Bucky's 5th Quarter - Michigan State 58, Wisconsin 43: Badgers Buried By MistakesWelcome to the unofficial online tavern of the Wisconsin Badgers. Please seat yourself.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47803/buckys-fave.png2013-03-08T17:05:41-06:00http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/rss/stream/38392052013-03-08T17:05:41-06:002013-03-08T17:05:41-06:00Finding Love In A Hoopless Place
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<figcaption>Oh Bruiser... | USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Yeah. Another post about the game last night. But in the warm light of day? I'm going to attempt to bring some hope. </p> <p>So yeah. That happened. And it wasn't as if I was feeling any sort of worry either. I was happy. I was hyped. Those of you who read the <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/7/4075090/live-game-thread-no-22-21-wisconsin-badgers-vs-no-10-12-michigan/in/3839205">game thread</a>. You know.</p>
<p>I was feeling good.</p>
<p>And like the rest who were watching, my spirit was broken by what <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnGasaway/status/310040611946385408">John Gasaway called the single worst offensive performance of the past seven seasons</a>. I know what you're saying. But there's a 36-33 game the Badgers dealt with? That was slower, and more efficient. This was a game where the offensive talent of the Badgers seems to have been stolen by an alien race in order for them to play a brutally efficient brand of basketball.</p>
<p>So as the title says. How do we rebuild from this latest cratering?</p>
<p><b>1) Penn State</b></p>
<p>Right now there is an improbable but real worry that the shots won't fall again, and the likely back to back against Penn State will generate at least a split. But here's the thing? The Badgers have a decided rebounding advantage over the Nittany Lions.</p>
<p>A part of the reason why the Badgers have had trouble with Sparty was that Sparty works just as hard, if not a little harder on the glass. And before the floodgates opened? They were killing the Badgers with second chance points. Penn State doesn't have that strength.</p>
<p>Disaster may strike, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I mean...</p>
<p><b>2) Death by the three.</b></p>
<p>There seems to be a playbook on how to beat the Badgers now. Chase Brust and Dekker all around the town, and give Bruesewitz, Berggren, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146508/traevon-jackson">Traevon Jackson</a> all the looks they can eat. By all logic, it seems to be working. The Badgers are 10 for their last 51 from beyond the arc.</p>
<p>But here's the thing, for two of the problem shooters? There's hope for progression to the mean. Berggren's last two seasons ended with 31 percent and 37 percent accuracy from beyond the arc (currently at 25 percent). And we all know who <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jacksji01.html">Traevon's dad</a> is. There's a genetic predisposition to hitting from three despite his current 27 percent accuracy.</p>
<p>(Did you notice I didn't mention Bruesewitz there? There's a reason. BE THE GINGER ENERGY GUY, BRUISER.)</p>
<p>And I know the coaching staff is smart. I know there has to be conversations going on to see about putting <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146507/george-marshall">George Marshall</a> into a sort of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124680/ben-brust">Ben Brust</a> 2011-2012 vintage role of three point fun and gunning. He's hitting 39 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. They have to be considering getting him out there as the kickout for any driving players.</p>
<p><b>3) This team has been left for dead twice before.</b></p>
<p>We all remember that feeling after the Marquette game. 6-4. The offense looked terrible. (Gasp!) We had some point guard issues. (Double gasp!) There was legitimate concern that the Badgers weren't going to make the tournament.</p>
<p>But they got healthy.</p>
<p>Then they lost three of four ending January. Couldn't score in the first half of the Iowa game, and fifty was a dream in the other three. Ryan Evans was told I hate you and your stupid flattop on so many occasions that he would have put a sadfaced emoji upon his social media platform if he wasn't a sane college senior. The Bubble seemed like a place we would have lived and died upon.</p>
<p>But they got healthy.</p>
<p>The style the Badgers play is rife with these sorts of valleys. If you're going to play slow and fire up threes a lot? There's going to be some rat feces in there. The Badgers never play the same game twice, and when you play two bad games in a row? It's easy to panic. Don't</p>
