If any game could define the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s season so far, it would be the Badgers’ 66-63 loss to Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena last Saturday.

They fought back, led the game for most of the second half but were once again unable to close out the contest, leaving them disheveled for the sixth straight game. This time, though, the loss came against a team the Badgers beat by 29 points earlier in the season.

When the Badgers shut down Northwestern’s leading scorer Kevin Coble, Wildcats’ guard Craig Moore goes off for 26 points on 7-for-11 shooting.

While Jason Bohannon and Jon Leuer are breaking out of their shooting slumps, Trevon Hughes shoots 3-for-10 and only sinks one of his six 3-point attempts.

Whatever the scenario, the results are the same. When Bo Ryan’s squad can’t all click on the same night, it won’t win.

With this team especially, a complete team effort is essential for the Badgers to win. They don’t have the luxury of the size advantage of Brian Butch and Greg Stiemsma, and they don’t have the developed talent of an Alando Tucker or Devin Harris.

Simply put, with Butch, Stiemsma and Michael Flowers gone, Ryan faces one of the toughest challenges he ever has as a head coach.

When one thing goes right, another seems to go wrong. One game after Joe Krabbenhoft scores 16 points, he comes back with two.

Oh, and then there’s that “clutch” factor the Badgers just can’t seem to find.

In every game during the losing streak — aside from their first loss against Purdue — the Badgers have had a chance to get back into the game and even get a win. But whether it be Trevon Hughes’ wild shots, Jordan Taylor’s in-and-out runner in the lane against the Boilermakers or just a sheer lack of confidence, the Badgers just haven’t been able to get the job done.

Speaking of confidence, look at the Badgers’ last game, for example.

Sophomore guard/forward Tim Jarmusz, who already hit two 3-pointers earlier in the game against Northwestern, opted to pass up a wide-open shot behind the arc that would have tied the game. Instead, he found Marcus Landry under the hoop for a layup that cut the Wildcat’s lead to one point with less than 20 seconds left.

I’m not saying it was a bad decision; it was just not a confident one. A year ago, if Flowers or Butch got the ball at the top of the key and had a wide-open 3-pointer, they would have taken it. We saw it last season against Texas and Indiana, and the Badgers came away from both of those games with wins.

Now, without a game-changing player, the Badgers are sitting with a six-game losing streak and wondering what they can do to get back on track. Maybe they are even thinking about possibly missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Ryan’s eight seasons as head coach at UW.

“I’d say there’s a sense of urgency, but we’ve still got 10 conference games to play,” Taylor said before the loss at Northwestern. “We can make a run here and we’ll be fine. …We’ve got good players and great coaching, so it’s something we’ll get through.”

After losing to another unranked opponent in Northwestern, maybe it is time for Taylor and the men’s basketball team to start playing with a sense of urgency, not just talking about it.

The Badgers won’t be able to succeed unless every player on the team gains some confidence that has been lacking during the six-game skid. Maybe now that Bohannon and Leuer broke out of their slumps, other players will follow suit and begin to take — and make — their open looks.

If they don’t, this streak — like an Energizer battery — will keep going and going.

Jonah is a sophomore majoring in journalism and Hebrew and Semitic studies. Think the Badgers have a lack of confidence? How long will this losing streak last? E-mail him your thoughts at [email protected].