As the University of Wisconsin-Madison men’s basketball team prepares to take on two in-state programs this week — UW-Milwaukee Wednesday night and Marquette Saturday — the program relishes the chance to demonstrate its top dog status in the state.
But as opposing players look for the chance to showcase their talents on the state’s biggest stage, the Badgers are prepared for the challenge.
“This is their chance to show the coaches and the state maybe they made a mistake, that they’re good enough to be there,” UW-Madison freshman Alex Illikainen said. “So this is their shot. They’re coming in here with hometown pride and trying to kick your butt.”
The raw UW-Madison freshman class will get its first taste of in-state rivalries, and with that, added opportunities to display their scoring prowess.
By halftime of the Temple game, freshmen Charlie Thomas, Ethan Happ and Illikainen each had six points.
“We can’t expect the older guys to do everything,” Illikainen said. “Obviously, they’re going to do most of it. They have the leadership … Every once in a while, we might need to step up and make a couple of shots.”
There are still learning moments for this young group, though. After Thomas put the ball on the deck on consecutive possessions and turned it over during practice Tuesday, UW head coach Bo Ryan screamed “Don’t dribble the ball Charlie! Don’t dribble the ball!”
Illikainen played nine minutes and tied his career-high in points against Temple. When Vitto Brown gets in foul trouble and Thomas needs a breather, Illikainen is the next man up.
The minutes aren’t necessarily of concern to Illikainen right now, who’s just focused on getting better.
“I’m just going to keep working in practice and try to maximize my time,” Illikainen said. “I’m happy and confident where I’m at, but if more comes that’d be great.”
His next chance for more minutes will come against the Panthers Wednesday night. After starting the season with six straight wins, including a Cable Car Classic title, UW-Milwaukee has since declined.
Their solid performances haven’t translated into wins as of late, as the team has gone 3-3 since that tournament. The Panthers’ run started with an eight-point loss to No. 18 Notre Dame, a game that — one would expect — could indicate better things to come since their program lost to a national powerhouse by a small-margin.
But what has followed hasn’t been the case. Milwaukee went on to lose even closer games against Murray State (5-4) and Duquesne (6-2) while shooting at 43 percent in each. Duquesne shot 64.8 percent in that four-point overtime loss, and the loss against Notre Dame saw the Fighting Irish shoot at 57.1 percent.
While the Panthers’ defense isn’t much to gloat about, offense has been consistent. Five Milwaukee players average over 10 points per game with forward Matt Tiby boasting a team-best 14.6 PPG. The senior also grabs 8.4 rebounds per game and will be his team’s focal point on offense.
But Milwaukee’s true strength lies in their team play. As a unit, they shoot at 45 percent and average 75 points per game.
Junior forward Hayes said during the team’s film session UW-Madison focused on the Panthers’ offense, and the number of screens and cuts they run presents a challenge.
“It’ll make us have to communicate better, make sure we’re in the right spots, have our head on a swivel and make sure we’re communicating out there,” Hayes said. “Games like this and good teams like this always help us.”
Hayes said given the high number of screens UW-Milwaukee runs, he doesn’t anticipate guarding Tiby one-on-one throughout the game. He’s recently taken on the chore of guarding the team’s best player (with the exception of guards), most notably when UW played Oklahoma and Hayes matched up against Buddy Hield last month.
Hayes has been finding his stride in his offensive game and on the glass during Wisconsin’s last three games. Over the season’s first six games, Hayes pulled down 23 rebounds. In the last three, he’s hauled in 35 boards.
He averaged 14 points throughout the first six games, but has averaged 17.7 points in the last three.
