ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Having gotten over the sting of Saturday’s loss to top-seeded Michigan State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team is now set to begin the second season that is the NCAA Tournament.
The Badgers (24-9) were awarded the No. 4 seed in the East Region and will open tournament play against No. 13 seed Montana Thursday afternoon in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Grizzlies (25-6) are fresh off a Big Sky Tournament championship and have now won 20 of their last 21 games dating back to Dec. 17. Similar to Belmont last season, Montana is quickly becoming the trendy upset pick in this year’s tournament.
“[Montana head coach] Wayne [Tinkle] does a great job with getting his guys to understand what he sees, what his vision is about basketball,” Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. “Who is playing better than Montana right now?”
Another storyline heading into Thursday involves one of Montana’s top assistant coaches, former Badger standout Freddie Owens. Owens, who is best known for his game-winning shot against Tulsa in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, was interviewed for the assistant coaching job vacated by former Wisconsin assistant Howard Moore, which was eventually filled by current assistant Lamont Paris.
“I know there’s a lot more pressure on him than me going into this game because he’s supposed to know it all,” Tinkle said Wednesday. “It does help. He’s very familiar with their style of play and then what I think is just as important, is maybe the tendencies of Coach Ryan and the adjustments that he makes.”
One of the questions on the Wisconsin end of things will be the composition of the starting lineup. While Ryan has stuck with the same starting five in all 33 games thus far, the recent struggles of junior forward Mike Bruesewitz and the subsequent surge in production from senior guard Rob Wilson have many clamoring for a change.
Bruesewitz, whether starting or not, will have to be a big factor for the Badgers to advance deep in the tournament. The St. Paul, Minn. native was a key contributor during last year’s Sweet 16 run, averaging 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game during the Badgers’ two tournament victories.
Last year it was an injury that had Bruesewitz reeling on the eve of tournament play, but this year it is cold shooting. Either way, the Badgers know that things can turn around pretty quickly.
Montana junior guard Will Cherry has been the driver of the Grizzlies’ dominance throughout Big Sky play. The West Oakland, Calif. native leads Montana with 16.0 points per game and is second on the team with 3.39 assists per game. In conference play, Cherry has upped his play, averaging 17.2 points per game as the Grizzlies took home the regular season title with a 15-1 record.
“I know he won Defensive Player of the Year in his conference, so that obviously speaks volumes to what he can do on the defensive end,” UW senior guard Jordan Taylor said. “They’re a talented team and deserve to be in the tournament.”
Just as Cherry is the engine that has driven Montana to Albuquerque, it is Taylor who has maneuvered Wisconsin into a top-four seed for the third straight season.
“Both guys can do things for their teams,” Ryan said. “Both guys are used to winning.”
Taylor has had his struggles at times this season, shooting under 40 percent overall and just over 35 percent from beyond the three-point arc, but the first-team All-Big Ten selection leads Wisconsin with 14.7 points and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.49.
“He doesn’t always have to do it by shooting the ball and scoring himself,” UW junior forward Jared Berggren said. “He can create plays and create opportunities for others.”
Taylor struggled last weekend in Indianapolis, and had it not been for Wilson’s stunning 30-point effort Friday against Indiana, the Badgers may very well have been one-and-done in the Big Ten Tournament for the fourth straight season. As the Badgers begin their quest for a national title, Taylor will have to lead the charge.
“I think numbers are one thing, but leadership and quality and what he brings in every other phase of the game might be down in certain statistics,” Ryan said. “But it certainly isn’t down in what he’s done to help make us a pretty good team.”
You cannot help but sense that the Badgers feel a bit of good karma having been placed in Albuquerque for the first time since 2000—the year that Wisconsin last made a Final Four run. But while these odd coincidences are fodder for the writing crowd, coach Ryan and crew realize that the Badgers’ history in New Mexico has no bearing on their chances this time around.
“This is our guys’ time,” Ryan said. “This is their moment and it’s pretty important to them.”
