They are the pair of threes that wins the hand. They are the grotesque cuisine that tastes like chicken. They’re Conan O’Brien taking over for Letterman.
Fair enough, it has been quite an improbable season the Badgers have crafted out of what seemed like hand-me-down materials. It’s been well-documented that the preseason prognosticators picked Bo Ryan’s team to finish ninth in the Big Ten. After last night’s rather trouble-free victory over Iowa, Wisconsin sits at 10-5 in the Big Ten, heading into the last week of the season with an outside chance of winning the conference outright.
Is this a miracle? Are they holding the winning lottery ticket? Is it some form of divine intervention that has this team on the cusp of an NCAA tournament birth?
Against the grain of the stunned masses, the answer is a resounding no; this is a quality basketball team. There are no smoke and mirrors, as this is a team that, at this point in the season, has taken the Big Ten by the neck and gone for the jugular without the help of luck, but with pure, authentic talent.
In Bo Ryan’s inside-out system, Kirk Penney and Devin Harris have flourished from beyond 15 feet. Although the coach deserves a lot of credit, don’t let the scheme fool you; Penney and Harris are this good.
Every night the Badgers take the floor, they have a solid player from the nucleus of the team who can pour in 20 points, rather than relying on a sink or swim effort from a one player or a role player.
While Penney and Harris have been able to enter the zone the past two games, they have been the benefactors of some of the best passing seen around these parts in years. During its current five-game winning streak, Wisconsin has employed the all-important extra pass, which has produced better shot selection.
“When we play team ball, we’re going to find the breakdowns in the defense,” said Harris, who will certainly garner attention as Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
One of the cornerstones of the excellence of this team has been Travon Davis, who has played maybe his best in a Badger uniform the last two games. In his first three years, Davis resembled a bull in a china shop, playing aggressively but out of control. This reckless play was epitomized by his careless turnover against Georgia State that ended UW’s season in 2001.
Davis has matured by leaps and bounds since his gaffe in Boise. The senior now chooses his battles wisely when driving the lane and has been crashing the boards like a forward. Davis has also been excellent on the defensive end, shutting down the passing lanes.
The Badgers have received help from what seems like left field in Mike Wilkinson and Freddie Owens. Don’t let their lack of previous play dupe you; they possess talent.
With a victory next Wednesday over a Michigan team that is, at best, inept on the road, the Badgers will finish the season with 18 wins.
Although their esteemed place in Wisconsin sports history is set in stone, the 2000 Badger squad that reached the Final Four were no world-beaters in the regular season. In fact, with a mediocre mark of 16-12, the Badgers needed two wins in the Big Ten Tournament to assure them an NCAA Tournament birth.
While this year’s edition certainly does not perform as well as the sum of the parts did for Dick Bennett, nor does it have as much experience, this team has, without a doubt, more raw talent.
Due to their deft passing and ability to get more than two players in double-figures, there is no threat of this team freezing to the point of a 32-point performance. Due to its players’ athletic ability and its excellent ball handlers, this year’s team will not be susceptible to full-court traps. And with a surefire offensive leader in Penney, there will be no uncertainty at crunch time.
Does this team have a chance to make a run in the NCAA Tournament? Probably not. But don’t pass them off as a gang of misfits that snuck their way into the dance, because this is a team that belongs in a bracket.
