Wisconsin Basketball Thread 2019 - 20: BIG TEN CHAMPS & BPI NCAA Champs!

[Oxy]

I'm sure that Alando Tucker and Dean Oliver and Lamont Paris and Howard Moore and Rob Jeter and etc. etc. etc. can vouch for the "racism" within the UW program.

 

I know I shouldn't take the bait, but the whole situation is so obviously ridiculous and concocted by the enemies of the UW program that it's frustrating and sad.

[owbc]

I'm sure that Alando Tucker and Dean Oliver and Lamont Paris and Howard Moore and Rob Jeter and etc. etc. etc. can vouch for the "racism" within the UW program.

 

I know I shouldn't take the bait, but the whole situation is so obviously ridiculous and concocted by the enemies of the UW program that it's frustrating and sad.

 

We have no idea what is happening within the program. We have no idea what was experienced by past players. We do know that the UW-Madison campus has numerous ongoing issues with diversity. It was just in the national news a few weeks ago. I don't want this thread to spin into politics but we have to acknowledge that there *could* be underlying issues in the program that we are not aware of. I mean a coach just got fired for using a racial slur, and a departing player cited issues going back several years. That sounds like a pretty big deal!

[areacodes]

I'm sure that Alando Tucker and Dean Oliver and Lamont Paris and Howard Moore and Rob Jeter and etc. etc. etc. can vouch for the "racism" within the UW program.

 

I know I shouldn't take the bait, but the whole situation is so obviously ridiculous and concocted by the enemies of the UW program that it's frustrating and sad.

 

We have no idea what is happening within the program. We have no idea what was experienced by past players. We do know that the UW-Madison campus has numerous ongoing issues with diversity. It was just in the national news a few weeks ago. I don't want this thread to spin into politics but we have to acknowledge that there *could* be underlying issues in the program that we are not aware of. I mean a coach just got fired for using a racial slur, and a departing player cited issues going back several years. That sounds like a pretty big deal!

 

I think some context needs to be included about him using the racial slur. Yes he said it, and has admitted as much, but it wasn’t used at a player but instead was used in the telling of a story. That matters when debating if there is racism in the staff/program.

 

None of us, that I know of, have an insider relationship with the program so obviously we don’t know exactly what is going on but I can’t imagine the black coaches would have stood by idly if there truly was blatant racism within the program - it just doesn’t add up.

[bacon06]

I think the adage "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity" can be applied to situations such as this one.

[MrTPlush]

While I think Wisconsin holds themselves to a much higher standard than other universities when it comes to athletics/athletes...it is foolish to think it is perfect. I am sure there are bad apples, poor characters, and shady things happening. I think people assume Wisconsin is this perfect university with no problems in athletics, it likely isn’t.

[areacodes]

I don’t think anybody thinks they are perfect and they have definitely had bad apples, poor characters and shady things happening in the past... and it will happen again at some point. That still is a large leap from that to an issue of racism within the team/program that was brought up.

[pacopete4]

I’ll just say that I think the situation reeks of a kid wanting to be able to play elsewhere but I also don’t completely dismiss it either. Far too often these big programs get away with doing crappy things for a period time for me to blindly think it couldn’t be true. Hopefully in the end nothing is true and the Davis brothers head off to Madison and I don’t ever think about Kobe King again. I’m just letting you guys know what a (somewhat) credible source told me with the situation.

[JosephC]

https://madison.com/wsj/sports/college/basketball/men/the-events-that-led-to-erik-helland-s-ouster-as/article_cc9bfae1-a8a3-5b05-a6dd-72922f1123e2.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

 

After reading that I don't have the impression that either King or Helland is a bad guy. I just think King was unhappy and wanted out and wasn't necessarily looking to use the Helland situation to extract himself from Wisconsin (he may now after an irresponsible press completely botched the initial reporting). Helland seems to have got caught up in an age of political correctness where context means nothing. It's nice that Tucker stepped up and let us know what occurred as he was directly involved in the going's-on and the aftermath and probably can give the clearest and most accurate picture of what happened.

