Men’s Basketball
The men’s basketball team got a couple of much-needed wins last week, ending a three-game skid with victories against Michigan State and, later, Penn State. Head coach Greg Gard spoke on his team’s mixed play versus the Nittany Lions, praising the team’s 35 free throw attempts while also recognizing its occasional lack of discipline in terms of fouling and switching on defense.
Gard attributed these types of mistakes to the team’s inexperience—there are seven active freshmen on the squad—and said he expects freshmen Khalil Iverson and Charlie Thomas to improve with more playing time.
Wisconsin lost at Indiana by one point Jan. 5, and this time around it will undoubtedly again be a difficult contest. The Hoosiers are unbeaten since their matchup with the Badgers, with emphatic blowout victories against Ohio State, Illinois and Northwestern.
Gard praised Indiana point guard Yogi Ferrell, calling him their “engine," and expects his team to face a more confident outfit than the one it played a few weeks ago. The former assistant called on his players to continue to improve their paint play and awareness, singling out junior forward Nigel Hayes and redshirt junior guard Zak Showalter for their progress, and appears to have confidence in his team heading into Tuesday.
“I've talked to the team about it over the last few days,” Gard said. “I think you're better; I think you've improved. Now it's another opportunity for us to show it.”
Aside from his team, Gard also spoke about his confidence in himself, calling his transition from assistant to head coach “natural and normal.” He attributed this easy transition to having accomplished mentors such as Bo Ryan, and joked that he should’ve been coaching “a long time ago.”
Women’s Basketball
The Badger women’s basketball team has dropped its last four contests, but head coach Bobbie Kelsey remained positive in a Monday press conference, crediting her team’s perseverance during Saturday’s loss against Minnesota.
“I'm proud of the fight. Badgers, we always fight to the end; we don't [ever] give up, I think we were down in 23 in that game, and came back and got it to within seven and ended it at four,” Kelsey said.
Kelsey credited the small, shooter-heavy lineup used in the last quarter versus Minnesota with getting the team back in the game, as senior guard Nicole Bauman went 7-of-8 from 3-point range, and capable ball handlers, senior guards Tessa Cichy and Dakota Whyte, also shared the court with her. Due to the way this “small ball” lineup can confuse zone defenses and draw post players out to the perimeter, Kelsey said it could certainly be used, at least in spurts, in the future.
That time, however may not be this Wednesday against Nebraska, as the Badgers will face freshman standout Jessica Shepard. The 6-foot-4 forward is averaging over 20 points and nine rebounds per contest, and Kelsey praised her astonishing guard-like skills for a player of her size. Kelsey spoke about her plans to “make her run” on defense, and also use a double team against her when she has the ball in her hands.
Kelsey also praised the work ethic of Bauman, who is averaging over 16 points per contest this season, and urged her teammates to put in the same type of work.
“We can't threaten, negotiate, barter with you; you gotta want to do it. You gotta be passionate about it,” Kelsey said.
Bauman is playing her last season for the Badgers, and will certainly be a tough act to follow.
Women’s Hockey
While the women’s basketball team has struggled this season, their counterparts on the hockey rink have been among the best in the country. Wisconsin has lost just once all season, and is currently riding a seven-game unbeaten streak that has propelled them to the second spot in the women’s hockey national polls.
Head coach Mark Johnson praised his team’s performance over the weekend, giving his players credit for their hard-fought and physical consecutive victories over North Dakota.
Johnson was asked specifically about the play of junior forward Sarah Nurse this season. The attacker has 18 goals and nine assists in the current campaign, and earned the plaudits of her coach on Monday.
“The one thing she is able to do and she is very consistent at is create scoring opportunities,” Johnson said. “Some nights she is able to put a couple past the goaltender, other nights those opportunities might turn into a second opportunity by someone else coming in and collecting a rebound, but she is an electrifying player.”
Despite the Badgers’ success this season, Johnson seems to be taking the weekend’s games versus St. Cloud State very seriously, recognizing their improvement from last season.
“Yeah, they're playing up better, second year with their coaching staff, and they seem to be connecting, you know, on power plays and be playing more confident and more comfortable, and certainly it will be a big test,” Johnson said.
Finally, Johnson ended the press conference by defending the rules against checking in women’s hockey, claiming the game is already physical, and a switch to allow checking would move the women’s game away from the technical skill it now requires.
Men's Hockey
After a brutal 2-9 loss against Minnesota last Saturday, the men’s hockey team will be looking to bounce back in games versus Alaska this Friday and Saturday. This has not been a kind year to the Badgers, as they’ve taken just one victory, a 1-0 exhibition win against Trinity Western, in seven January games.
Head coach Mike Eaves knows his team is struggling for confidence at the moment, including goaltender Matt Jurusik, who conceded eight goals against Minnesota. Eaves knows Jurusik is capable of much better and talked about helping him regain that form during this week’s practices.
“He's fighting it right now, and we all know that confidence is such a big piece, so he needs to go out and work on some fundamentals, and he needs to feel the puck and know that he can stop it as he has done all year for us,” Eaves said.
Going to back to fundamentals in practice seems to be a main focus for Eaves, as he spoke about making sure the “building blocks” are in place, and working on basic, yet significant, elements of the game such as one-on-one situations.
Eaves later voiced his displeasure with the Big Ten’s decision to suspend senior defenseman Eddie Wittchow for three games, and announced that the school planned to look into filing an appeal.
Lastly, Eaves also mentioned freshman forward Luke Kunin’s injury has improved, and he is hopeful to have him back on the ice this weekend.
“Things have gotten a wee bit better for him, and we anticipate him going on to the ice today to see how it feels,” Eaves said.
Kunin has nine goals and nine assists on the season, and his presence would certainly give the Badgers a boost this weekend.
