Wisconsin Knows It Needs Its Best To Take Down No.1 Baylor
As the seconds ticked down at Mackey Arena Thursday night, some of the small, boisterous Wisconsin fans in the building started chanting “We Want Baylor.” Be careful what you wish for.
As good as the thorough 85-62 dismantling of North Carolina was, ninth-seed Wisconsin knows the task will be even harder when it faces No.1-seed Baylor at Butler Hinkle Fieldhouse tomorrow afternoon (1:40 p.m., CBS)
“They're obviously phenomenal,” Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard said of the Bears. “So, it goes from playing a really good team to playing one of the nation's best. Obviously, we'll have to play really well. Baylor coming next is going to be a huge task.”
Ranked in the top three of the AP Poll throughout the season, the Bears (23-2) are one of the best offensive teams in the country, ranked third nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency (scoring 123.4 points per 100 possession). Those numbers are a result of Baylor leading the nation in three-point shooting, averaging 41.4 percent as a team beyond the perimeter.
Not surprisingly, while North Carolina’s offense was predicated on its frontcourt, the Bears rely heavily on a backcourt with All-Americans Jared Butler (17.0 ppg, 4.9 assists), Davion Mitchell (14.0 ppg, 5.3 assists) and MaCio Teague (16.4 ppg, 4.2 rebounds).
The trio helped the Bears win their first conference championship in 71 years and combined for 47 points on 19-for-43 shooting (44.2 percent) in Friday’s 79-55 win over No.16-seeded Hartford. The guards also added 12 assists and nine steals, which helped them score the team’s final 17 points of the first half to blow open what was at the time a three-point game.
“I thought the nerves kind of calmed down, we were able to get in transition and the guards really were sharing the ball well, getting good looks,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “Once we got a couple breakaways, I thought the guys started to relax and feel a lot more comfortable. At the same time with feeling more comfortable on the offensive end, I thought defensively we kept up our pressure and intensity.”
Having a week off after getting bounced from the Big 12 tournament, Drew said Baylor put plenty of energy into its practices to regain its defensive edge. The Bears were giving up 62.8 points per game in early February before going on a three-week COVID pause. Since returning, the points per game average jumped to 75.1 and contributed to its first two losses of the season.
The Bears held the Hawks to 35.2 percent shooting, 5-for-22 from 3-point range and turned 24 turnovers into 22 points.
“Being able to contain the ball was just a lot better and we were a lot sharper, a lot crisper,” he said. “Really credit to the guys for working hard this past week, and sometimes you go into a tournament and you're worried you don't want to get injured so you try to save yourself and those guys knew that we had to get better and they really got after it, and I thought it showed. We made some improvements today.”
Grinding along through a rugged Big Ten schedule, Wisconsin certainly enjoyed seeing a new team. The Badgers’ 85 points were 15.4 points higher than what they averaged during the season and surpassed their season averages in rebounding (+3.5) and blocks (+4.2). Scoring 9.4 points on the season, senior guard Brad Davison dropped 29 against the Tar Heels as UW’s offense averaged 1.33 points per possession and held UNC to .925 ppp in a wire-to-wire victory.
Like the Tar Heels, the Badgers have recent history with the Bears. UW knocked off Baylor in the 2014 Sweet 16 on its way to the Final Four. The Bears returned the favor three years later in the Hall of Fame Classic and are favored by 6.5 points tomorrow.
It’d be a tremendous upset, the kind of game the Badgers are embracing.
“That’s why you come to Wisconsin, not only to compete for championships in the Big Ten but to make a run in March in the NCAA tournament,” Davison said. “Especially having that opportunity missed out on last year, this is so special. We’re going to enjoy it, but we know we didn’t come here to win just one. There’s a lot more out there for us to get, and we’re excited to get back to work.”