For Penn State men’s basketball, getting its feet back on the ground certainly heads a list of priorities. Not only are the Nittany Lions digging themselves out of more than two-feet of snow, but Penn State (5-16, 0-10 Big Ten) scrapes the trenches of the Big Ten while the Badgers (18-5, 8-3 Big Ten) enjoy a three-way tie at the summit.
After being thoroughly embarrassed by the Badgers 86-55 at the Kohl Center Feb. 1, nothing could be sweeter for Penn State than knocking off the top team in the Big Ten this Wednesday.
Although the Badgers are sitting pretty atop the Big Ten, point guard Devin Harris insists the team knows better than to overlook a weaker opponent.
“We know how important this game is,” Harris said. “We have to come out like we haven’t won a Big Ten game yet. We have to come out aggressive and have that road mentality just like we did at Northwestern.”
Head coach Bo Ryan said he intends to make sure his team does not take the Big Ten’s worst lightly.
“We will prepare for this game, and our guys know that this is going to be a tough game,” Ryan said. “This is the only team I have control over, and we will prepare for this one just like we played Indiana. There won’t be a difference.”
All three of the Badgers’ conference losses have come on the road this season. Freshman forward Alando Tucker said he expects a credible challenge at University Park, Pa.
“You just can’t underestimate anybody in the Big Ten,” Tucker said. “Their fans and supporters are going to be there, and they’re going to be busting their butts to try and beat us. We just have to maintain and play how we’ve been playing every game.”
According to Ryan, the chief aspect of the Badgers’ success has been their stingy protection of the basketball. Wisconsin totaled only 11 turnovers in the past two games and is second nationally with just 10.7 turnovers per game.
“If we’re not taking care of the ball, you’re not going to get one or more points per possession,” Ryan said. “It’s an absolute in basketball.
“The ball is valuable. If you get more shots and better shots than the other team, you win. How do you get more shots? Two ways: offensive rebounding and taking care of the basketball. On defense you limit good shots and try to keep players out of comfort areas and try to get them to turn it over some and make bad decisions.”
A major element of that efficiency may be credited to the duo sharing the point-guard responsibilities. Harris has turned the ball over just twice in the past two games, while freshman reserve Boo Wade has just seven turnovers in his last 300 minutes of playing time.
“I think mentally they take a lot of pride in not turning it over.” Ryan said. “It becomes ‘the thing.'”
Tucker said the Badgers are going to have to continue building that pride in order to take care of Penn State.
“The main thing in this game is to try to take care of the ball and limit turnovers, because they’re going to try and get out and run,” Tucker said.
Senior sharpshooter Kirk Penney and the Badgers have the second-best field-goal percentage in the Big Ten. Although Penney was named co-Big Ten Player of the Week for his contributions versus Michigan State and Indiana, Ryan said every other player has done his part as a team leader.
“It’s shared this year. I think it’s a little bit of everybody. I see Mike Wilkinson emerging with things in practice when we go against our scout team. I see him a little more vocal. I see Freddie doing some good things that way. Devin, definitely, Kirk, always, but he doesn’t say much, it’s just what he does,” Ryan said. “Look at some of these passes he’s making now. I wish he had two more years, at least another year, maybe five, if we could have him. I think Boo was up to 20 words last week; he’s been averaging 10. He’s getting up there.”
While some Division I coaches revert to throwing chairs across the court or running players into the ground, Ryan said he has a more constructive approach to coaching his players.
“I don’t coach under the guise of threats. That gets tuned out by players so easily,” Ryan said. “French words — I use other languages sometimes in practice. Sometimes that lets them know that probably wasn’t a good decision. The perfect game hasn’t been played out there, but there’s nothing wrong with striving for trying to get more shots than the other team.”