[homer]

https://madison.com/wsj/sports/college/basketball/men/the-events-that-led-to-erik-helland-s-ouster-as/article_cc9bfae1-a8a3-5b05-a6dd-72922f1123e2.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

 

After reading that I don't have the impression that either King or Helland is a bad guy. I just think King was unhappy and wanted out and wasn't necessarily looking to use the Helland situation to extract himself from Wisconsin (he may now after an irresponsible press completely botched the initial reporting).

 

The "botched" version has no bearing on what King does going forward.

[JosephC]

https://madison.com/wsj/sports/college/basketball/men/the-events-that-led-to-erik-helland-s-ouster-as/article_cc9bfae1-a8a3-5b05-a6dd-72922f1123e2.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

 

After reading that I don't have the impression that either King or Helland is a bad guy. I just think King was unhappy and wanted out and wasn't necessarily looking to use the Helland situation to extract himself from Wisconsin (he may now after an irresponsible press completely botched the initial reporting).

 

The "botched" version has no bearing on what King does going forward.

 

I don't think so either, but one never knows how media treatment impacts what goes in inside the head of a 20 year old athlete.

[homer]

I mean I guess I could get that line of thinking if the media his misreported that King said something derogatory about someone else but not in this case.

[Oxy]

Bad Brad seems to be back after kind of slumping and/or being hurt for much of the year. Amazing how healthy a guy looks when he goes 8/11 behind the arc. It's nice to see Davison and Trice both have great games, especially on an off day for Pritzl.

 

There are only 6 games left in the season, but I still can't figure this team out. No stars and no real identity. Just kind of a ho-hum solid basketball team without any glaring weaknesses nor any overwhelming strengths. They have the capability to really light it up from outside, but it seems like that's every team these days.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Purdue is a matchup that always makes me nervous. They've poached a couple of games at the Kohl in the last few years and always seem to play well against Wisconsin. The B1G is such a well-scouted league, and I think the Badgers scout better than just about anyone else overall, but Purdue seems to have something that always gives them more of an edge than they should have. This is the one home game left I'd feel most nervous about. If they can win this one, I feel good about their chances to get on a roll. We'll see.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Purdue is a matchup that always makes me nervous. They've poached a couple of games at the Kohl in the last few years and always seem to play well against Wisconsin. The B1G is such a well-scouted league, and I think the Badgers scout better than just about anyone else overall, but Purdue seems to have something that always gives them more of an edge than they should have. This is the one home game left I'd feel most nervous about. If they can win this one, I feel good about their chances to get on a roll. We'll see.

[homer]

Yeah Painter has really had good success against UW. Hope they squeak one out tonight.

[homer]

Yeah Painter has really had good success against UW. Hope they squeak one out tonight.

[yourout]

Rock fight.

First team to 40 wins.

If either one gets there.

[yourout]

Rock fight.

First team to 40 wins.

If either one gets there.

[yourout]

Really terrible offensive sets the last minute and a half.

[yourout]

Really terrible offensive sets the last minute and a half.

[yourout]

Nice hard fought win.

[yourout]

Nice hard fought win.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Yeah, that is such a big win. And another chance at a quality W this weekend. Team is starting to look more consistent.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Yeah, that is such a big win. And another chance at a quality W this weekend. Team is starting to look more consistent.

[Oxy]

I don't mind when UW has a double digit lead and go into the "hold the ball" mode without even trying to run offense for the first 20 seconds of the shot clock, but a 5 point lead with 3:50 left is not that time. Getting the ball into Reuvers in the post was working well...even when PU doubled him it led to a wide, wide open look by Pritzl in the corner that rattled out.

 

EDIT: After re-watching the last 5:00, there was really only 1 possession where they were too passive. Running the high screen to get a mis-match (which they did) is fine and reliable offense...and PU did a nice job of denying Reuvers from getting the ball. Trice got decent looks he just missed them. If any one of his 3 or 4 shots go down there is no complaint. Thankfully Pritzl and Davison and Ford bailed the team out with Offensive rebounds anyway.