With No. 1-ranked Illinois in town for a midseason conference battle, the 2004-05 Badgers have a chance to do something that no UW men’s basketball team has done for 43 years.
Wisconsin has not beaten a No. 1-ranked team since 1962. The last No. 1 to visit Madison was Indiana in 1976. Twenty-nine years later, the No. 18 Badgers (13-3, 4-1) will take on the top-ranked Illini (19-0, 5-0) Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.
In addition to trying to become just the second team in school history to knock off a No. 1-ranked team, Bo Ryan’s squad will put the nation’s longest home winning streak on the line against the undefeated Illini.
“We just want to defend our home court,” associate head coach Rob Jeter said. “It can be Illinois, it can be Northwestern. Whoever is coming, we want to defend our home court.”
Illinois has its own axe to grind after Wisconsin defeated the Illini 70-53 in last season’s Big Ten Tournament title game. Though Illinois leads the all-time series 102-68, Wisconsin has won the last five meetings at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers have not lost a conference game at home under head coach Bo Ryan. Since Ryan took over in 2001, Wisconsin has posted a 26-0 mark against Big Ten opponents at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin has also gone undefeated against ranked opponents in the friendly confines throughout the Ryan era, winning eight consecutive home games against top-25 teams.
“We’ve got people saying now that this is definitely one of the toughest places to play in the country, and we’re proving that it is,” guard Kammron Taylor said.
Wisconsin has found success against top-25 teams this season, beating then-No. 12 Maryland, then-No. 13 Alabama and then-No. 12 Michigan State. The Badgers have won six of their last eight games against ranked opponents coming into Tuesday’s showdown. However, Wisconsin has not taken on the No. 1 team in the nation.
“We have a tall order,” Jeter said. “We have to go out and play our style of ball, get guys in foul trouble, get to the free throw line and see what happens.”
At 19-0, Illinois is off to the best start in school history. The Illini have sailed through the first half of the season at will, winning by an average of 18.9 points per game. The top scoring team in the Big Ten (81.4 points per game), Illinois features four starters with double-figure scoring averages. The only starter who does not average double-figures, James Augustine, is putting up 9.8 points per game.
“That means they’re unselfish,” Jeter said. “That means they’re making that extra pass. That means guys are getting the offensive rebounds. They’re playing solid basketball, so that means we have to play solid defense.”
Senior Luther Head leads the Illinois juggernaut with 16.8 points per game, but the Illini have displayed the epitome of a balanced attack this season. Juniors Dee Brown (13.3 points per game) and Deron Williams (12.9 points per game), senior Roger Powell Jr. (12.7 points per game) and Augustine give the Illini five dangerous scoring threats.
“If you say, ‘I’m going to shut down Luther Head,’ then Dee Brown will kill you; if you say Dee Brown, then it’ll be Deron (Williams),” Jeter said. “If you try to shut down those three guys, then it’ll be the big guys.”
The Badgers may be without the services of redshirt freshman Brian Butch, who spent Sunday’s practice watching from the sidelines with a boot on his left leg. The former McDonald’s All-American is listed as day-to-day with a left foot injury suffered in Saturday’s game against Michigan. Jeter would not comment on the likelihood of Butch suiting up against Illinois.
“We’ll just let the trainers handle that, and we’ll see on Tuesday,” Jeter said.
If Butch is unable to participate, forwards Zach Morley, Andreas Helmigk and Ray Nixon may see additional playing time and true freshman Greg Stiemsma may put in an appearance down low against Augustine and Powell.
But forwards Mike Wilkinson (14.2 points per game) and Alando Tucker (14.7 points per game) should claim the lion’s share of the touches in the post. The frontcourt duo is the only pair of teammates in the Big Ten to each average more than 14 points per game.
A native of Lockport, Ill., Tucker will look to put his 0-9 effort against Michigan behind him in a showdown against his home state Illini. Meanwhile, Wilkinson hopes to continue his conference-scoring tear. Since conference play began Jan. 5, Wisconsin’s gentle giant has averaged 18.0 points and 9.8 rebounds. In the Badgers’ recent win over Michigan, Wilkinson put up 28 points and 15 rebounds in a performance that Wolverine head coach Tommy Amaker described as “flawless.”
On the perimeter, Wisconsin’s unheralded backcourt will have its hands full against the Illinois tandem of Williams and Brown, who have combined for 230 assists this season compared to just 66 for UW’s Sharif Chambliss and Taylor. Chambliss, Taylor, Clayton Hanson and Michael Flowers combined have totaled just 103 assists on the year, 127 less than Williams and Brown’s total.
With last season’s top two point guards, Devin Harris and Boo Wade, no longer on the roster, the Badgers will face a daunting challenge against the vaunted Illini backcourt.
“That’s a big challenge, playing against probably the best backcourt, to me, in the country,” Taylor said. “You get a chance to go and measure how good you are against the best. You always want to play against the best, so I’m just looking forward to the challenge.”
Though Williams and Brown have terrorized perimeter defenders all season, Taylor believes the depleted UW backcourt will be able to hang with the Illini.
“I think we stack up real well,” Taylor said. “I think a lot of people didn’t think we were going to stack up well against Michigan State, and we went out there and played their guys real well. We might not be more athletic than they are, but I think we stack up against them real well.”
Led by Brown, who was dubbed the ‘human fast break’ for his quick hands and blazing speed, the Illini are known for their ability to score in transition. The Badgers will look to control the tempo and force Illinois into a half-court game by avoiding turnovers and limiting perimeter jumpers.
“We can’t take quick shots, which will lead to long rebounds and fast-break opportunities,” Jeter said. “We have to make them play in the half court. They’re so fast that if they can run the floor and get easy baskets, that’s only going to lead to a long night.”
The Illini seemed all but unbeatable through their first 18 games, but Iowa exposed some chinks in the armor Jan. 20, forcing overtime before Illinois emerged with a 73-68 win.
“Any team is beatable,” Taylor said. “It’s just who executes better on that night and whose shots are falling more. Hopefully, it’s going to be us on Tuesday.”
With the nation’s No. 1 team looking to end the nation’s longest home winning streak, Tuesday’s showdown presents a true marquee matchup. The Badgers haven’t taken down a No. 1 in 43 years, but Ryan’s squad hasn’t lost at home in 38 games. Only one streak can survive Tuesday night.
“You want to give the fans something to cheer for, and for the past 38 games I think we definitely gave them something to cheer for,” Taylor said. “We want to keep that going. We don’t want to lose on this court.”