<p>They're going to have one more upswing. They're the team no one knows what they're going to face. Embrace the randomness. Embrace the wild card.</p>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MYtjpIwamos?rel=0" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>There's only one more crash before the season's over, anyway.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/8/4080822/perspectivetorium-michigan-state-wisconsin-threes-brusewitz-wildcardAndrew Rosin2013-03-08T09:26:49-06:002013-03-08T09:26:49-06:00The Badgers Take a Step Back
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<p>Michigan State routed Wisconsin last night in East Lansing, and a fifth-place finish in the Big Ten now looks likely. What happens to Wisconsin from here on out?</p> <p>OUCH!</p>
<p>What else needs to be said? Phil Mitten <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/2013/3/8/4077342/wisconsin-michigan-state-loss-hands-over-the-keys-drives-to-victory" target="_blank">laid it all out for you</a> last night following the Badgers horrific loss to the Spartans.</p>
<p>How does a team get its teeth kicked in by 15 points when the opponent shoots just 36.9 percent (24-of-65) on their own home floor? Well, Wisconsin found a way to make that happen last night in East Lansing.</p>
<p>Everybody on the UW squad played terribly last night. You all saw it. I don't have to rant and vent my frustrations any more than the next guy. This could easily be a long, never-ending column about all of the Badgers, deficiencies, but I'll try my best to refrain.</p>
<p>Let's start with the fact Wisconsin had 16 turnovers and shot less than 30 percent from the field -- c'mon, man! Those stats wouldn't allow for a win against the delinquents from the Mississippi State Correctional Facility.</p>
<p>Next, look at Michigan State's point guard and leader <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123904/keith-appling">Keith Appling</a>: he is now three for his last 29 on three-point attempts. Yet, he managed to shoot over 50 percent from the field last night and finish with a game-high 19 points. His Wisconsin counterpart, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146508/traevon-jackson">Traevon Jackson</a>: not even a dent in the scoring column -- zero, zip, zilch, zero and zip. No points in 30 minutes of action from the starting point guard won't get the job done against anybody. In fact, that's about as egregious as it gets.</p>
<p>One last point to note on: 4-of-23 from distance. 4-of-23. The Badgers' shooting capabilities have been up and down all season, but last night took poor performance to a whole new level. Any team that has the ability to shoot that badly just doesn't deserve to be in the conference champion discussion. Wisconsin is officially no longer in that picture after laying an egg against Michigan State.</p>
<p>The Badgers have now lost eight consecutive games at the Breslin Center, and last night's atrocious play showed why they struggle so mightily there. Who knows what will happen the rest of the way, but last night was unbearable. Is anyone prepared to look past last night and see what will happen later this month? Quite frankly, I'm scared to look beyond last night with any kind of optimism.</p>
<p>I was trying to find words to describe Wisconsin's performance last night so I decided to type "awful" into the search bar on thesaurus.com. Here are some of the synonyms I found: abominable, dreadful, horrendous, terrible (maybe Charles Barkley's T-R-B-L is more appropriate). Take your pick of any of those descriptors and it would fit the Badgers' play.</p>
<p>Let's just hope things vastly improve come tourney time later this month because if they don't, we'll all be bidding adieu to this Wisconsin season in very short order.</p>
<h5>Friday's Links:</h5>
<p>The Wisconsin State Journal's <a href="http://host.madison.com/sports/college/basketball/men/badgers-men-s-basketball-michigan-state-ends-uw-hopes-of/article_90c44088-87ad-11e2-a251-0019bb2963f4.html" target="_blank">Jim Polzin recaps UW-Michigan State</a>.</p>
<p>Here are some of the <a href="http://host.madison.com/sports/college/basketball/men/badgers-men-s-basketball-blog-big-ten-tournament-seeding-scenarios/article_02443dc0-87ff-11e2-a085-001a4bcf887a.html" target="_blank">seeding scenarios</a> for the Big Ten Tournament.</p>
<p>Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sat down with Wisconsin players and coaches to talk about the <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsonline.com%2Fblogs%2Fsports%2F195739891.html&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buckys5thquarter.com%2F2013%2F3%2F8%2F4078948%2FWisconsin-Badgers-Big-Ten-Basketball" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">offensive issues</a> prior to the Michigan State outing.</p>
