If losing to Penn State Wednesday night holds any consolation for the Badgers, it proves that there is still room for improvement on the basketball court. After leading by eight points with a little under a minute and a half remaining against Penn State, the Badgers allowed two big three-pointers from Shariff Chambliss, and a three-point play to DeForrest Riley put the Badgers down 57-58. Senior Kirk Penney forced an ill-advised three-pointer as time expired. Penney’s vision was screened by three defenders preventing him from making an outlet pass to a couple of open Badgers in the post.
From Wednesday’s meltdown, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team (18-6, 8-4 Big Ten) learned that it needs to do a better job of putting weaker opponents away while taking smarter shots and smarter care of the ball in clutch situations.
No rest for the weary — the Badgers don’t have the comfort of the Kohl Center to look forward to Saturday, as they must trudge onward to Iowa City where they face the Hawkeyes (13-9, 5-6 Big Ten).
The Badgers defeated the Hawkeyes earlier this season, 74-61, Jan. 22 at the Kohl Center. The Badgers were led by Devin Harris’ 17 points, despite getting into foul trouble that limited the sophomore’s playing time in the first half. Penney and Alando Tucker finished with 14 points apiece for Wisconsin. Freddie Owens, who also struggled with foul trouble, scored 11 points on the night, including two consecutive jumpers from the free-throw line with four minutes left that sealed the game for the Badgers.
In spite of Harris and Owens foul trouble, the UW guards took tremendous care of the ball against the Hawkeyes, only committing five turnovers, to Iowa’s 17. The Badgers also took advantage of their hot shooting at home to level Iowa with seven three-pointers, including four from Penney.
Last season, however, the Badgers fell to Steve Alford and company at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, 57-69. Wisconsin compiled a 3-5 record on the road against conference teams last season, and the Badgers’ 2-4 road mark this season doesn’t prove much better.
Iowa is currently led by senior Chauncey Leslie who is averaging 16.2 points per game along with 4.6 rebounds. Forward Glen Worley is second on the team with 11.6 points per contest, coupled with 5.6 rebounds.
The Hawkeye point-guard duties have been handled splendidly by freshman point guard Jeff Horner, who is averaging 9.2 points per game, along with 4.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Sharp-shooting backup Brody Boyd is third on the team, averaging 9.6 points per game.
In the post, 6-foot-11 junior Jared Reiner sets the tone. Reiner, a center, is second in the Big Ten with an average of 8.1 rebounds a game along with 8.1 points per contest. Forward Greg Brunner and backup center Sean Sonderleiter round out a very tall front court, with no player shorter than 6-foot-7. Brunner is averaging 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds, while Sonderleiter brings 8.3 points and 4.4 points to the table each night.
The Badgers have won five of their last seven games against the Hawkeyes, but with their current problem of dealing with the pressures of the road, nothing is guaranteed. With three games remaining after Iowa, the Badgers will face teams in the top five of the Big Ten. A win in Iowa City would not only help the Badgers’ record but possibly instill them with some confidence to finish the season strong.
