Juniors. The team is led by Head Coach Matt Painter, who is in his 18th season at the helm and is looking to build upon last year’s Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Badgers have already utilized their homecourt advantage to knock off a ranked opponent once this year. They defeated the Maryland Terrapins, who were ranked 13th in the Nation at the time, on December 6th. Let’s take a closer look at the steps the Badgers must take in order to get the same results against Purdue on Thursday.
Box out and rebound!
Rebounding will always be a key component to winning basketball games. However, teams who face the Purdue Boilermakers this season bear the added burden of facing the best rebounder in the country, Zach Edey.
Not only is Edey leading the Nation in rebounds at 12.9 per contest, he is also one of the tallest players in the country. Standing 7’4″, Edey would be tough to keep off of the boards if he were an average talent. Unfortunately for opponents, Edey has great footwork and agility, especially for a 7-footer. He also has a knack for going after ball; height and footwork alone are not enough to make the player lead the country on the boards. Keeping him off the glass, especially when it comes to offensive rebounds has to be a point of concentration for the Wisconsin Badgers on Thursday.
As a team, the Boilermakers are 16th in the country and 1st in the Big Ten in rebounding at 39.1 boards per game. The Badgers average 31.5 rebounds per game as a team; they cannot allow the law of averages to play out on the glass in their matchup with Purdue. If they do, the visiting team will turn offensive rebounds into multiple shot opportunities which will inevitably result in second-chance points. The team must call upon 7’0″ Junior Center Steven Crowl and 6’9″ Senior Forward Tyler Wahl to be consistent and physical on the interior. It’s the only way to offset the potential dominance of Edey.
Knock down open shots!
Anyone who has followed the Wisconsin Badgers this year knows that part of the reason they have had such an up-and-down season has been their inability to score the basketball. Although they have four players who are averaging in double figures in points per game, a closer look at the numbers reveals a lot of room for improvement on the offensive end.
The team’s top two scorers, Sophomore guard Chucky Hepburn and Freshman guard Connor Essegian, are each averaging 12.1 points per game. Those are solid numbers, but the majority of teams in Division 1 are led by players whose scoring output is significantly higher. Hepburn and Essegian deserve credit for carrying the offensive load, but the team must perform above their usual standards if they are going to pull off an upset on Thursday night.
So far this season, the Badgers are averaging 65.1 points per game. That is significantly fewer than their upcoming opponent, the Purdue Boilermakers, are averaging at 73.4 points per game. In addition to averaging one of the lowest point totals in the Big Ten, the Badgers are also shooting the ball at a lower percentage than most. Their overall field goal percentage is a dismal 41.5 percent.
That is indicative of a team that is not passing the ball enough to generate quality looks for players who do not create their own shot off the dribble. This theory is confirmed by the fact that their leading scorer, Chucky Hepburn, is also leading the team in assists at 3.0 dimes per night. Three assists per game is solid, but preferably the leading playmaker on the team would set his teammates up for made baskets more often.
The rest of Wisconsin’s shooting splits are also far from ideal. They are shooting 66.2 percent as a team from the free throw line and 35.5 percent as a team from the 3-point arc. These numbers will not get it done against Purdue. If the Badgers are going to get another quality win in front of their hometown fans they must concentrate on making shots!
Stop Zach Edey!
7’4″ Junior center Zach Edey has erupted for 30 or more points on six different occasions this season. Purdue has won five of those games. Simply put, when Edey is at his dominant best the Boilermakers are nearly impossible to beat.
While Edey does not fit the mold of modern-day big men who are drifting away from the basket with increasing regularity, part of his strength is that he fully embraces his size. Do not expect to see hm put the ball on the floor for more than one or two dribbles. Even then, those bounces will be used to get him closer to the basket and in scoring range. He rarely brings the ball low, instead, he wisely keeps it high and avoids getting stripped by pesky guards. He has great hands and is not turnover prone and his touch around the basket is built on skill and dexterity, not force. Simply put, there are not very many big men on the college level equipped to slow him down by themselves.
The responsibility of stopping Edey from having his way on offense will fall on the shoulders of 7’0″ Steven Crowl and 6’9″ Tyler Wahl. These two must be physical while remembering not to allow Edey to bait them into silly fouls. Edey is shooting a reliable 74.2 percent from the free throw line, so sending him to the charity stripe in order to “make him earn” his points will most likely backfire. However, if the Badgers are able to slow down Edey’s offensive productivity, Purdue does not have another player who tends to put up big numbers. Their second-leading scorer is Freshman guard Fletcher Loyer who is averaging 11.8 points per game. Stopping Edey is the key.
The Wisconsin Badgers are four games above .500 with one win against ranked teams this season. Currently, they are not considered a bubble team who could sneak into the Big Dance on Selection Sunday. However, if they are able to knock off Purdue, the fourth-ranked team in the Nation, on Thursday, the narrative surrounding them could improve significantly.
In order to do so, they must rebound by committee, knock down open shots, and stop the Boilermakers’ star player from having a great game. As the regular season winds down, every game matters. The Badgers are hoping to make a statement in front of their hometown fans on Thursday!