<p>Potrykus also takes a <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsonline.com%2Fblogs%2Fsports%2F196246911.html&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buckys5thquarter.com%2F2013%2F3%2F8%2F4078948%2FWisconsin-Badgers-Big-Ten-Basketball" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">last look at Badgers-Spartans</a>.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/8/4078948/Wisconsin-Badgers-Big-Ten-BasketballJackson Dahlquist2013-03-08T00:17:10-06:002013-03-08T00:17:10-06:00Michigan State Pounds Wisconsin's JV Team
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<figcaption>In the play of the game, Adreian Payne outhustled Wisconsin while sitting on his butt. | USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Badgers managed to outdo themselves by losing to the Spartans by 15 in a game even uglier than their first loss to Michigan State back in January.</p> <p>As it turns out, Wisconsin didn't need any help knocking itself out of the Big Ten race. The Badgers buried their own faint title hopes in an avalanche of mistakes and missed shots Thursday night in East Lansing.</p>
<p>Oh, and the Spartans were there too.</p>
<p>Michigan State (23-7, 12-5) seized a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament by using its speed and athleticism to outhustle UW all night. The 58-43 loss puts Wisconsin (20-10, 11-6) in danger of finishing lower than fourth place in the conference for the first time under Bo Ryan.</p>
<p>The final score does not even do Wisconsin's ineptitude justice. At one point, Michigan State led by 23 points and the game's outcome was never in doubt once the Spartans embarked on a 16-0 run near the start of the second half.</p>
<p>To be frank, Wisconsin looked like a team that hadn't played a lot of basketball before. The Badgers fumbled passes, lost their dribble without pressure and generally didn't value the ball. They scrambled too often on defense and struggled to grab a meaningful rebound for the majority of the game. Wisconsin's wide open shots didn't just miss -- they missed badly.</p>
<p>But there is really no need for analysis after a game like this. Numbers tell the story just fine. The key metrics on this night were turnovers, points in the paint and shooting percentage.</p>
<p>Wisconsin turned the ball over 17 times -- the most turnovers by a Badger team since an embarrassing loss at Green Bay over three years ago.</p>
<p>As a direct result of the turnovers, Michigan State produced 23 extra points.</p>
<p>The Spartans also dominated inside. Whether via 15 fastbreak points or simply better execution, Michigan State outscored Wisconsin 32-12 in the paint. Senior <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52392/jared-berggren">Jared Berggren</a> had another disappointing outing, countering with only six points; <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146510/frank-kaminsky">Frank Kaminsky</a> was scoreless in 11 minutes.</p>
<p>Overall, both teams fired plenty of ugly shots, but only Wisconsin was historically bad. The Badgers hit only 15-of-51 (29.4%) from the field, an even worse clip than the previous low of 29.6% they shot against Michigan State the first time around, and the lowest mark since posting identical numbers during the infamous Big Ten tournament loss to Penn State almost exactly two years ago. Their 4-for-23 (17.4%) 3-point shooting was also just bad enough to set a new season low.</p>
<p>Michigan State was thriving on junk hoops early on and only finished 24-of-65 (36.9%) on field goals.</p>
<p>On the other hand, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123904/keith-appling">Keith Appling</a> had been struggling mightily <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/2013/3/7/4073602/wisconsin-michigan-state-preview-east-lansing-one-for-all-the-marbles" target="_blank">coming into the contest</a>, but given extra chances and an open court to play with, he thrived. Appling shot over 50 percent and finished with a game-high 19 points.</p>
<p>It was just that kind of night for Wisconsin. You know, the kind where an opposing player (<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123903/adreian-payne">Adreian Payne</a>) can go baseline and miss a dunk, hang on the rim so he lands nearly upside down on his head in a terrible-looking fall, only to have the rebound bounce right to him so he can call timeout. The incredible part is that wasn't the only time that a loose ball fell right into the lap of a Spartan who was sitting on the floor under the basket.</p>
