2023-24 Wisconsin Basketball season thread

[Oxy]

15 hours ago, Playing Catch said:

Yes, but boy... 2-seeds are essentially 1-seeds in terms of the path to the final four.

I've tried to figure this out for 25 years...Every seed is about the same as the one on either side of it. I used to hate the 5 seed and the 8/9 seeds relative to those around them, but after making 21/23 tourneys or whatever it has been it's gotten to the point where it just doesn't matter.

Get in and get hot, just like the MLB playoffs🙂

[yourout]

Ugly start. 5 possessions 3 turnovers and a blocked shot.

[Jim French Stepstool]

Might want to see Klesmit on McDaniel in the 2nd half if McDaniel continues to get all he wants. He showed nice activity on the offensive end, but today they could use shutdown-on-D, no-points Hepburn.

So frustrating to see the 1st half turnovers, again. Post ups seemed none too promising so far (Crowl, ugh). Drive the ball, live at the FT line. OK, AJ? Overall, a mostly crappy 1st half vs a team that seems to be a better 1st half team. So, hopefully they correct things & take control. 

Ilver entering ahead of Gilmore was interesting.

[Oxy]

This should be a W going away.  I don't think it will be.  Storr should go to the hole every single time, but it's boring and Gard benches him instead.

[Oxy]

It's all about the D.  We can get anything we want on the other end from anybody...Chucky, MKUltra, Storr can get to the hoop whenever they want...Wahl and Crowl can operate...open 3s could be had if we drive and kick and move the ball...

[Oxy]

Yet, still losing.

[adambr2]

Well it was fun a week ago thinking we were really good.

[yourout]

I think Gard does a good job in the off-season and early season getting the team to play close to their ceiling but as the season goes on most of the other teams have a higher ceiling athletically and make bigger gains as the season goes on.

[Jim French Stepstool]

25 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

Well it was fun a week ago thinking we were really good.

We are, when we give ourselves more of a chance. Some of the shot choices in the 2nd half, a defense that's intermittent, no consistency on the defensive boards. On the road, that's all it takes to open the door for a team that's had little success closing out games. Had a chance to take command with the 4 point lead & proceeded to give up the next 8 or 10 points or whatever it was. Michigan played better overall on both ends than they have in a long time. But that's nothing to complain about when you draw a boatload of fouls in the 1st half, score 40 points in the paint, and still find wisdom in shooting 19 three pointers. We asked for it.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, Oxy said:

It's all about the D.  We can get anything we want on the other end from anybody...Chucky, MKUltra, Storr can get to the hoop whenever they want...Wahl and Crowl can operate...open 3s could be had if we drive and kick and move the ball...

That was Gards' biggest complaint in postgame, not stopping the ball defensively, followed closely by too many turnovers. I would add Michigan made some clutch shots they usually don't make. Outrebounded by 11, allowing 25 FT attempts. Those things can't happen.

Still, this crap happens to a lot of teams for a week or two. The most important thing is how they respond to it. Need to defend much better Saturday, unless they think they're going to go into Piscataway & light up the scoreboard. That seldom happens.

[yourout]

5 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

That was Gards' biggest complaint in postgame, not stopping the ball defensively, followed closely by too many turnovers. I would add Michigan made some clutch shots they usually don't make. Outrebounded by 11, allowing 25 FT attempts. Those things can't happen.

Still, this crap happens to a lot of teams for a week or two. The most important thing is how they respond to it. Need to defend much better Saturday, unless they think they're going to go into Piscataway & light up the scoreboard. That seldom happens.

Winning at Rutgers is not an easy thing to do. I'm guessing Bucky might even be a dog in this one.

[Jim French Stepstool]

2 minutes ago, yourout said:

Winning at Rutgers is not an easy thing to do. I'm guessing Bucky might even be a dog in this one.

No, it seldom is. That's why you need to bring intensity on the defensive end, and put an end to the early-game turnover fest. Fall behind by 8 or 9 there, you feel like you're having to scale Everest.

