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Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin Badgers' 96-76 win over Marquette

All five Wisconsin Badgers reach double figures, led by John Blackwell's 30 points, in a wire-to-wire win over Marquette.
Benjamin Worgull|
Wisconsin center Nolan Winter finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds in a 96-76 win over Marquette.
Wisconsin center Nolan Winter finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds in a 96-76 win over Marquette. | UW Athletics

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Wisconsin Badgers

MADISON, Wis. - Andrew Rohde doesn't have a distinct memory growing up of watching the in-state rivalry games between Wisconsin and Marquette. This one should stand out.

The senior and Brookfield, Wis., native was one of the many instrumental pieces for Wisconsin in a 96-76 throttling of Marquette at the Kohl Center on Saturday afternoon.

Not only did the victory extend Wisconsin's nonconference home win streak to 17, the longest active streak in the Big Ten, but the 20-point victory was the largest for the Badgers (7-2) over Marquette since 1952.

"That game had been circled on our schedule for a while," said Rohde, the only in-state starter on either roster. "Anytime we play an in-state rival, it's going to be a game every time. Being out there, being able to experience that is a blessing, especially with this group of guys. I wouldn't want to do it with anybody else."

Head coach Greg Gard admits he'll probably pick out things to correct on film, but they will be minimal on an afternoon where all five starters delivered a lot of positive results within the flow of game.

Here are my takeaways from the Kohl Center.

Defensive start weathers rough patch

Wisconsin's start was nightmarish, a nine-possession stretch that could easily dig a gigantic hole. Fortunately, the Badgers defense was up to snuff against a Marquette team that has struggled generating offense.

UW scored only four points on its first eight possessions and still led because the Badgers contested every shot in the paint and didn't let Marquette dictate the game through transition opportunities.

Marquette's 1-for-13 start from the floor was largely due to Wisconsin smothering the ball when it touched the paint, forcing the Golden Eagles to shoot outside the lane and at the perimeter. Marquette missed all four shots in the paint over that period.

It's what the Badgers wanted to do considering the Golden Eagles entered the game ranked 265th nationally in three-point percentage and 294th in field goal percentage.

"They put so much pressure on you in transition coming down hill with Ross, James and Jones," said Gard, as the Golden Eagles started 3-for-20 from the field and 1-for-12 from three. "They come with such velocity that you have to get back and get your defense set."

There were times later in the game where Wisconsin struggled in that regard. Marquette was 13-for-21 from two and scored 26 of its 40 points in the paint in the second half, but the damage had already been done with UW keeping a double-digit lead for the final 26 minutes.

Ross, James, and Jones finished 10-for-29.

"(Wisconsin) really set a tone early in the game with the force in which they played," Marquette coach Shaka Smart said.

Wisconsin's low post cleans up

Marquette's lack of size and struggles cleaning the glass entering the weekend (tied for 98th nationally, 38.11 per game) opened plenty of opportunities for Wisconsin's new-look frontcourt. The Badgers capitalized.

Nolan Winter registered his fifth double-double of the season and scored six points around the rim and another four points from the line. His 13 rebounds were a game-high, his second highest total of the season, and a "huge factor" in the outcome of the game in Smart's eyes as Winter was aggressive in attacking the glass and ripping rebounds free.

"The confidence that comes with the strength and the right type of weight addition is important for him," Gard said of Winter (UW is 20-4 when he scored in double figures). "He can play longer stretches ... His stamina has gotten because he's stronger, and I think he's still not even anywhere near where he can be."

Starting for the second consecutive games, freshman Aleksas Bieliauskas had his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, career-highs in both categories, and becoming the fifth UW freshmen in 21 years to record a double-double as a freshman (Ethan Happ (10), Connor Essegian (1), Josh Gasser (1), and Joe Krabbenhoft (1)).

Bieliauskas didn't miss a shot, going 4-for-4 from the field. He had two offensive rebounds and went 3-for-3 on threes in the final 5:09.

Bieliauskas' rapid growth has been huge. The freshman missed the entire summer conditioning program, coming to Wisconsin in late August speaking average English and having not met Gard in person, his teammates, or most of the coaching staff. It's part of the reason Gard hopped out of his truck to go say hello when he saw Bieliauskas walking down Dayton Street not long after the Lithuanian arrived on campus.

"I can't be more proud of him with how he has stayed the course," Gard said. "He's tough. He wants to get better. He's thirsting for knowledge and instruction ... In a short period of time, he's progressed and really immersed himself in the team as much as he can."

Even sophomore Austin Rapp delivered a punch off the bench with seven points and tying guard Nick Boyd with four assists, doing a good job rolling off ball screens, attracting traffic and moving the ball to an open shooter.

Gard pointed out that Bieliauskas and Winter can do more in getting out of screens and putting pressure at and around the rim at the start of game, which would open up more of Wisconsin's offense.

"I know my role," Bieliauskas said. "It's definitely different from what I'm used to, and this game definitely helps me. The guys are getting me the ball when I'm hot."

Three-headed guard monster

Wisconsin's three starting guards are talented enough shooters that they don't need a ton of help to create their shot. When Wisconsin's low post is offering as efficiently and effectively as it did Saturday, it's like shooting fish in a barrel.

John Blackwell, Boyd, and Rohde all found room to operate against Marquette's defense in combining for 62 of Wisconsin's 96 points, shooting 19-for-37 from the floor and 10-for-21 from three.

"They played well together," Smart said. "It's one thing to have three outstanding perimeter players but when they play together the way they did, it puts them in sync."

Blackwell got the most flowers after the game when he became just the third Badgers player to score 30 points against Marquette in the last 25 years, joining Happ's 34 points in 2018 and Kirk Penney's 33 points in 2001.

Gard said it was other high-major coaches' fault for not offering Blackwell, who only had the high-major offer from the Badgers when he committed out of Michigan, while Smart lauded the junior's poise.

"I coached a couple guys the last couple years who are now in the NBA, and he's that good," Smart said of Blackwell, who now ranks third in the Big Ten averaging 21.0 ppg this season. "He doesn't get speed up. He knows what he wants, but at the same time he doesn't force what he wants."

Rohde was up in Gard's office on Friday talking and apologize for his slow start to the season shooting the ball, just 26.7 percent from three, to which Gard dismissed because of how the senior was passing the ball and playing defense.

He did both of those things against Marquette and finally brought his offense, finishing with 17 points (3-for-5 3FG), his most as a Badger, to go with five rebounds and four steals.

Boyd posted 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Boyd has scored in double figures in all nine games this season and ranks sixth in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 20.2 ppg.

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Benjamin Worgull
BENJAMIN WORGULL

Benjamin Worgull has covered Wisconsin men's basketball since 2004, having previously written for Rivals, USA Today, 247sports, Fox Sports, the Associated Press, the Janesville Gazette, and the Wisconsin State Journal.

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