The Wisconsin men’s basketball team (6-3 overall) will play what is perhaps its most important non-conference game of the season when it travels to the Bradley Center Saturday to face in-state rival Marquette (5-2).
Although Wisconsin will approach the game the same way it would any other, assistant coach Lamont Paris said the Badgers know the annual battle with the Golden Eagles will come with more hype than a typical non-conference match-up.
“The fans aren’t going to act like it’s just another game,” Paris said. “Everyone surrounding the game is going to make it a bigger deal than what it is, and because of that, the atmosphere is going to be a little different.”
The assistant coach noted former guard Jordan Taylor’s ability to “calm the seas” when things stalled or got out of control for the Badgers.
“It seems like 1,000 games that [Taylor] played in,” Paris said. “We have a little bit less of that this season.”
Compared to Taylor’s 136 career games, Wisconsin’s current backcourt came into this season with just over half as many combined appearances. Partly because of that inexperience, the coaching staff has emphasized the importance of simply getting better each day.
“It’s something we are not just giving lip service to,” Paris said. “We’ve made a concerted effort to just try to improve every single game.”
Freshman forward Sam Dekker will get his first action in the in-state rivalry Saturday. Despite his youth, the Sheboygan native is plenty familiar with the two programs.
“If you grew up in Wisconsin, you know about the rivalry,” Dekker said. “That’s something you look forward to coming here because no matter where it’s played, it’s gonna draw a big crowd.”
Beyond their raucous crowd, the Golden Eagles are known for their hectic, up-tempo style of play.
“They’re going to pressure us and they’re going to make it difficult for our wing entries,” Paris said. “They’re going to make it as tough as they can with their athleticism.”
Sophomore forward Frank Kaminsky said Marquette does an especially good job of capitalizing on its opponents’ mistakes.
The Lisle, Ill., native played an efficient 14 minutes Tuesday (4-of-6 shooting, 11 points) after playing fewer than 10 minutes in each of Wisconsin’s previous four games.
“I just gotta go out there and produce, give Jared a break here and there,” Kaminsky said. “It’s probably the biggest game in Wisconsin this year. Going in there and winning on their home court would be a great win for this program.”
The two teams have split the last six meetings, with the road team winning four times. Marquette topped the Badgers 61-54 last season at the Kohl Center.
