Importance of beating Wisconsin

[Galway Eagle]

Is that the game where Shaka pretty much added help defense on a player?

[Carl]

Creighton fans are sneaky mean. I grew up in Omaha with seats right behind the opposing teams bench in the Civic Center in the MVC days. A group of 40-something's the row behind us would pick a single guy on the opposing team- could be the star player, could be a random 7th man, could be an assistant coach going through a divorce- and research every detail of their life and then harass them all game. As a kid it was kind of funny. But all this to say, I don't give one single thought to what creighton fans think of Shaka

[MUDPT]

Is that the game where Shaka pretty much added help defense on a player?

This was at Creighton February 2023. The "help defense" game was December 2023 in Milwaukee.

[lostpassword]

I gave the original question some thought with this framing...

1. Limit to the regular season (nothing BET or NCAA)
2. Before we play a single game, where would I rank the WI game in terms of which game I most want MU to win

Top 1 - Rarely lands #1 (and not of late). Probably would have been here a few times with Wojo
Top 3 - Lands here consistently.
Top 5 - This is the floor.  I'd be hard pressed to pick 5 games I'd rather win than vs. WI.

This year I'd have it in the #3 range. After UCONN (@ home) and somewhere amidst Iowa State / Purdue / Creighton (home).  Those three I was expecting all be Top 15 teams before the season and WI I was expecting much lower.

Bottom line: Always near the top (top 10-20%) but generally not AT the top.

[NCMUFan]

If you don't care if you are number 2 in your own state, it doesn't mean much.
Some other poster said, it really is about not letting the other school say they are better. 
Duke vs UNC.
Louisville vs Kentucky.
Of course not as important if you don't live there or gone to those school.

[pbiflyer]

I was at last year's ND game. That start was awesome. I can't imagine how I would have felt if we lost. Oh yeah, my first MU-ND game? 80-81 season.
Sad when we lose to Bucky, but no where near as sad when we lose to ND.

[Shaka Shart]

I think it's great that my phone autocorrects Gard to Hard because it's like referring to both Bo and Greg in the same one word.

[cheebs09]

The importance of beating them this year might be avoiding a bad loss.

[MuggsyB]

The importance of beating them this year might be avoiding a bad loss.

[CountryRoads]

The importance of beating them this year might be avoiding a bad loss.

They might need to win a game soon. Don't want them getting any ideas that radical change is necessary. Bennett would immediately make them contenders and tie us in a pretzel for the next decade.

[Uncle Rico]

They might need to win a game soon. Don't want them getting any ideas that radical change is necessary. Bennett would immediately make them contenders and tie us in a pretzel for the next decade.

🙄

[tower912]

Why do you think Bennett wants to come back?  He didn't get fired from UVA.  He walked away be cause he was burned out and doesn't like NIL and the portal.   How does a potential opening at Wisconsin alter any of that? 

[wisblue]

Why do you think Bennett wants to come back?  He didn't get fired from UVA.  He walked away be cause he was burned out and doesn't like NIL and the portal.   How does a potential opening at Wisconsin alter any of that? 

A lot of coaches take some time away and then miss it and come back. Urban Meyer to OSU is one example.

[The Sultan]

You don't have to look any further than his dad to see that sometimes a coach just needs a break. However it feels like this is one of those cases where it was more the stuff coaches have to deal with these days is what chased him away from the game more than simply burnout. He also has a lot more money than his dad did.

Regardless, I doubt Gard is let go at UW. I doubt Bennett would go there. And if he did, I doubt it has much impact on Shaka and Marquette.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Guys, Wisconsin is still on track to be a tournament team. But their reality is more like an 8/9 seed, not the 4/5 seed type they appeared to be earlier.

They are 36th in predictive metrics average and tied for 28th in resumé metrics average. If the season ended today, they're comfortably in. Get to 10-10 in B1G, or 9-11 plus a win against Butler, and they're in at the end of the season.

Given how much of a mess their football team is, Gard might be relatively safe. At least Gard will keep basketball out of the cellar.

