Wisconsin Basketball: 3 Keys for the Badger State Derby

Wisconsin basketball and the Marquette Golden Eagles renew in-state hostilities this weekend at the Kohl Center in Madison. Badger of Honor looks at three keys to the matchup.

Fans of the English Premier League know there are two derby (regional rivalry) matches this weekend. The Manchester derby (United and City) and the Mersyside derby (Liverpool and Everton).

Of course, you’re reading this to know about the Badger State derby in Madison on Saturday. Wisconsin (4-6) basketball hosts rival Marquette (6-3) in a key non-conference battle.

The Badgers are coming off yet another disappointing blown lead and late loss. Meanwhile the Golden Eagles have been in a terrific run of form winners of four of its last five.

So here is what Badger of Honor will be watching with heightened interest on Saturday.

1. How does Wisconsin defend the arc?

Marquette comes in leading the Big East Conference in three point field goal attempts. The Golden Eagles have chucked 267 triples this season and 263 from inside the arc. They are shooting 38.2 percent behind the line.

So Wisconsin knows a blizzard from the outside is likely coming. The question is whether they will defend it. Against The Ohio State, the Badgers defense was atrocious. Poor communication and switching coupled with late rotation led to lots of easy looks.

The Badgers have to be at their best defending the three point line on Saturday to keep Marquette quiet.

2. Who wins the rebounding battle?

The Golden Eagles are the worst rebounding team in the Big East. They come in averaging 31.4 rebounds per game. So while not a great number, the good news for the visitors is Wisconsin is averaging that exact same total.

Ethan Happ can’t realistically do it alone, try as he might. So the Badgers will need somebody else to battle down low and clean the glass. This is especially difficult for Greg Gard whose starting unit has Happ and Aleem Ford (6-feet-8-inches) as the only players over 6-feet-5-inches in height.

Wisconsin simply has to do better rebounding especially on the defensive end. They can’t afford to keep allowing second chance points. And the best time to take a three that Marquette covets so dearly? Directly off an offensive board.

3. Can the Badgers shut down at least one of Marquette’s top scorers?

Marquette has a pair of dynamic guards in sophomore Markus Howard and senior Andrew Rousey. The duo are the top scorers in the Big East at the moment with Howard averaging 22.4 points per game and Rousey 21.6 points per game.

Next: Meet the 2017-2018 Wisconsin Badger Basketball Team

Wisconsin has had success in previous seasons letting a team’s big scorer eat while his teammates starve. It’s okay if one guy scores a ton so long as everyone else is held in check. On Saturday, the Badgers can’t afford to let Howard and Rousey meet their mean production.

So the duty falls to Brad Davison and maybe Khalil Iverson to play some lock down defense on at least one of the Golden Eagles big scorers.