For the first time in school history, the University of Wisconsin will host ESPN College GameDay, as the streaking UW men’s basketball team welcomes Big Ten foe Ohio State to the Kohl Center Saturday.
Coming off a big 69-52 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes Wednesday, the Badgers (15-9, 6-6 Big Ten) will look to shut down the Buckeyes, who have won four straight, including an overtime upset victory over then-No. 13 Purdue.
The Badgers are also on a short three-game winning streak of their own, during which they have played much-improved defense in comparison to their poor play during their six-game losing streak.
“We’ve just got to stick to the rules coach (Bo Ryan) provides for us,” senior forward Marcus Landry said. “We have to play really physical and tough because they’re a tough team. … They have some length that’s long and athletic, and that could really get at us.”
In particular, Wisconsin will be faced with the challenge of defending Buckeyes’ guard/forward Evan Turner, who leads Ohio State averaging 17 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
“Individually, they have the (third-) leading scorer in the league in Evan Turner, but they have a lot of pieces around him with Will Buford,” UW associate head coach Greg Gard said. “Collectively, they’ve found a way to play within their system offensively … also defensively exclusively playing zone.”
While the Badgers’ defense has been especially strong during their winning streak, guard Jason Bohannon doesn’t believe that they will have to change much in order to keep the Buckeyes in check.
“We have to do the same things we have done,” junior guard Jason Bohannon said. “Force them into long 2-point jump shots and make them work for all their points. If we make them work on defense too, it’s bound to take their legs out throughout the game.”
With all the College GameDay festivities surrounding the UW campus, the Badgers are trying to stay focused on their task in Ohio State and are concentrated on shutting down the Buckeyes and winning their fourth-straight game.
“We’re trying to stay with our head in the game,” Bohannon added. “It’s a big game — don’t get me wrong, it has a lot of implications for the rest of the year. But, we’re here to take it one day at a time.”
Nevertheless, College GameDay arriving at Wisconsin does mean a lot to the UW players and coaching staff, who have led the Badgers to 10 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including seven straight since Bo Ryan took over as head coach.
“It’s a great tribute to Wisconsin basketball,” Bohannon said about College GameDay. “The things the program has done in the past few years … the program we’ve built, it’s just a tribute to everything we’re doing now.”
“It’s huge in terms of the respect that Wisconsin has a program nationally,” Gard added. “I think it’s a huge compliment to our teams and our players that have played here in the past, and the tradition that’s being built, and the success that we’ve had in the past.”
While the game will be aired on national television, the Badgers aren’t worried about any added pressure. According to Landry, the team is too focused on winning to be concerned with extra strain from the national stage.
“I’m the type of person where I don’t watch too much ESPN and stuff like that all the time,” Landry said. “It’s a special event for the students in Madison and things like that. As a team and as an individual and as a player, you just have to approach it as any other game.”
While the game may have implications from a national viewing perspective, a win would keep another NCAA Tournament berth very much alive for the Badgers, who now sit at 6-6 in the Big Ten.
“We’re worried about what you can control, try to play as well as possible,” Gard said. “The most important thing is for our team to play well … because … as we continue our way through the conference season and on our way to the postseason, every game is extremely important.”