<p>Sophomore <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145689/travis-trice">Travis Trice</a> was credited with six steals for Michigan State, which right from the opening whistle was able to poke the ball loose from basically any Badger who dribbled into the lane. In addition, several Spartans got clean hands on the ball during shot attempts where the Wisconsin shooter simply did not power through and lost control of the ball.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2287733/Gm30_WIS_MichiganState.pdf">Box Score</a> | <a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2287735/2012-13_Wisconsin_Cumulative_Stats_Conf_20130307.pdf">Wisconsin Cumulative Stats</a> <br id="1362723828850"></p>
<p>The Wisconsin players looked lethargic and soft next to the quicker Spartans. The Badgers never got on the floor for loose balls until deep into the second half when the game was out of reach.</p>
<p>Even the coaching staff seemed to waive the white flag early when substitutions started coming fast and furious during an 18-point first half. Ryan inserted <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124683/evan-anderson">Evan Anderson</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100689/zach-bohannon">Zach Bohannon</a> with around five minutes left in the half. It was an indictment of how poorly his interior guys were playing at the time.</p>
<p>However, the experiment failed. With a rare opportunity to grab momentum, a cutting Bohannon botched a layup on a nice feed from Jackson which would have cut the Spartan lead to 20-18 with just under two minutes remaining before halftime. Instead, Appling and Berggren traded nifty baskets before a discombobulated Badger defense gave up a buzzer-beating transition 3-pointer to Trice, recalling memories of how Wisconsin closed out the first half poorly against Purdue last Sunday.</p>
<p>Ryan Evans scored nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Wisconsin with no turnovers. But his senior teammates weren't as adept. In particular, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99927/mike-bruesewitz">Mike Bruesewitz</a> made a serious of passes that can only be termed absent-minded, leading to three turnovers. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124680/ben-brust">Ben Brust</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146508/traevon-jackson">Traevon Jackson</a> each had three also, while Berggren had four.</p>
<p>The win puts Tom Izzo and Michigan State in very good shape for a second consecutive season sweep over Wisconsin, depending on how the conference tourney bracket shakes out. After an impressive start versus Izzo, Ryan has not won at the Breslin Center since 2005.</p>
<p>Along with any share of the Big Ten title or top seed, Wisconsin likely also flushed Ryan's chance at a Coach of the Year award and maybe even <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175145/sam-dekker">Sam Dekker's</a> Sixth Man of the Year candidacy down the drain. Saddled with two first-half fouls, Dekker showed life late in the game, adding nine points in 15 minutes after the break. Yet, a fifth-place team team that loses back-to-back games at the end of the season in the manner Wisconsin has really shouldn't be expecting much hardware either.</p>
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https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/2013/3/8/4077342/wisconsin-michigan-state-loss-hands-over-the-keys-drives-to-victoryPhil Mitten2013-03-07T19:30:07-06:002013-03-07T19:30:07-06:00LIVE GAME THREAD: Wisconsin vs. Michigan State
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<p>The Badgers face the Spartans once again, this time with a heckuva lot more at stake. Namely, Bo Ryan's string of top-four Big Ten finishes.</p> <p></p>
<table border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr style="background-color: #c41e3a;"><td><h4 style="color: #ffffff;">Coverage</h4></td></tr></tbody></table>
<div> <p><strong>TV</strong>: ESPN (Joe Tessitore, Sean Farnham)</p> <p><strong>Radio</strong>: <a href="http://sportsaffiliates.learfieldsports.com/affiliates/wisconsin9" target="_blank">Badger Radio Network</a> (Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas)</p> <p><strong>Official Websites</strong>: <a href="http://www.uwbadgers.com/index-main.html" target="_blank">UWBadgers.com</a> | <a href="http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/msu-m-baskbl-body.html">MSUSpartans.com</a></p> <p><strong>Game Previews:</strong> <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/2013/3/7/4073602/wisconsin-michigan-state-preview-east-lansing-one-for-all-the-marbles">Wisconsin-Michigan State Preview: One For All The Marbles</a> | <a href="http://www.theonlycolors.com/2013/3/6/4073392/previewing-msu-vs-wisconsin">Previewing MSU vs. Wisconsin</a></p> <p><strong>Opponent Blog:</strong> <a href="http://www.theonlycolors.com/">The Only Colors</a></p> <p><strong>Twitter</strong>: <a href="https://twitter.com/B5Q" target="_blank">@B5Q</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hoopsmarinara">@hoopsmarinara</a></p> <table