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Sometimes you want to make a quick pit stop, empty the bladder, grab a bag of salty snacks and limber up the limbs before hitting the open road again. For the fast-minded who enjoy simple $2 scratchers hoping to uncover the jackpot-winning image, here are quick thoughts and the lean on Wisconsin vs. Rutgers.
Wisconsin (11-3, 1-2) at Rutgers (8-6, 1-2)
Date: Monday, January 6
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
The pick — Wisconsin -1.5 (-105, BetMGM)
Up there on the “What the?” rankings alongside the Bears actually not doinking a field goal to win their first game in a dozen tries against archrival Green Bay, the Badgers twice have scored well north of 100 points in a game this season. TWICE!
The 116 points they hung last Friday against Iowa were the most tallied by a Wisconsin team in Big Ten play since Feb. 3, 1993. How long ago was that? Whitney Houston banger “I Will Always Love You” was No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
Talk about a blue moon.
What’s most shocking? The usually sloth-minded Greg Gard is still the head coach.
Suffice it to say, this year’s Badgers are playing looser, faster and freer. Historically in the 300s in adjusted tempo under Gard, they’re No. 189 in the category. And, particularly noticeable, the increased pace hasn’t come at an efficiency cost. Fourteen games in, Wisconsin has averaged 1.216 points per possession, the 12th-highest mark in college basketball according to KenPom.
As a result sophomore guard John Blackwell, who’s coming off a season-high 32-point explosion against the Hawkeyes, is flourishing. Colorado State/Missouri transfer John Tonje, who’s scored at least 20 points in four games this season, has also thrived. Gunner Max Klesmit, do-it-all four-man Nolan Winter and lane clogger Steven Crowl have occasionally boomed, too.
Most importantly, the ramped RPMs haven’t come at a significant defensive cost. Wisco’s normally tight headlock on opponents isn’t as restrictive, but its No. 80 standing in effective field-goal percentage D doesn’t mean guarding is optional.
With a 2-3 record against Quadrant 1 opponents entering the bulk of the conference season, the Madmen from Madison are on track to secure a single-digit seed come March.
Similar to Bucky, Rutgers has undergone a major identity shift. Steve Pikiell has abandoned the rough and rugged half-court grind for constant giddy-up. Unbelievably, the Scarlet Knights enter Monday’s tilt ranked No. 50 nationally in adjusted tempo.
Future pros Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, though only freshmen, are reasons why. Both own the length, athleticism and all-around shooting ability to make NBA general managers melt.
Despite its otherworldly talents, Rutgers exhibits several festering wounds. On offense, its inconsistencies shooting 3-pointers (No. 188 3PT%) and free throws (No. 216 FT%) are glaring.
Defensively, the Piscataway reps are a modest No. 178 in effective field-goal D. They’ve especially struggled challenging shots along the perimeter (No. 253 3PT% D) and competing on the glass (No. 210+ in offensive rebounding percentage and defensive rebounding percentage).
The RAC (forget Jersey Mike’s Arena) is always an intimidating environment. And, yes, this is another major road test for Wisconsin (0-2 record).
However, in what should be a high-possession affair, the Badgers won’t fold like a house of cards. They have a huge advantage on the boards and outside, where they net 35.3% on 3s.
Run Wisconsin, run. Man, that’s weird to type.
Season record: 12-10, +1.97 units