Wednesday, January 28, 2009

This senior class has no killer instinct...

For most of my adult life, I've seen a Badger team that would roll up on you with a polite if not passive aggressive swagger. They come up on a close game and they would win more often than not. They were a confident, well coached team.

Until this year.

Not to say that Bo Ryan hasn't done an excellent job with this 12-8 team. This team has had a chance to win the majority of their losses. But last night was a microchasm of their issue. The last 2:30 of the game, in a nutshell.

Miss
Three for Purdue
Make
Three for Purdue
Miss
Foul
Rebounds the front end of the one and one.
Miss
Purdue ices the game with two free throws.
Three pointer.

So what does that tell you? One? The Badgers did not man up an excellent three point shooting team down the stretch. Two? That on a team that prides itself on its senior leadership? Freshman Jordan Taylor took the four final shots with the game in question. Now, maybe this means big things next year? But Joey Floorburn and the guy I prayed would turn into Shawn Marion have to take some form of offensive responsibility. Three? To save this team, Bo may have to go out of his comfort zone.

Experience and small rotations are his bailiwick. But with the struggles of his veterans with experience? You may see Taylor and Nankivil's roles expand. You may see more Rob Wilson (The Pomeroy would love that). Heck, you may see undersized drunkard Kevin Gullikson if it gets really desperate.

But this team will not fix itself by staying on its present path. That much is true.

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