[RedStickBrew]

32 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

No, it seldom is. That's why you need to bring intensity on the defensive end, and put an end to the early-game turnover fest. Fall behind by 8 or 9 there, you feel like you're having to scale Everest.

The lack of intensity on D is one thing I noted too. They just looked flat, help was slow, etc. There was some good individual effort at times but it was not sustained throughout the game

[Jim French Stepstool]

23 hours ago, Oxy said:

I've tried to figure this out for 25 years...Every seed is about the same as the one on either side of it. I used to hate the 5 seed and the 8/9 seeds relative to those around them, but after making 21/23 tourneys or whatever it has been it's gotten to the point where it just doesn't matter.

Get in and get hot, just like the MLB playoffs🙂

I've felt the higher the seed, the better chance you have of maybe getting a little easier game in the 2nd round due to an upset. IOW, if you're a 3 or 4, you may benefit from a 12-5 or 11-6 upset. But truly, as the years have gone by it's more about matchups than seed #s anyway. Like you said, getting hot at the right time is most vital.

[yourout]

10 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

We are, when we give ourselves more of a chance. Some of the shot choices in the 2nd half, a defense that's intermittent, no consistency on the defensive boards. On the road, that's all it takes to open the door for a team that's had little success closing out games. Had a chance to take command with the 4 point lead & proceeded to give up the next 8 or 10 points or whatever it was. Michigan played better overall on both ends than they have in a long time. But that's nothing to complain about when you draw a boatload of fouls in the 1st half, score 40 points in the paint, and still find wisdom in shooting 19 three pointers. We asked for it.

Staying ahead of Purdue was always going to be a tall ask. Illinois is really the only team with an outside chance of catching them.

We're still a decent team but I think we hit our ceiling and hanging on to fourth place or better is still going to be a challenge.

Rutgers will be an interesting challenge to see if they can stop the bleeding. That place has always been difficult for Bucky.

[Jim French Stepstool]

4 hours ago, yourout said:

Staying ahead of Purdue was always going to be a tall ask. Illinois is really the only team with an outside chance of catching them.

We're still a decent team but I think we hit our ceiling and hanging on to fourth place or better is still going to be a challenge.

Rutgers will be an interesting challenge to see if they can stop the bleeding. That place has always been difficult for Bucky.

Definitely. Rutgers is always a challenging place to visit. But honestly, I don't care who the opponent is right now. It's more important we get back to doing the things necessary to be more competitive. Do that & the wins take care of themselves. But yeah, PU was always viewed as the safest bet to win it, even when we were a sliver ahead of them.

This might sound strange after yesterday, but I don't see one team we can't beat in the next eight games. Not one*. But we need to see the return of the team that went away about 5 minutes into the second half in Lincoln & hasn't returned. During the Brewers' season I liked using the phrase that it's not so much who you're playing, but how. That doesn't translate quite as well to college BB but still fits. Right now the on again, off again defense & defensive boards concern me, maybe more than the 3pt slump.

Crowl has been poor. He's being played aggressively & needs to respond. It would help if Blackwell & Winter haven't hit a "freshman wall" (keeping fingers crossed on that one). And I think they miss McGee a little more than many think.

* Brain cramp. No, I don't think they'll win in West Lafayette.

[Samurai Bucky]

52 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Crowl has been poor. He's being played aggressively & needs to respond. It would help if Blackwell & Winter haven't hit a "freshman wall" (keeping fingers crossed on that one). And I think they miss McGee a little more than many think.

It started against Nebraska.  They doubled on (or near) the post and Crowl didn't have a clue it seemed.  Last night was no different.  I think he was 1-2 from the field.  The ball needs to not only hit the post with him, but get in on the block.  Otherwise, he has no other moves.

Klesmit has disappeared, too.  I'm not sure if Storr is trying to do too much and everybody else is scared to do anything.  Chuckie was more aggressive, but one can't simply flip the switch to be a scorer when that hasn't been your role all year.

[Jim French Stepstool]

4 hours ago, Samurai Bucky said:

It started against Nebraska.  They doubled on (or near) the post and Crowl didn't have a clue it seemed.  Last night was no different.  I think he was 1-2 from the field.  The ball needs to not only hit the post with him, but get in on the block.  Otherwise, he has no other moves.

