Tonight’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge Main Event: Previewing Duke at Wisconsin
Posted by Alex Moscoso and Brad Jenkins on December 3rd, 2014As the ACC and the Big Ten teams get together on the hardwood this week, ACC and Big Ten microsites writers Alex Moscoso and Brad Jenkins have teamed up to break down the match-up between Wisconsin and Duke, the main event on the final night of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Frontcourt
Alex Moscoso: Duke has a special player in center Jahlil Okafor, the likely #1 overall pick in next year’s NBA Draft. But as far as the best frontcourt in basketball, I submit there’s no unit with a better combination of talent and experience than the Badgers’ group of Frank Kaminsky, Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker. All three will play in the Association and are familiar with one another’s tendencies from a full year together on the floor. For the season, they’re combining to average 42.9 PPG (57.5 percent of the team’s output) and 20.6 RPG. While Kaminsky and Dekker are likely to be Naismith finalists, Hayes has also garnered widespread acclaim for his improved play as a sophomore – specifically, his newfound ability to hit the deep ball on occasion (35.7%) and better defensive play in the post. His transformation from talented prospect to contributing factor has made this frontcourt almost invulnerable. The trio will certainly have its hands full with the athletic duo of Okafor and Justise Winslow, but the Wisconsin big men should wear these young Blue Devils out by hitting some threes and forcing them to guard the entire half-court – from the rim out to the three-point line.
Frank Kaminsky and the Badgers “are coming” for Duke on Wednesday night, in what is one of the best non-conference games this season. (Getty)
Brad Jenkins: To say this is a match-up of Duke’s young talent versus Wisconsin’s veteran frontcourt is an oversimplification. The Badgers’ big guys are not only experienced but they are extremely skilled and more athletic than most realize. Duke’s two freshman starters up front, Okafor and Winslow, are both considered one-and-doners, and they play the game with a physical and mental maturity rarely seen in college rookies. On the one hand, Okafor has good footwork around the basket that should force Wisconsin into more double-teaming than normal. On the other hand, Winslow is a bit of a wild card in this game, as the Badgers don’t have a player who can match his combination of size and athleticism on the wing. The veteran Dekker, a tall forward with decent lateral quickness, will probably get the assignment, but he has been nursing a nagging ankle injury and may not be at 100 percent. Look for Winslow to aggressively attack the Badgers off the dribble as a way to create offense when the Blue Devils are otherwise stymied. Wisconsin normally protects the defensive glass as well as any team in the country, but watch out for Amile Jefferson on the weak side if Okafor demands major attention. So far this season, the 6’9” junior ranks third nationally with a 21.9 percent offensive rebounding rate.
Backcourt
BJ: This is the match-up Duke must win in order to come out of the Kohl Center with a victory tonight. Coming into the contest, the Blue Devils’ starting backcourt of Quinn Cook and freshman Tyus Jones are scoring 10 more points per game than their Badgers’ counterparts, and have a much better combined assist-to-turnover ratio (5.3-to-1 vs. 2.2-to-1). Jones is a true point guard who makes plays for others but is not afraid to look for his own offense when needed — as exhibited by his 17 points in Duke’s win over Michigan State in the Champions Classic — but, ironically, it’s the senior Cook who may be the bigger unknown in this game. Duke’s leading three-point shooter (42.9%) has been streaky throughout his career, and although he’s shooting a career-best from distance this season, he is also coming off a 1-of-5 performance on Sunday against Army.
AM: While the Badgers’ strength clearly lies in the frontcourt, their backcourt is manned by two fearless and tested seniors – Traevon Jackson and Josh Gasser. Gasser has been absolutely deadly this season from deep, shooting 47.1 percent from beyond the arc. Aside from stretching the floor offensively, his defensive intensity has also markedly improved, as the sniper looks more like the three-years-ago version of himself with a good defensive rating of 94.1 (in opposition to last season’s 104.7). Jackson will never be a prolific scorer for this team, but he is easily the most poised player Bo Ryan has, as evidenced by the number of times Jackson has had the ball at the end of games. Both seniors will need to keep that defensive tenacity going as they battle Cook and Jones, and Jackson may once again be called upon to seal the game for the Badgers.
The Last Time Duke Visited Madison…
Bench
AM: In the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, Wisconsin relied on its sixth and seventh men, Bronson Koenig and Duje Dukan, to significantly contribute while some of the starters were in foul trouble. Against Georgetown, the duo chipped in 22 points to overcome a second half deficit – including two consecutive made threes from Dukan to give the Badgers the lead — and 16 points in the championship game against Oklahoma. This pair may be called upon again to hit a big shot or two against a deep Duke team – especially if one of the starters finds himself in early foul trouble again.
BJ: If any of the freshmen struggle with the boisterous environment (their first true road game), or if Cook is misfiring, the Blue Devils will need some production from the reserves. That means that junior Rasheed Sulaimon and sophomore Matt Jones may need to do more than defend. Sulaimon is a former starter who has played in numerous tough arenas throughout his career, so his play will be crucial when Duke needs someone to halt a run with a bucket or a defensive stop. Jones has shot the ball well so far this season, but those games have been at home or neutral courts. Marshall Plumlee provides good size and energy in the post, and if needed, Coach K can go to talented youngsters Grayson Allen and Semi Ojeleye, although neither has played big minutes in a hostile road situation before.
- Duke Wins IF: Cook and Sulaimon play like veteran stars. Wisconsin knows how to force shooters into off nights, so Cook needs to only take open shots and resist the urge to force things. Sulaimon has been inconsistent in big games during his career, but he is no stranger to the spotlight. Most importantly, the rest of the youngsters will be looking at these two veterans for leadership, so any sign of pouting or bad body language by either could prove harmful to Duke’s chances.
- Wisconsin Wins IF: The starters stay out of foul trouble. The Badgers were able to survive the Hoyas with both Jackson and Gasser missing significant minutes of the game because of early foul trouble. They were also able to take the Atlantis championship from the Sooners with Kaminsky on the bench for virtually the entire first half. But they can’t risk those situations against the more talented Blue Devils and will need their highly-efficient offense to keep on churning, putting pressure on Duke to keep up with their inevitable runs.
