Early on in the season, the UW men's basketball team has gone through some of the growing pains that come with developing comfort and chemistry.
One constant, however, has been the size advantage No. 12 Wisconsin (6-1 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) has enjoyed in every contest this season and the effective play coming from up front.
"The most impressive thing about their big guys is that they've totally bought into the system," said Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton after losing 81-66 to Wisconsin Tuesday. "That keeps them from doing things that maybe they aren't quite as good at, and it makes them more effective."
"We've got some guys who can take the minutes that they're getting … the most out of them, and they have bought into the system," UW head coach Bo Ryan said.
That size advantage will once again weigh heavily in Wisconsin's favor Saturday afternoon when Florida International (3-4, 0-0 Sun Belt) comes to the Kohl Center.
The Golden Panthers are a team that is rebuilding, having lost four starters from a year ago and only bringing back five players total. Then again, a house cleaning was probably in order as FIU could only manage an 8-20 record in 2006.
The edge in size will be significant as Florida International's tallest player is 6-foot-9. And even that player, freshman Nikola Gacesa, only averages about eight minutes per contest.
The size deficit has led FIU to be out-rebounded by an average of eight boards per night against teams that do not have the height Wisconsin possesses inside.
The Golden Panthers have struggled offensively early this season, averaging less than 60 points per contest, and are led by senior guard Johwen Villegas, who paces Florida International with 12.6 points a game. FIU's most significant outside threat is guard Elvis Lora, who is shooting an outstanding .531 from beyond the arc.
Still, the contest will likely come down to size and how well the Golden Panthers can defend it.
Wisconsin's big men have also proven themselves as solid playmakers on the court as the Badgers' frontcourt has beaten many teams with sharp passes this year.
"To find those open guys is very key, as [opponents] don't know where it's coming from and that makes it very hard to guard," junior forward Brian Butch said.
"We have a lot of passers on the team, so that doesn't put pressure on the guards to make all the plays," senior guard Kammron Taylor added.
Even the reserved Ryan expressed the significant worth of having passing threats inside.
"Bigs that can pass are very valuable," Ryan said.
On the injury front, Badgers senior forward Alando Tucker proclaimed himself to be in perfect condition for Saturday's game, claiming no ill effects from the gruesome eye poke he sustained in Tuesday night's game against Florida State.
"I said that last year opponents [were] aiming at my nose, and this year it's my eye," joked Tucker, who has been poked in the eye twice this season after having played his entire career at UW without such an incident.
Starter Michael Flowers' availability for Saturday's game is still in question, however.
The junior guard injured his right ankle against FSU, falling down on a Seminole players' leg in the second half. While Flowers returned to the contest and was effective, the Madison native was absent from practice Thursday.
Ryan stated he had no knowledge of Flowers' status for Saturday's game.
