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UW men's basketball: Focused Badgers batter Beasley, head to Sweet 16

Rob Schultz  —  3/22/2008 10:34 pm

OMAHA, Neb. -- It was early in the second half when Michael Flowers drove hard down the right side of the lane and dropped the ball off to a waiting Brian Butch in the middle of the paint. But Butch never got the handle on the ball as three Kansas State players swiped at it on the Qwest Center court.

Undaunted, an off-balance Flowers grabbed the loose ball under the hoop before falling out of bounds and stunned the Wildcats by somehow firing a pass to an open Trevon Hughes, who dropped in a 3-pointer to give the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team a 49-35 lead.

What was as important as the lead was how the Wildcats' heads hung as they ran down the floor after Hughes' score. There were more than 15 minutes left to play but it was very apparent that Kansas State was already defeated in this second-round NCAA tournament game.

The 11th-seeded Wildcats were the underdog coming into this game but didn't play like it during Wisconsin's 72-55 victory Saturday afternoon. From the opening tip, they were baffled by the Badgers' energy, which pulled the plug on the Wildcats and powered Wisconsin to the Sweet 16.

"We're on a journey," said Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan after the third-seeded Badgers' poise, effort and guile led them to a school-record 31st victory and the program's fourth Sweet 16 appearance in the past eight years.

"We don't see an end right now," added a proud Ryan. "We want to keep playing."

Wisconsin (31-4) will play next Friday in Detroit against the winner of Sunday's Georgetown-Davidson matchup because of outstanding overall performances by guards Flowers and Hughes and a devastating defensive effort that frustrated Kansas State freshman stars Michael Beasley and Bill Walker.

Hughes, the Badgers' sophomore point guard, put together a masterpiece that included tying his career high with 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting overall as well as three assists, two rebounds, a steal and a turnover.

Flowers, a 6-2 senior, added 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. They combined to make 7-of-12 3-pointers and outscored the Wildcats' guards 40-4.

Also, senior reserve center Greg Stiemsma chipped in with a career-high 14 rebounds and had seven rebounds, which was one short of his career high.

"That was awesome," said junior swingman Joe Krabbenhoft who believed the Badgers' energy started with Hughes and Flowers. "We were so focused. That was the most focused I've ever seen this group and this group has been focused all year."

They were most focused on defense where the Badgers forced Beasley and Walker to work hard for their shots and wore them down by throwing Marcus Landry, Brian Butch, Greg Stiemsma, Joe Krabbenhoft and Flowers at them at different times.

The 6-10, 235-pound Beasley, a first-team All-American and good bet to be the first pick in June's NBA draft, finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds. But he had just 6 points in the second half. Walker, a 6-6 forward, finished with 18 points and six rebounds. They also were a combined 0-for-6 from 3-point range and the team was a combined 0-for-13 from beyond the arc.

"We treated them like we treated any other player in the Big Ten; like a D.J. White," said Landry.

As far as Beasley was concerned, "We just fronted him and made it hard for him to get the ball," Landry added. "Make him take tough jump shots and tough shots."

The Badgers also took advantage of the Wildcats' impatience by limiting Beasley's and Walker's ability to get the ball on the first look by their teammates.

"I think after they passed them up the first time, a shot was going up by someone else," said Landry, who added the Badgers were pleased to limit the other Wildcats to just 14 points on 6-of-23 shooting.

"Once they passed him up the first time, they didn't get him the ball after that," added Landry, who was referring to Beasley. "They looked at him the first time and then it was kind of done. So I think the fact that we made it tough to find him worked."

The Wildcats' guards were exploited when the Badgers had the ball, too. More specifically, Hughes and Flowers took advantage of how poorly they handled the Badgers' ball screens.

"It was something we learned during the game," said Hughes. "They were going underneath ball screens and our shots started falling. Then their game plan changed. They had to go over the screens. When they go over we're going right to the rim.

"And if they are going to double or follow the ball screen," Hughes added, "we're going to throw it right back to our big man and hit the other big in the paint."

The Badgers' guards didn't waste time taking advantage of the Wildcats' defensive problems. Hughes hit an early 3-pointer and assisted Jason Bohannon on his 3 to give the Badgers a 13-10 lead.

Shortly afterward, Stiemsma started a 13-4 run with a three-point play and a dunk following an assist from Hughes. Butch followed with a lay-in on an assist by Flowers, Hughes hit a 3 and then Butch hit a 3 on an assist from Flowers to make it 26-16 with 7:20 left in the half.

Kansas State came back to close to 36-33 on a Beasley dunk with 1:05 to go in the half, but Flowers ended the rally when he dropped in a 3 with 43.6 seconds left to give the Badgers a 39-31 lead at the break.

"That," said Flowers of his 3-pointer to end the first half, "was huge."

Kansas State coach Frank Martin concurred. But he also said Hughes' penetration to start the second half hurt even more.

Hughes drove and fed Butch for a point-blank shot that he missed but followed successfully and then drove for a layup and added a free throw. After he made a pull-up jumper, the Badgers owned a 46-33 lead with 16:36 left.

"That's where the difference was made," Martin said. "Instead of being five, six, seven (deficit), immediately it was 12, 13. It wasn't their offense that hurt us. It was out inability to guard the basketball."

Wisconsin put it away with a 10-0 run late in the game that showed off just how unflappable the Badgers have been this season. First, Krabbenhoft grabbed a weak pass from Landry in the paint and dropped in a shot. Then, Bohannon baited Walker into fouling him as he attempted a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left on the shot clock and made two of three free throws.

After Hughes made two free throws and Beasley missed another 3, Hughes dazzled with a 3-point dagger from the top of the key with 2 seconds left on the shot clock and 3:52 left in the game that gave the Badgers a 70-51 lead.

By that time, Flowers was singing the Bud Song with Wisconsin's fans after the Badgers broke from a timeout.

"I had fun," said Flowers, who added that his five turnovers won't wreck his perspective of this game.

"It was just an exciting game," Flowers continued. "It was a game I probably won't ever forget against a good team."

The Badgers certainly impressed Martin, who admitted that plays like the one Flowers made to find an open Hughes for a 3-pointer are deflating to their opponents.

"Wisconsin did their job," said Martin. "It's just a credit to who they are, how they play. The job Bo does with those guys, you know he's got a system in place."

Rob Schultz  —  3/22/2008 10:34 pm