After snapping its two-game losing skid Wednesday night, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team faces one of the two nonconference teams that handed the Badgers a loss last year.
Fresh off a 70-42 rout of in-state rival UW-Green Bay Wednesday night, Wisconsin (7-2) will host the Nevada-Las Vegas Runnin’ Rebels (9-1) Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center. Last year, UNLV rode a hot-shooting performance to a 68-65 win over UW out in Las Vegas. That game revealed the Rebels’ offensive prowess, as UNLV shot 49 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range.
“I think they’re playing better as a unit, overall,” UW assistant coach Lamont Paris said. “They seem to be playing as a more cohesive unit. … They were good last year and very potent offensively, and it’s the same thing this year.”
This season, thanks in large part to the addition of sophomore forward Mike Moser, UNLV averages 83.0 points per game, No. 12 in the nation. Moser, a 6-foot-8, 195-pound transfer from California-Los Angeles, leads UNLV with 15.8 points per game and the nation with 12.5 rebounds per game. When the Rebels upset then-No. 1 North Carolina 90-80 Nov. 26 in the Las Vegas International championship game, Moser pulled down a game-high 18 rebounds and added 16 points and six assists.
North Carolina’s next game came against, of all teams, Wisconsin. In a back-and-forth affair that saw eight lead changes, the Tar Heels eked out a 60-57 win over the Badgers. Three days later, Wisconsin lost to another in-state rival, Marquette, 61-54 at the Kohl Center, snapping the Badgers’ 23-game home winning streak.
“We played two quality opponents,” junior forward Mike Bruesewitz said. “Some stuff didn’t go our way, we didn’t take care of some stuff defensively and offensively, we kind of left some points on the board. A couple more shots go down here or there, we do some stuff differently and a little bit smarter, all of a sudden we’re sitting there and we just beat two quality opponents. It’s a learning process.”
UNLV’s win, however, catapulted the Rebels from unranked status to a team ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 and No. 20 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll. But eight days later, the Rebels were bounced from the top 25 in an upset loss at Wichita State.
“They’re better, they’re a year older,” Bruesewitz said. “They didn’t lose anybody; they added [Moser], who’s averaging a double-double and is the leading rebounder in the country. So they’re not any different, they’re just better.”
The Rebels are also led by senior guard/forward Chace Stanback, who averages 15.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, both second on the team. Against the Badgers last year, Stanback led all scorers with 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three-point territory.
Wisconsin, meanwhile, is looking to gather some momentum down the stretch of nonconference play. Against Green Bay Wednesday night, the Badgers shot just 12-for-33 in the first half (36.4 percent) and led 33-21 at halftime. However, a much-needed second-half surge that saw UW shoot 15-for-26 (57.7 percent) overpowered the Phoenix.
Senior point guard Jordan Taylor scored 15 points and dished out a career-high 10 assists for his second career double-double and first of the season. Junior forward Ryan Evans finished with 14 points and six rebounds, while junior forward/center Jared Berggren scored 13 and added three rebounds and four steals.
“If you’re not shooting well, there’s so many other things in the game of basketball that you can do to help a team,” sophomore guard Ben Brust said. “That’s what this team has to do when we’re struggling to shoot the ball, just make sure we keep getting good shots, keep doing the right things and just play defense and rebound.”
As the Badgers continue to develop their rotation after losing three key starters from last year’s team, the offense continues to be scrutinized. Wisconsin finished the game Wednesday night shooting 45.8 percent from the field, but just 17.6 percent (3 for 17) from behind the arc. However, 10 different players scored and Wisconsin’s bench outscored Green Bay’s 21-16. An improved effort in the paint also yielded a 36-26 advantage.
“I think every team’s going to go through … just as a unit, trying to develop your identity and establish how you’re going to play,” Paris said. “A couple of times, it’s been just poor shooting effort. … I don’t know that I would attribute it just on the offensive end; I think as a team in general, you’re going to have some growing pains.”
