Wisconsin - Ohio State Preview

(4) Wisconsin vs. (5) Ohio State
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Friday, March 13, 1:30pm CT
TV: ESPN
Radio: WIBA-AM (1310), WIBA-FM (101.5)
Spread: Wisconsin by 1.5

Due to the Big Ten’s rotating schedule, Wisconsin and Ohio State met just once during the regular season, a memorable 55-50 Badger victory in Madison on Valentine’s Day. The Kohl Center crowd that night was phenomenal, due in no small part to the presence of ESPN’s College GameDay, which began whipping the students into a frenzy at 9 o’clock that morning, 11 hours before tip-off.

Friday’s atmosphere will be decidedly less electric, but the quality of the game should overshadow the absence of Digger Phelps & Co. (Erin Andrews will be in attendance, however).

The senior leadership of Marcus Landry and Joe Krabbenhoft was vital in the first meeting, keeping the Badgers composed through eight ties and 17 lead changes. Landry was the primary scorer, posting 17 points in 30 minutes, while Krabbenhoft made his usual impact across the stat sheet, racking up nine points, eight rebounds (four offensive), four assists and six steals. His three-pointer with 2:06 to play ignited an 8-1 Wisconsin run over the final two minutes of the game.

Unquestionably, the key for Wisconsin in winning the first game was the ability to manufacture opportunities. Of the Badgers’ 55 points, 32 came on second-chance opportunities or off turnovers. They racked up 10 steals and 15 offensive rebounds, numbers that allowed them to overcome a rather pedestrian shooting night (36 percent).

Wisconsin will need to have similar success forcing turnovers and converting on second chances to beat Ohio State on Friday. Another key will be stopping do-everything forward Evan Turner, who had 23 points in the first matchup. The All-Big Ten first-teamer ranked first in scoring, second in assists and fourth in rebounding in conference play this season. Expect Joe Krabbenhoft to be primarily responsible for locking down on Turner, although Bo Ryan will certainly be backing Krabbenhoft up with plenty of backside help.

Controlling the glass and limiting Turner’s effectiveness are the two necessary ingredients if the Badgers hope to make it 2-for-2 against the Buckeyes. Both teams will likely receive an at-large selection even with a loss, but a win would allow the players and coaches to breathe a little easier on Selection Sunday.

Once again, tip-off is set for 1:30pm CT. I’ll be courtside at Conseco Fieldhouse, live blogging the game, and would love to hear your comments during the action.