2023-24 Wisconsin Basketball season thread

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, RedStickBrew said:

Arizona is a little better defensively than I thought they would be.

Me too. That surprised me. Not much opportunity for ball reversals, or anything. They had a week off, and certainly seemed to have this one circled.

[Jim French Stepstool]

6 minutes ago, yourout said:

Especially when lots of size is allowed to do basically anything he wants without getting a foul call.

I thought we were jobbed on a few calls inside. But I thought the majority of them came after they opened it up.

[homer]

13 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Nope.....twenty-five.😁

Today, at least. With all they do well on both ends, you can't have them nailing all those threes in the 1st half. But if you try to take that away.......I don't know if I've ever seen a team that can get into the lane, then do the late developing lob & dunk, like making the pass from 10-12 feet out, like this group. We let the pace get out of hand & certainly made mistakes on both ends, but I really think it was like 70-75 percent them just having waves of talent & executing.

UW can't get too far behind and expect to catch up. They just aren't built to do that. 

Really hope we avoid them in the tourney. Bad matchup.

[RedStickBrew]

The good from this game is that Blackwell led the team with 17 points and 8 boards I think.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, homer said:

UW can't get too far behind and expect to catch up. They just aren't built to do that. 

Really hope we avoid them in the tourney. Bad matchup.

I hope to avoid them too. But I can't tell you how many times over the years I've heard the "not built to catch up" line. There have been multiple times they've made up double-digit deficits over the last couple decades w/o having to do one thing differently as far as shooting quickly, pressing, etc. I feel that's something talking heads recycle without thinking it through.

Now today, vs this team, playing as well as they were playing? Yeah, they weren't going to get nearly enough stops to catch up.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, RedStickBrew said:

The good from this game is that Blackwell led the team with 17 points and 8 boards I think.

And actually, IMO, this wasn't a great floor game from him. He made some questionable decisions. But the fact that he can do that & still have success speaks volumes. That's a hell of a line vs the #1 team in the land, on the road no less.

It's amazing how this staff identifies guys who are under the radar.

[yourout]

Wonder how much the tough schedule over the last week compared to Arizona's only having one game a week ago vs Colgate effected the game.

[Jim French Stepstool]

6 hours ago, yourout said:

Wonder how much the tough schedule over the last week compared to Arizona's only having one game a week ago vs Colgate effected the game.

Arizona got virtually all the 50-50 balls, which tells me their energy level was really high because we usually do OK in that area. I watched some of their game vs Colgate and it appeared to me their intensity level was at "get the game over with" level. So I agree it had an effect in the sense that they were 25-30 points better, as opposed to 18 or 20. It's a buzzsaw either way, the way they shot the ball.

[yourout]

Jax State can defend a bit.

[yourout]

Max having a poor half.

[yourout]

Where is Essegian?

[yourout]

36 minutes ago, yourout said:

Where is Essegian?

He makes an appearance and immediately gives up a layout and gets the hook.

That was a Bo like sub.

[yourout]

Hope I'm wrong but my spidy sense is saying that might be the last time he wears the Badgers red and white.

[stoutdude04]

4 hours ago, yourout said:

Where is Essegian?

Gard and Wahl both said hes in a funk and working on it. Said he needs to improve his defense.

I'm more concerned about Gus. Havent heard anything since the check in sit down incident.

[Jim French Stepstool]

6 hours ago, yourout said:

He makes an appearance and immediately gives up a layout and gets the hook.

That was a Bo like sub.

From where we were sitting, it was pretty embarrassing. Connor set himself up between his man & the hoop, then didn't turn around & gave up a straightline cut to the rim. No screen to fight through or anything. The defensive end is what's keeping him on the bench, then to come in & give something like that up in a matter of seconds....not good.

I was glad to see him nail the three late. He needed that. But it's the other end of the floor that's going to get him opportunities.

[Jim French Stepstool]

3 hours ago, stoutdude04 said:

Gard and Wahl both said hes in a funk and working on it. Said he needs to improve his defense.

I'm more concerned about Gus. Havent heard anything since the check in sit down incident.

IMO, Gus not playing yet is about him not wanting to burn a year, period. That would be the case whether he plans on staying, or leaving. FWIW he seems very engaged & enthusiastic on the bench. No one knows if he'll be here next season, but I don't believe him sitting out is an indicator one way or another.