[brewcity77]

I think as long as they're a tourney team, Gard is safe, though it's an interesting thought exercise to wonder who they might go after. I do think Bennett is off the table. The biggest question is if they try to keep their style of winning with a less aesthetic appeal or trying to change it up and play a more up-tempo, pro style game that would likely get fans more energized. Ryan obviously hamstrung them when he left and forced them into Gard. I'm curious what they'd do without those timing restrictions.

[wadesworld]

Guys, Wisconsin is still on track to be a tournament team. But their reality is more like an 8/9 seed, not the 4/5 seed type they appeared to be earlier.

They are 36th in predictive metrics average and tied for 28th in resumé metrics average. If the season ended today, they're comfortably in. Get to 10-10 in B1G, or 9-11 plus a win against Butler, and they're in at the end of the season.

Given how much of a mess their football team is, Gard might be relatively safe. At least Gard will keep basketball out of the cellar.

Sure, if the season ended today they'd be in.  But getting to 9 wins in the B1G won't be easy for them.  Of their remaining schedule I see:

• Should be wins over Buter, Detroit Mercy, Iowa, Minnesota, Washington, at Minnesota
• Toss ups against Ohio State, at USC, Nebraska, at Northwestern, Indiana, Illinois, Penn State
• Losses at Rutgers, at UCLA, at Maryland, at Purdue, Oregon, at Michigan State

They already have 2 losses in the B1G.  So you have to get 5 out of 7 against Ohio State, at USC, Nebraska, at Northwestern, Indiana, Illinois, Penn State just to get to 9-11.  They'll be less talented than at least 4 of those teams.

[mileskishnish72]

Even Pitino 2.0 doesn't seem as easy to dislike in the twilight of his career (but I'm reserving judgment there). 

If your job was cleaning the tablecloths at Porcini's you'd have a different outlook.

[PointWarrior]

Interesting - the Badger article mentions a loss to Michigan last week but does not mention the loss to Marquette that was more current than the Michigan loss.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2024/12/10/wisconsin-badgers-vs-illinois-basketball-score-starting-lineups-updates/76841111007/

[tower912]

Conference losses.

[MU82]

Sure, if the season ended today they'd be in.  But getting to 9 wins in the B1G won't be easy for them.  Of their remaining schedule I see:

• Should be wins over Buter, Detroit Mercy, Iowa, Minnesota, Washington, at Minnesota
• Toss ups against Ohio State, at USC, Nebraska, at Northwestern, Indiana, Illinois, Penn State
• Losses at Rutgers, at UCLA, at Maryland, at Purdue, Oregon, at Michigan State

They already have 2 losses in the B1G.  So you have to get 5 out of 7 against Ohio State, at USC, Nebraska, at Northwestern, Indiana, Illinois, Penn State just to get to 9-11.  They'll be less talented than at least 4 of those teams.

Wow, wades. What a ridiculous take about a team that's pretty easily one of the two best in the B18.

[wisblue]

Interesting - the Badger article mentions a loss to Michigan last week but does not mention the loss to Marquette that was more current than the Michigan loss.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2024/12/10/wisconsin-badgers-vs-illinois-basketball-score-starting-lineups-updates/76841111007/

The preceding paragraph talks about the fine line between winning and losing in their two conference losses.

The Marquette game was neither a conference game nor one with a fine line between winning and losing.

[Big Papi]

Love to beat up on the badgers but they are not as bad as they looked the last 3 games and not as good as they looked against Arizona.  They will have a successful season and they will make the tournament and could make the sweet 16 if things fall into place.

If badgers make free throws yesterday per their average, they probably win a good road game.  Michigan is a really good team and would give us fits with their two bigs.  We are just better than the badgers.  Anyone dismissing the badgers as not good just shows that they are probably a rival in your eyes.

Gard goes or not, who cares.  Bennett taking over, who cares.  The system that Bennett runs is unwatchable.  Thankfully we never went after him.

[cheebs09]

I do think Gard's job security is increasing the more Fickell struggles. At the time, when it was viewed as a home run hire, people were thinking let's do the same with basketball. I wonder if people are more cautious now.

[Uncle Rico]

The preceding paragraph talks about the fine line between winning and losing in their two conference losses.

The Marquette game was neither a conference game nor one with a fine line between winning and losing.

Point Warrior has little brother syndrome