THE SETUP

In the first ever meeting between the wisconsin badgers and the Virginia Tech Hokies, Tech will look for a big out of conference win and NCAA Tournament resume builder against the defending Big (11) Ten champs. The game is part of the 10th Annual ACC/Big (11) Ten Challenge, which really hasn’t been much of a challenge considering the ACC has won each of the previous nine challenges. This is the first game of the challenge, and the only game on Monday, so this will give VT a chance to show they can compete with one of the top programs in the nation.

I hate to call any game a “must-win” in terms of making the NCAA Tournament, especially on December 1st, but a win here would be huge for the Hokies’ chances. This is the best team VT will play out of conference all season, other than maybe xavier, so this is Tech’s final chance to put a big feather in their cap before ACC conference play begins. No more excuses, its time to take care of business and get a big ‘W’, and playing at the Cassell in front of the Orange Effect will help.

THE OPPONENT

wisconsin has made the Big Dance each of the last 10 seasons, including a Final Four appearance in 2000 and an Elite Eight trip in 2005. Last season, wisconsin won the Big (11) Ten Tournament and then made it to the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to davidson and you-know-who. They are, without a doubt, one of the top basketball programs in the country and least respected programs.

The badgers are led by Bo Ryan, who has four Big (11) Ten titles to his credit in his seven seasons at the helm. Bo, much like Seth Greenberg, stresses defense first. His teams are never going to light you up from the floor and score a lot of points. Rather, they will grind it out and work for good shots, then squeeze you to death on the defensive end like a python.

wisconsin is led by #3 Trevon Hughes (14.2 ppg) and #1 Marcus Landry (12.5 ppg). Both players are veterans who know the wisconsin system well. Hughes is a junior guard while Landry is a wily forward at 6′7″ and 230 lbs. Landry does not bang inside a lot, averaging just 4.7 rpg.

#12 Jason Bohannon is the other member of the badger backcourt, averaging 9.5 ppg. Jason is also a junior, giving wisconsin a lot of experience on the perimeter. Both average more assists than turnovers per game, although neither averages more than two assists per game. In other words, they do a great job of protecting the ball.

Behind Bohannon and Hughes, the badgers are weak and inexperienced at the guard position. #11 Jordan Taylor, a freshman, is the only other guard that sees significant minutes, averaging just 1.0 ppg in 14.8 minutes. They do play a lot of big wing players though, and can present difficulties there.

One of the toughest match-ups for the Hokies will be #45 Joe Krabbenhoft. Joe is a 6′7″ wing player that also rebounds really well (6.8 ppg/6.5 rpg/3.0 apg). He leads the team in assists and rebounds. Tech will have to keep a body on him.

On offense, wisconsin likes to spread you out in the half court set, lull you to sleep, and then penetrate and dish, or kick it out for a three. They average just 67.3 ppg (VT averages 68.7), but they only give up 58.0 ppg and have held two opponents under 50. #2 uconn, who gave the badgers their only loss in the finals of the Paradise Jam Tournament in the Virgin Islands*, scored a season low 76 points. uconn did win the game 76-57, pulling away in the final 10 minutes of what had been a close game.

KEYS TO THE GAME

• Use Your Athleticism: wisconsin plays great team defense but they are not very quick on an individual level. If VT can get isolations, they have the superior athleticism. The problem is almost no one other than Delaney and Thorns are good ballhandlers. Even Hudson and Bell are not strong off the dribble. Delaney and Thorns both must attack the defense and look to kick the ball. Tech may want to spread things out in the half court. Also, the Hokies must find ways to get out and run. wisconsin wants to turn this into a half court, slow-paced game.
• Protect the Glass: Much like the wisconsin offensive line in football is always big, the badger low post players are always tall. They feature five players, of the eight that play key minutes, that are over 6′6″, including #30 Jon Leuer who is 6′10″. The badgers are +5.6 on the boards on the season (VT is +4.1), so whomever does a better job on the glass will have a big advantage in this game. Tech cannot let the wisconsin get second chances and continue to milk the clock. Misses by the badgers need to turn into outlet passes and transition points for Tech.
• Patience: The slow tempo the badgers love to employ can frustrate teams and cause them to force things. While the Hokies do need to look to run, they must choose their spots wisely. After running the clock for close to 35 seconds on offense, the badgers like nothing more than a quick turnover or bad shot and a chance to milk another half minute.
• Avoid Foul Trouble: wisconsin earns their money inside. As a result, they get to the foul line a lot, over 20 times per game. Tech cannot afford to get into foul trouble like they did against elon, especially inside. wisconsin does not go very deep on their bench, but that doesn’t matter since they play a slow tempo. Foul trouble in their backcourt would hurt wisconsin tremendously.
• Intensity: Bo Ryan teams ALWAYS play great defense. Tech must match wisconsin’s intensity and make things hard on the badgers. The Hokies must put every ounce of effort they can into their play on the defensive end.
• March Atmosphere: Everyone in orange and maroon (mostly orange if you dress correctly tomorrow) needs to bring their ‘A’ game. This is not just another game, this is a huge game if VT wants to avoid the NIT this year and make it back to the NCAA Tournament. Considering this is Tech’s last big out of conference game, the players also need to have a little urgency in this game and understand it means more than the mount st. mary’s of the world. Tech needs this game… let’s play like it and cheer like it. Rock the Cassell!

BORING FACTS ABOUT wisconsin

• The university of wisconsin system has more than 173,000 students in it each year over 13 campuses.
• wisconsin-madison has over 40,000 students, including ~29,000 undergrads.
• Madison is the capital of Wisconsin.
• uw won the 1941 basketball championship.
• wisconsin’s biggest rival is minnesota (duh - badgers hate gophers, especially golden ones).
• Bucky the badger is the official mascot. He originally was a live badger, but that idea quickly proved to be a bad one. The nickname comes from the state nickname. The nickname refers to miners back in the 1800s that often lived underground in the mines they worked in.
• wisconsin was rated the #1 party school by Playboy in 2006 and has often been rated #1 in beer consumption (hence those robust physiques on their ladies… [behemoth!]).
• 17 Nobel Prizes and 24 Pulitzer Prizes have been awarded to uw alumni or faculty.
• Satirical newspaper The Onion was started by two uw students.
• Famous Students: Steve Miller (finished 6 credits short), Frank Lloyd Wright (also didn’t graduate), the Zucker brothers, Joan Cusack, Dick Cheney (grad student), and Greta Van Susteran.

*Chuck Norris once took a trip to the Virgin Islands. After he left, they were just known as the Islands.