For the last three games, the Badgers’ level of competition has steadily declined. After tough losses to Creighton and North Carolina, they have looked dominant of late, as many expected at the outset of the year.
That level of competition will shoot back up this weekend when the No. 17 Badgers (8-2) head straight east down I-94 to Marquette (7-2), which features a stellar offense and a few remarkable players.
The in-state rivalry is an annual tradition and carries additional meaning for many of the Badger players. But even for out-of-state students like senior forward Nigel Hayes, having the expectation of winning is a burden.
“We’re definitely looked at as the big brother school and the one that’s supposed to win,” Hayes said. “So when we don’t take care of business like we did last year, we definitely hear about it.”
Last season, the Golden Eagles beat UW at the Kohl Center to push the Badgers’ record to 5-4, their worst non-conference has started since 2002. In that matchup, Marquette’s Luke Fischer scored the eventual game-winner with 30 seconds left on a tough layup.
Though the Golden Eagles lost their best player, Henry Ellenson, to the NBA Draft, Fischer returned for his senior season and has looked like one of the better players in the country. At 6-foot-11, he has been an absolute force in the paint, making 76.1 percent of his shots on the season. His effective field-goal percentage ranks No. 7 in the nation.
Fischer is remarkably fast for his size, allowing Marquette to bully opposing defenses in the pick-and-roll. Time and again, he steps out to the three-point line to set a screen and bursts to the hoop.
This is what makes Marquette a top-flight offensive team pic.twitter.com/ZTLiZ25cI5
— Thomas Valtin-Erwin (@TommyValtin) December 9, 2016
Because the Golden Eagles feature so many lights-out sharpshooters, Fischer’s defender is forced to help up on the screen and put a hand in the face of the ball handler. But Fischer’s speed makes it nearly impossible for the big man to recover to the paint, resulting in an easy layup. He should make things difficult for redshirt sophomore Ethan Happ all night.
Marquette also works in several dribble hand-offs at the top of the key and on the wings, which has been a big part of its offensive prowess this year. These often lead to open forwards cutting to the rim or an easy drive to the hoop for a guard.
Where the Golden Eagles are exploitable, however, is on the defensive end of the floor. Their help defense is especially weak and often leads to wide-open shooters sneaking out to the three-point line while their man helps off, making for several easy buckets each game.
Defense like this has been a plague for Marquette all year pic.twitter.com/sp2Pgm2rtV
— Thomas Valtin-Erwin (@TommyValtin) December 9, 2016
Though the Badgers’ offense doesn’t feature many slashing drives to the basket, they have done a good job working the ball into the post. With Happ playing the best post basketball of his life, Marquette will be forced to help down, leaving players like freshman guard D’Mitrik Trice and senior guard Bronson Koenig to knock down open spot-up threes.
While UW should win this game, the Golden Eagles are a dangerous team. Fischer can take over a game at will, and JaJuan Johnson is an astonishingly good on-ball defender. He will be all over the court Saturday picking Badger pockets and making life miserable for UW.
The hotly-contested rivalry tips off from the BMO Harris Bradley Center Saturday, Dec. 10 at 1 p.m.
