NFL
By: Melo Williams
Wisconsin and Marquette met for the 130th time Saturday in the I-94 rival, a rival dating back to 1917.
If you want to know the magnitude and significance of the rival and winning, think Duke vs North Carolina and everything it stands for in good competitive sportsmanship, but the rivalry feeling Duke and North Carolina fans have, both Wisconsin and Marquette loyal fanbases has the same mutual feelings.
Only 79 miles separates the two cities Madison and Milwaukee, Chapel Hill and Durham are only separated by 10 miles.
When it comes to recruiting and having bragging rights as the university to represent college basketball for the state of Wisconsin, 79 miles is like 10 miles, it’s personal, win the in-state recruiting battle and the I-94 game.
This college basketball season has had a few early upsets, the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team (6-2) added to the list of upsets by taking down #3 Marquette Golden Eagles 75-64 at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers have beaten the Golden Eagles three straight games including four of the last five matchups, extending the series lead over Marquette 71-59.
Though some are saying Ohio State should fire its football head coach Ryan Day for losing 3 straight to the University of Michigan football team, I don’t believe #WeAreMarquette is screaming for head coach Shaka Smart to be fired though It’s probably hard to stomach losing three straight to Wisconsin, especially with a #3 team in the country led by BIG EAST POY guard Tyler Kolek.
With the win, Wisconsin now has the series’ first three-game win streak by either team since UW won four straight over Marquette from 1998-2001.
Hours before tip-off outside of the Kohl Center in the cold snow, Badgers/Area Red fans made up a large percentage of those fans who were outside waiting for the doors to open.
Once the doors opened to the Kohl Center was the moment you knew you were going to be in a loud and chaotic “White Out” Kohl Center environment led by Area Red who set the tone as extremely LOUD inside the Kohl Center early which was maintained all game and was like the sixth man on the floor in a way.
Coach Gard said in his post game press conference “The environment, the atmosphere, the fans were all terrific.”
Wisconsin and Marquette both came out excited and missed some shots early on. Once both teams settled down, Max Klesmit found his three-point shot giving Wisconsin a lead, the Badger’s defense locked in, and Wisconsin never looked back and never trailed in the game.
Klesmit led all players in scoring with 21 points. He scored all 21 of his points in the first half shooting 6-9 from the field and 5-8 from the three. Marquette changed its defensive focus in the second half to slowing down Max Klesmit and it worked holding Klesmit to 0-3 FG and 0-2 from 3PT.
Max Klesmit’s 21 points in the first half vs. Marquette were the most by a Badger in a half since Johnny Davis scored 27 points in the second half on Jan. 3, 2022 in a road win over #3 Purdue.
Coach Gard went to his bench early and often, and every player who received playing time contributed somehow to maintain the defensive pressure and Wisconsin’s lead. Wisconsin as a team played extremely well.
Big men Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl did a fabulous job once again on both ends of the court and the glass. Wisconsin won the rebounding battle 38-23 with 18 points off of second-chance points behind 15 offensive rebounds.
Heart, effort, team defense and the will to win the 50/50 balls were the difference in Wisconsin beating Marquette. Both teams are great defensive teams, Wisconsin wanted it more and it was obvious.
Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Greg Gard got 26 points and 15 out of the 38 rebounds between Wahl (7) and Crowl (8). Crowl was two rebounds shy of his third double-double this season. Both big men delivered timely baskets and defensive stops. Most of their best work doesn’t show in-the-box scores, but in a deep dive with analytics, it would.
AJ Storr delivered once again when Wisconsin needed his playmaker abilities. Storr continuously found his way to the rim for easy buckets and on one of his two dunks, Storr brought the Kohl Center to a roaring cheer after driving baseline getting fouled and finishing with a thunderous dunk that was very Dominique Wilkins or Anthony Edwards-like with an and one foul knocking down the free-throw.
Storr finished the game with 13 points, scoring nine of those in the second half when Wisconsin needed the points to hold off Marquette’s run.
Chucky Hepburn once again did work all around, the difference in Saturday’s game was he did his scoring in the first half with seven points finishing the game with nine points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Coach Greg Gard told his team after beating the #3 Marquette…”There’s so, so, so much more out there for you.” “Stay hungry, stay humble, keep working.”
Somehow that message was passed to his team prior to the game or at halftime because that’s exactly what the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team did to dominate the game.
They stayed together as one, stayed hungry, and kept working until Area Red and other Badgers fans stormed the court of the Kohl Center after their unranked Wisconsin Badgers upset the #3 team in the country, its intrastate rival separated by 79 miles, Marquette University.
Under Greg Gard’s tenure since 2015, Wisconsin now has 7 wins over AP Top-5 teams. Only Tom Izzo and Michigan State have more wins with eight.
2023 vs #3 Marquette
2022 at #3 Purdue
2020 at #5 Ohio St
2019 vs #2 Michigan
2017 vs #1 Villanova
2016 at #2 Maryland
2016 vs #4 Michigan St
Besides the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team winning, the people of the state of Wisconsin and college basketball fans everywhere won watching two of the best college academic basketball programs battle it out in the land of the cheese state, the great state of Wisconsin.
With wins already against Virginia and Marquette, Wisconsin now faces Michigan State, on December 5, and #2 Arizona, on December 9 with both games being on the road. Waiting to see the results of those two games, the Badgers have two huge wins in their favor for Selection Sunday for March Madness.
Follow Melo on X and Instagram: @_MeloWilliams