[Jim French Stepstool]

8 hours ago, yourout said:

Jax State can defend a bit.

They were overmatched inside, but otherwise yeah. And they made some fairly well-contested twos in the 1st half. They certainly weren't someone that should come in & beat you, but not your typical buy game where you win by 20-30 just by showing up, either. And a nice-looking zone press, although we handled it pretty well.

[stoutdude04]

7 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

IMO, Gus not playing yet is about him not wanting to burn a year, period. That would be the case whether he plans on staying, or leaving. FWIW he seems very engaged & enthusiastic on the bench. No one knows if he'll be here next season, but I don't believe him sitting out is an indicator one way or another.

Good observation.  That's my hope - that he sits and stays, but you just never know with an 18-21 year old kid.

[yourout]

9 fouls in the first 4 minutes.

This game will take forever if this keeps up.

[yourout]

If he keeps this pace Storr will get 30+.

[yourout]

That did not look good for Chucky.

Either a groin or a hammy.

[Jim French Stepstool]

Chi State obviously shot the ball poorly, but other than that they played better than I expected. Their leading scorer was defended pretty well by Klesmit, forced the issue & turned it over 4 times. The rest of their team had only three, which is a much lower total than I would've expected. Also had quite a few 2nd & 3rd shots, which was disappointing. And some decent perimeter pressure that was short-circuited by a LOT of whistles. Klesmits' defense speaks volumes about the decision to keep starting him. If he can matchup with a high scorer & keep him from getting off to a hot start, that's huge.

There's been talk from some fans about Winter & Crowl seeing time together on the floor. That happened briefly tonite, and it was obvious why we seldom see it. Anyone 6-6 to 6-8 with any kind of game outside the post he's going to struggle guarding, at least at this point in his career. 

In his minutes tonight, it was nice to see Essegian continuing to try to make people pay for overplaying him by going backdoor or driving the ball. Unfortunately the defense is still a work in progress.

Great to see the FT shooting trend upward. Especially from Blackwell & Storr, who have the type of game where they should be living at the line.

[Jim French Stepstool]

2 hours ago, yourout said:

That did not look good for Chucky.

Either a groin or a hammy.

Gard said in his presser that Hepburn was walking normally after the game. Sounds like there isn't a whole lot of concern, especially since they don't play for 10 or 11 days. From where he was grabbing on his leg, it certainly did look like the Don Money Special----groin.

[yourout]

4 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Chi State obviously shot the ball poorly, but other than that they played better than I expected. Their leading scorer was defended pretty well by Klesmit, forced the issue & turned it over 4 times. The rest of their team had only three, which is a much lower total than I would've expected. Also had quite a few 2nd & 3rd shots, which was disappointing. And some decent perimeter pressure that was short-circuited by a LOT of whistles. Klesmits' defense speaks volumes about the decision to keep starting him. If he can matchup with a high scorer & keep him from getting off to a hot start, that's huge.

There's been talk from some fans about Winter & Crowl seeing time together on the floor. That happened briefly tonite, and it was obvious why we seldom see it. Anyone 6-6 to 6-8 with any kind of game outside the post he's going to struggle guarding, at least at this point in his career. 

In his minutes tonight, it was nice to see Essegian continuing to try to make people pay for overplaying him by going backdoor or driving the ball. Unfortunately the defense is still a work in progress.

Great to see the FT shooting trend upward. Especially from Blackwell & Storr, who have the type of game where they should be living at the line.

To me it looks like Essegian it's going to have to make a serious effort to reshape his body and improve his quickness.

I think if anything he looks slower this year.

It could be still a hangover from the injury.

[Jim French Stepstool]

16 hours ago, yourout said:

To me it looks like Essegian it's going to have to make a serious effort to reshape his body and improve his quickness.

I think if anything he looks slower this year.

It could be still a hangover from the injury.

Freshmen often need to add strength after their first year. Maybe he did that & it cost him some lateral movement. I agree he certainly doesn't look as quick as last season, not that that was ever a strong suit of his. I think he struggled defensively last year, they did some things to simplify their schemes & give him help b/c they needed him on the floor, and now due to the increased depth he's in more of a "sink or swim" situation & just hasn't gotten up to speed on that end of the floor.

Gard says he's been practicing really well & working hard, so I'm still hopeful.

From 2nd & 3rd hand stuff I've heard, the back is no longer an issue.