border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr style="background-color: #c41e3a;"><td><h4 style="color: #ffffff;">Point Spread</h4></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Michigan State -4 1/2</p> <table border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr style="background-color: #c41e3a;"><td><h4 style="color: #ffffff;">Series</h4></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><strong>All-Time</strong>: Michigan State leads, 73-60</p> <p><strong>In East Lansing</strong><strong>:</strong> Michigan State leads, 45-14</p> <p><strong>Last Meeting</strong>: <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/2013/1/22/3905582/michigan-state-49-wisconsin-47-spartans-hold-on-as-badger-free-throw">Michigan State won, 49-47, in Madison on Jan. 22, 2013</a></p> <table border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr style="background-color: #c41e3a;"><td><h4 style="color: #ffffff;">Coaches</h4></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><strong>Wisconsin</strong>: Bo Ryan (12th year), 288-110 at UW</p> <p><strong>Michigan State:</strong> Tom Izzo (18th year), 434-176 at MSU</p> </div>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/7/4075090/live-game-thread-no-22-21-wisconsin-badgers-vs-no-10-12-michiganMike Fiammetta2013-03-07T07:30:04-06:002013-03-07T07:30:04-06:00Michigan State Preview: One For All the Marbles
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<figcaption>You're looking at the future of the Big Ten ... or the NBA. | Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>For the Badgers and Spartans, the race for a Big Ten title has morphed into a battle to avoid falling out of a top four seed in the upcoming conference tournament.</p> <p>Even before Wisconsin fell to Purdue, chances were remote that the Badgers would grab a Big Ten regular season championship this year. But with the easiest schedule among contenders, there was rational hope.</p>
<p>Caution be damned, that rational hope turned into irrational excitement for some of us. Daydreaming of tiebreaker scenarios for the top seed at the United Center and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament? Yes, it happened.</p>
<p>It is hard to put into words exactly what UW's loss to the Boilermakers did to me personally, but you probably felt it too. After all the talk about how terrible the Badgers were early on, it seemed like everyone got just a little too high on the team after wins over Indiana and Michigan. The Purdue loss just validated that kernel of doubt we were all trying to suppress.</p>
<p>This was the same team that couldn't get out of its own way against Michigan State, got blown out in the first half by Iowa and propped up a home win over Illinois like some kind of masterpiece.</p>
<p>But things fall apart. And it happens to many, not only Wisconsin (20-9, 11-5 Big Ten).</p>
<p>Ask Indiana, which also just lost unexpectedly on Senior Night, two days after Wisconsin did. Ask Michigan, which lost to lowly Penn State.</p>
<p>Or you could ask Michigan State, Wisconsin's opponent Thursday night at 8 p.m. At the end of the day back on February 17, the Spartans (22-7, 11-5) were in a tie with Indiana atop the Big Ten standings at 11-2. They knew they had a tough road ahead, but with a two-game cushion over the pack, Michigan State was back.</p>
<p>Oops. That was before junior guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123904/keith-appling">Keith Appling's</a> struggles began. And before the team's 3-point shooting fell off a cliff.</p>
<p>Appling has a assist-to-turnover ratio of 8:9 over the past three games against Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana (and four turnovers against Nebraska before that). Plus, he got torched by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124097/aaron-craft">Aaron Craft</a> offensively down the stretch.</p>
<p>Following Appling's lead (0-for-9), Michigan State has shot terribly from long distance during this three-game losing streak against top-flight conference opponents, hitting just 12-of-48 (25 percent) on threes.</p>
<p>The Badgers, typically stellar guarding against 3-pointers, allowed <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99923/d-j-byrd">D.J. Byrd</a> to go HAM at the Kohl Center. Granted, some of the looks were well-covered, but for a team with the best 3-point field goal defense in Big Ten play (28.4 percent), the defensive performance was a major culprit in the loss.</p>
<p>Allowing the Spartans to do anything similar in East Lansing will be a death sentence. Michigan State is sneakily the second-best 3-point shooting squad in conference play at 36.7 percent, behind only Indiana.</p>
