Basketball and the state of Wisconsin are two things not generally recognized together. Over the next two weeks though, the best of Wisconsin basketball will come together when all four in-state NCAA Division I teams face off.
The No. 24 UW men's team (4-1) will undoubtedly have their hands full with each in-state competition. UW-Green Bay (4-1) is the first team on the schedule for the Badgers heading into the Kohl Center, Tuesday. The Phoenix are coming off a three-game wining streak and an offensive surge the last two games. They went into Chicago State last Wednesday and walked away with a 79-71 victory. Junior guard Benito Flores came off the bench to score a team high 21 points, including 17 in the second half alone and 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Josh Lawrence added his own 21 points and 12 boards as a starter. Lawrence also tallied a career-high 4-for-7 from three-point range in the victory.
In Green Bay's next victory against Weber State (82-62) Lawrence had another break out game. Though 21 points against Chicago State was a career high against Weber State he improved it scoring 24 points. Lawrence also went a near perfect 10 of 11 from the field. His efforts helped him tab the Horizon League Player of the Week honors prior to Green Bay's game against Wisconsin.
\It's safe to say the cat is out of the bag,"" said UW-Green Bay Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk said after the Weber State game. ""Josh Lawrence is a very good basketball player.""
The Phoenix have also welcomed back a boost in their backcourt. Senior guard Javier Mendiburu missed two games early in the season due to an ankle injury, but came back to play against Chicago State. Mendiburu, who roomed with Wisconsin's senior forward Zach Morley at Indian Hills Community College, recorded 14 assists against Weber State, a new career high and the second-highest Green Bay single game total.
""They're well coached, they play hard and they've got good shooters and they're playing Wisconsin,"" UW Head Coach Bo Ryan said. ""It's like schools in Michigan that get to play Michigan, or schools in Ohio that get to play Ohio State. If enough of those schools played all the Division I schools in the state, you'd find out there's not that big of difference. Green Bay feels they can come in and get us. And that's the way you get your team ready when you're Green Bay and as Wisconsin we're getting ready to play the game of basketball knowing that the team that's going to play us is going to play their best.""
Tod Kowalczyk has only been with the Phoenix for two years, but is familiar with Wisconsin basketball. He served as an assistant coach for Marquette two seasons alongside current Golden Eagle Head Coach Tom Creane before he moved onto Green Bay. Though Kowalczyk worked with Creane, Ryan does not notice many similarities between the two teams.
""I think every coach develops their own personality with the team, based on the personnel and all that,"" Ryan said. ""We take them separately and that's the way we'll deal with them.""
Next on the schedule for Wisconsin will be a trip down to Milwaukee for their game against the biggest in-state rival, Marquette (7-0). Last year, the Golden Eagles came into the Kohl Center and threatened Wisconsin's home-winning streak when they gave the Badgers one of their closest games of the season. The game went down to the final seconds before the Badgers could break away with the win. Senior forward Mike Wilkinson's defensive pressure forced a traveling violation by Marquette's then-senior guard Scott Merritt at the 23-seconds mark. On the Badgers next possession, then-senior guard Freddie Owens nailed one of two free throws to put the Badgers up three. With 13 seconds remaining, senior forward Steve Novak tried to even the score but came up short on his three-point attempt. Wisconsin sophomore forward Alando Tucker then put the game away, 63-59 with a closing free throw.
Last year Marquette's senior guard Travis Diener's 19 points led all scorers, and this year he is expected to put up similar numbers. He has provided the biggest strength in the backcourt for the Golden Eagles and is averaging 21.9 points a game. Sophomore forward Dameon Mason is also contributing 15.3 points a game while Novak adds 15.1 including a 0.611 three-point field goal percentage.
The final in-state challenge for Wisconsin will come next Wednesday against UW-Milwaukee (5-0). The Panthers are a team that is quickly rising not only on the in-state scale but also on the national radar. They capped off the 2003-'04 season as the Horizon League Tournament and Regular Season Champions with their 20-11 record. Before the season even started, senior guard Ed McCants was a pre-season selection for the Horizon League Player of the Year.
The Panthers are currently living up to their expectations. Their 5-0 start is the team's best start since the 1992-'93 campaign and they kicked off conference play on the right foot with their 75-67 win over Horizon League rival University of Illinois-Chicago.
The Badgers also have a close tie to UWM. Ryan and his coaching staff were in charge there for two years prior to landing at Wisconsin. Also, senior guard Clayton Hanson originally committed to play on scholarship for UWM but upon finding out Ryan was going to Wisconsin, Hanson decided to follow and walk on as a Badger.
Nationally recognized or not, these three in-state opponents will provide great competition for the Badgers as they prepare for Big Ten play.
""As far as the games in the past, I thought it was a great experience for Wisconsin basketball,"" UW senior guard Sharif Chambliss said. ""State wide, it gave Wisconsinites a chance to just see basketball from around the state at all different levels.""
