For the second time in as many games, Wisconsin nearly doubled the score of their interstate opponent and prevailed in a friendly affair that resembled a driveway game between a six year-old boy and the 16 year-old brother whom he admires and hopes to one day become-little competition, a predetermined outcome and uncontested respect for the elder.
After beating UW-Parkside 81-42 last Wednesday, the Badgers finished the preseason 2-0 by taking care of UW-Platteville, 78-44. Senior Mike Wilkinson led the way with 15 points going 6 of 8 from the field while sophomore Alando Tucker added 12 points and an athletic dimension to the game that kept the undersized and overmatched Pioneers subdued.
UW-Platteville Head Coach Mike Combs was well-aware of the unusual dynamic present when a Division III team takes on its state Division I representative. When asked what the hardest part about playing the Badgers was, he was quick to joke about the Wisconsin roots he and his players have.
\The hardest thing for me is that we are all fans. These two young guys, to my right, grew up Badgers fans. I had to fight myself to not clap during the fight song,"" he said.
Pioneer players noted the Badgers showcased talent they had never faced before and were not quite prepared for the disparity in athletic ability and basketball prowess.
""The biggest difference is that when you play Division III athletes you might run into a guy that's really quick, but you don't run into a guy that's really quick and can shoot,"" UW-Platteville senior guard Brad Reitzner said. ""In our level you can kind of play to a guy's strength. When you are playing a Big Ten team you are against pretty much all-around great players.""
The Badgers out-rebounded the Pioneers 31 to 24 but were able to intimidate UW-Platteville with full court-pressure-and the Kohl Center atmosphere which made some Pioneers starry-eyed rather than settled-to create turnovers. UW forced 23 turnovers while only giving up nine themselves and scored 29 points off those turnovers to Platteville's five. The Badgers were also solid on the offensive glass, grabbing 12 on their end and outscoring the Pioneers in second chance points 13-1.
While UW beat the Pioneers soundly, UW-Platteville freshman Jeff Skemp momentarily threw a wrench in the rout as he single-handedly kept his team's point total from being totally anemic. With 8:29 remaining the first half, the Pioneers got to double digits, but would have remained there if it were not for Skemp. From under four minutes remaining in the first half, until six minutes left in the game-the better part of 18 minutes-Skemp was the only Pioneer to find the bottom of the net.
After being down 7-4 in the opening minutes, the Badgers used a 19-2 run to take the lead for good. Of course the outcome was easier to predict than a Craig Kilborn punch line, but the game was a valuable experience for UW, who prepare for their season-opener against University of Pennsylvania. In the Badgers' final game before they shed the training wheels, they showed why they garner a preseason top 25 ranking.
""They have a great mixture of athleticism, speed and strength and the ability to understand the game plan,"" Combs said. ""[Coach Ryan has] All-Americans from top to bottom and those kids buy into a system and are very unselfish on a daily basis. They guard the ball on every possession and they rebound like it is the last possession.\