<p>One big reason is <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175055/gary-harris">Gary Harris</a>, the leading candidate for Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Harris might be the most consistent offensive force for Tom Izzo, pumping in 42.2 percent of his treys and taking the highest percentage of shots on the team, which gives the rookie the best offensive rating among MSU players.</p>
<p>Conversely, UW is touting its own freshman standout, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175145/sam-dekker">Sam Dekker</a>, for Sixth Man of the Year as he's grown from bit player to a legitimate offensive firecracker. Dekker is averaging 13 ppg over his last six, but more impressively has kept his shooting percentage high (59 percent) while playing almost 24 minutes per game over that span.</p>
<p>Until <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52392/jared-berggren" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Jared Berggren</a> or <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99927/mike-bruesewitz" class="sbn-auto-link" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Mike Bruesewitz</a> wakes up on the offensive end, Dekker's ability to score from all spots on the floor is one of the few ways Wisconsin can keep the Spartan defense honest. And it goes without saying that the rebounding has to be up to snuff as well, which will be especially challenging at the Breslin Center as always.</p>
<p>While technically both teams are still playing for the chance at a share of a Big Ten title, this game becomes more about what the loser might not get ... namely, a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament. And talk about a double-whammy: the loser could also be the only upper tier team left out of a four-way tie for the conference title in the scenario where Michigan beats Indiana.</p>
<p>For Wisconsin this might hit home a little more (losing to Michigan State and Michigan beating Indiana) because it would almost certainly snap Bo Ryan's streak of top four league finishes and put them in a Thursday game next week in Chicago. For all our Spanish-speaking readers out there, this situation is "muy mal."</p>
<p>If instead Michigan loses to IU, both Wisconsin and Michigan State are assured of a first-round bye, but have no shot at the trophy. While Michigan State has zero chance of gaining the No. 1 seed, Wisconsin has <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2013/03/the_big_ten_scenarios_how_the.html">one scenario left</a> that would do the trick, thanks to its advantageous head-to-head record against Michigan and Indiana.</p>
<p>But really neither side can afford to lose, lest they move a half-step closer to the dreaded Minnesota-Illinois-Iowa axis of mediocrity.</p>
<h4>Projected Starting Lineups</h4>
<table border="0" width="100%"><tbody>
<tr>
<td style="color: #ffffff; background-color:#C41E3A;"><b>Wisconsin</b></td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;"><b>Pos.</b></td>
<td style="color: white; background-color:green;"><b>Michigan State</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52392/jared-berggren">Jared Berggren</a>, Sr.</td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;">C</td>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99906/derrick-nix">Derrick Nix</a>, Sr.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99927/mike-bruesewitz" class="sbn-auto-link">Mike Bruesewitz</a>, Sr.</td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;">F</td>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123903/adreian-payne">Adreian Payne</a>, Jr.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52389/ryan-evans">Ryan Evans</a>, Sr.</td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;">F</td>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145690/branden-dawson">Branden Dawson</a>, So.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124680/ben-brust" class="sbn-auto-link">Ben Brust</a>, Jr.</td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;">G</td>
<td>
<a style="background-color: #ffffff;" class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175055/gary-harris">Gary Harris</a>, Fr.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146508/traevon-jackson" class="sbn-auto-link">Traevon Jackson</a>, So.</td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;">G</td>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123904/keith-appling">Keith Appling</a>, Jr.</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><b><a href="http://www.kenpom.com" target="_blank">KenPom</a> win probability: 39% (59-57 W) </b><i>61 possessions</i></p>
<p>---</p>
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https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/2013/3/7/4073602/wisconsin-michigan-state-preview-east-lansing-one-for-all-the-marblesPhil Mitten