Klesmit has disappeared, too.  I'm not sure if Storr is trying to do too much and everybody else is scared to do anything.  Chuckie was more aggressive, but one can't simply flip the switch to be a scorer when that hasn't been your role all year.

Crowl is a very good passer out of the post. Trouble is, that passing ability is stunted when he's not scoring down low. So, it hurts us in two ways when he isn't getting something done. Like you said, even the shot attempts are rare. Needs to figure out a way to keep folks honest. I've always liked a kickout after a feed into a double-team, followed by an immediate re-feed.

There's probably a little bit of "standing around" after Storr gets the ball. Not good, but kinda understandable given the shot volume. If Klesmit & Hepburn get back to guarding better I think the 17-18ppg they've been giving us is sufficient. But they have to get back the defensive mindset. If that takes more out of them so be it, then the bench has to provide minutes. Even if it means a few from Lindsay. Again, this is where McGee is missed. Some of the best perimeter defense I've seen this season was when he played alongside Hepburn for a stretch.

[wallus]

Connor Essegian sucks and I don't care if he transfers after the season. 

[AKCheesehead]

It'd really be something if they could somehow manage to regroup and pull this off in the 2nd half. 

[nate82]

That was an ugly beat down.

[yourout]

Not exactly a surprise.

The ceiling for this group is getting to the second weekend and that's going to take a minor miracle in itself.

[Jim French Stepstool]

Well, at least we can stop talking about Providence being their worst game of the season.

Greg Gard said in pregame they tweaked a couple things on the defensive end. If by "tweaking" he meant we're going to back off & give their guards 10-12 ft jumpers & floaters in the lane, I'm on it. It was the perfect storm for a game in that building-come out turning the ball over, let them grab early momentum & make some shots, and when you DO get a miss, for Gods' sake whatever you do don't corrall the rebound.

I'm not looking to make an excuse--we were terrible in just about every way--but when it rains it pours. We've all seen it. When a team isn't playing well, the breaks don't go your way either. This was an offensively-challenged opponent, that made 10-17 from deep. The kid who made 5-5 was shooting 29% on the year from three. But all that did was make what would've been an 11-12 point loss, 22. Our worst game of the year, and I suspect their best.

Crowl maybe looks a little better today. But then he runs into a 13 rebound, 8 block game from Omoruyi, who's been running hot & cold all year. Of course.

We can't do anything to slow down Williams & Blackwell isn't available, so Klesmit picks up 2 early fouls. Of course.

At times, Winter looked OK. He had one nice wall-up, forced the miss, blocked out & got the rebound. Showed some intermittent toughness. That's about all I got for positives. Was hoping to throw confetti over Chris Hodges making a free throw or two late. But, of course........

 

[Jim French Stepstool]

2 hours ago, wallus said:

Connor Essegian sucks and I don't care if he transfers after the season. 

On the offensive end I thought he was OK today, in that he didn't always settle for the jump shot, tried to probe. Should've had a nice assist on a drive-and-dish but someone---I don't remember who---couldn't finish. He'll never be a great ballhandler, but it seems like he's starting to show a little 'completeness' to his game. You'd always like to see him make more shots because that's what he brings.

Defensively, It seems to me he's getting a little better. But in Rutgers' last possession of the half, he was subbed out for Isaac Lindsay. That tells you something.

[Samurai Bucky]

I'll be honest -- I had tried to finish up what I was doing so I could watch.  I'm glad I didn't hurry.

I can't say anything much about the play, but it looks like it was a "die by the 3" game.  5/21 from beyond the arc.  33% from the field (29% in the second half), 12 turnovers and only 28 points in the paint.  Heck, even only 59% from the line.  I'm not sure what is going on, but I wonder if there is something in the locker room.  This is quite an abrupt turnaround going from playing good basketball and playing great once in a while and now playing like dog crap.

I guess a positive is Crowl getting 13 boards.  He also put up more than 2 shot attempts.