Four wins in a row have the Wisconsin men’s basketball team (13-9 Overall, 5-4 Big Ten) riding a high.The recent streak has pushed expectations further for the team and shown a higher standard of play. A standard that can now be used as a baseline for players who were previously getting used to their roles. Redshirt freshman Ethan Happ’s emergence as a constant means of production has allowed the team to focus less on forcing junior Nigel Hayes into uncomfortable isolation situations. It has also kept junior Bronson Koenig from having to force shots from beyond the arc as the shot clock winds down and redshirt junior Zak Showalter has been able to play as he was meant to — as a defensive specialist. The rest of the team also seems to be falling into place. The only spot left uncertain is the center position, which junior Vitto Brown occupied for much of the season. But head coach Greg Gard showed in the Badgers’ Illinois game that he isn’t afraid to go smaller by inserting redshirt junior Jordan Hill into the final spot in the starting lineup. The Illinois game proved Gard’s team can win in a variety of ways, and with the postseason approaching, the team needs to keep stating its case for an NCAA Tournament bid with less and less room for error. Assessing Illinois The Badgers’ trip to Champaign proved fruitful, as they returned to Madison the victors of a 63-55 contest. Gard’s smaller lineup was able to keep an athletic Fighting Illini team in check. Illinois’ star Malcolm Hill scored 22 points and secured three rebounds, but Wisconsin’s defense forced three turnovers out of the guard and kept him in check on a night where he had the potential to run the Badgers off the court. Wisconsin relied on Hayes’ 17 points, two assists and steal to counteract Hill’s efforts, while Koenig assisted by providing 11 points of his own…
Continue Reading: Men’s basketball: Thursday game against Ohio State crucial to Badgers’ NCAA Tournament hopes
