Can we just drop any debate and admit that the Kohl Center in the toughest place in college basketball to play?
Last night, Wisconsin was playing without second leading scorer Jon Leuer, who is still out with a broken left wrist. Then, just 3:01 into the game, Trevon Hughes, Wisconsin's leading scorer, picked up his second foul of the game, sending him to the bench for the rest of the half.
That meant that Wisconsin would be forced to play the remaining 16:59 of the first half without their two leading scorers against a team ranked fifth in the country that had won ten in a row, was undefeated in Big Ten play, and had already beaten a Wisconsin team at full strength.
So what happened?
The Badgers promptly played their best half of basketball. Using their trademark "swing offense", Wisconsin spread the floor, moved the ball around, and waited patiently for a good shot to open up. When it did, they hit it. At the other end of the floor, they simply played sound defense, forcing Michigan State to take tough shots and limiting them to one opportunity.
Its amazing how simple basketball is.
But Wisconsin's 15 point halftime lead looked like it could have been in jeopardy as Michigan State came out playing much better in the second half, getting the lead below double digits on several occasions. The 10:50 mark provided a different story, as Kalin Lucas, the Spartan's leading scorer and best player, landed on a defender's foot after taking a 17 foot pull-up. His right ankle rolled, and it was obvious he was in a lot of pain.
Kalin Lucas landed badly on his ankle last night.
(photo credit: DetNews)
Michigan State doesn't believe that the ankle is broken, but Lucas will be getting x-rays on it today nonetheless. The term that was thrown around was high ankle sprain, which are the worst kind of sprains.
Only time will tell how long it takes Lucas to get back on the court, but the fact that he was on crutches after the game isn't promising. No word yet on his status for the Illinois game on Saturday.
Lucas couldn't put any pressure on his right foot, and had to be carried into the locker room. As he was being carried, Wisconsin fans all stood and gave Lucas an ovation. That's the best player for a conference rival, mind you.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wisconsin's home court advantage and a Kalin Lucas injury |
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1 comment:
Hi Rob - Thanks for the story. I have a couple comments. First, I was at the game last night. To say that MSU cut the lead to single digits on several occasions overstates their case. They cut it to 8 points once, and 9 points twice in the 2nd half, and were in single digits for all of 1:48 of the half. This was a rout, and Lucas' injury had nothing to do with it - they were done when he went out.
Second, the Kohl Center is not that tough a place to play - and I say that as a season ticket holder. Rather, the Badgers are a tough team to play. They will never be unprepared, they will rarely let you run your offense effectively, they'll patiently wait for you to screw up on defense and then take advantage, and they will not turn the ball over. They've had 5-or-fewer TO's in four of the last six games.
When Leuer returns, this is likely the best team in the conference.
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