Badgers match great 'D' with no 'O'
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- Wisconsin has never needed more than a
little offense to win. On Saturday, it didn't even have that much.
|  | | Players on the Wisconsin bench could only watch as their dreams faded. |
The Badgers' unlikely run through the NCAA Tournament came to a
crashing halt with an ineffective offense in a 53-41 loss to
Michigan State. Wisconsin was as strong as ever on defense, but a
near-total lack of offense meant a convincing defeat.
"We've never been able to break this team down offensively,"
Badgers coach Dick Bennett said. "We couldn't score inside and we
didn't get any clean looks outside. They are superb."
While most of the credit must be given to Michigan State's
defense, the Badgers, mediocre on offense at the best of times,
were terrible. There were air balls on layups, drastically wide
3-pointers and a general absence of direction.
"We had a complete lack of focus," guard Travon Davis said.
"Or maybe we were nervous. You can't miss layups and miss open
shots at this stage of the year. It's ridiculous."
Only a late flurry of points allowed Wisconsin to shoot 35
percent from the field and 64 percent from the line.
Wisconsin also was pounded on the offensive boards. The Badgers
had just two offensive rebounds with the game still in reach, their
second-worst performance of the season. Overall, they were
outrebounded 42-20.
Wisconsin's strategy throughout the tournament's first four
rounds had been to find one player who can consistently hit shots,
get an early lead and protect it with bruising defense.
On Saturday, only one element of that formula was working. The
Badgers held Michigan State without a field goal in the final 11:42
of the first half and roughed up the Spartans throughout the game.
Michigan State embraced Wisconsin's philosophy by getting a
quick lead, getting the ball to Morris Peterson for big points and
keeping Wisconsin out of the game with defense.
"I started getting tight after I missed, like, my first 10
shots," said leading scorer Mark Vershaw, who was 2-of-11 from the
field. "I got good shots, but they just wouldn't fall."
As it did through most of the season, Wisconsin lacked a go-to
guy Saturday. Earlier in the tournament, Division II transfer Jon
Bryant had emerged from an unproductive season to average 16.8
points.
Bryant was nearly invisible Saturday, throwing up an air ball on
his first 3-point attempt and going scoreless until hitting a layup
with 5:40 to play. He finished 1-of-5 from the field.
"It was so hard to get open," Bryant said. "I took a couple
of shots where I was just throwing it up. I was coming off screens
and looking for my shot, and it just wasn't there.
"I heard them say they were going to put four guys on me if
necessary. That's what it felt like out there."
While Bryant sat on the bench shaking his head in disgust, the
rest of the Badgers failed to pick up the slack. Roy Boone scored
18 points, but Boone's nine in the first half and freshman Kirk
Penney's two 3-pointers were the only significant points until the
game was out of reach.
All the problems added up to the Badgers' fourth loss to the
Spartans in seven weeks. When asked to name the last time he felt
so completely helpless on offense, Bryant grimaced and replied,
"Probably the last time we played Michigan State."
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