Wisconsin vs. #19 Minnesota

Head to Head matchups
Trevon Hughes vs. Al Nolen- Trevon Hughes
Al Nolen is the proven floor general for the Gophers and has really stepped up his game from last year. A solid on-ball defender, he will be given the challenge of guarding one of the most dangerous point guards in the Conference (depending on the day.) Trevon Hughes has really stepped up his game this year. Hughes is the x-factor for the Badgers. When he is on he is on, at other times he looks like he shouldn’t be allowed on the court. This is the Badgers game to lose if Hughes is able to control the tempo.

Jason Bohannon vs. Lawrence Westbrook- Lawrence Westbrook
After a sluggish start to the season, Bohannon has quickly become an adequate offensive replacement for Michael Flowers this year. Bohannon averages 11.7 ppg and although his defense is much improved from last year, it is still a flaw in his overall game. Bohannon has typically struggled against athletic guards such as Westbrook and I believe the Gophers will exploit this throughout the game. Westbrook is a dangerous combo-guard who can shoot the three and take it inside. Reminds me of a poor man’s Jerel McNeal on the offensive end of the court.

Joe Krabbenhoft vs. Damian Johnson- Joe Krabbenhoft
If there were a prototype for Joe Krabbenhoft in terms of toughness on the defensive end, it’s Damian Johnson. Johnson is an all-around player who led the Gophers in blocked shots and had 59 steals in 07-08. Luckily for the Badgers, they have Joe Krabbenhoft who is extremely careful with the ball and rarely turns the ball over. Krabbenhoft’s experience should prove to be extremely valuable in this matchup.

Marcus Landry vs. Colton Iverson- Marcus Landry
I’ll forgive Marcus for his 3-15 performance the other night. He is the leader of this Badger team and will undoubtedly be the go-to-guy in this game. I have not seen enough of Colton Iverson to make a quality report on him, but I’ve only heard good things from the people I talk to. Unfortunately for Colton Iverson, Marcus Landry has played in the Big 10 for over three seasons now and has gone against the likes of DJ White, Greg Oden, and others over his Badger career. A Senior-Freshmen matchup is something the Badgers should be able to exploit.

Keaton Nankivil vs. Ralph Sampson III- Ralph Sampson III
Ralph Sampson III has had a quality start to his college basketball career and will only get better as the year goes on. I wouldn’t start comparing him to his father just yet, but he will undoubtedly be a solid big man in the Big 10 over the next 4 years. Keaton Nankivil has played limited minutes in his role as a starter. Keaton has shown the uncanny ability to hit the mid-range jumper, but has yet to develop a solid inside game. I give Sampson the advantage due to his size.

Wisconsin Bench vs. Minnesota Bench- Even
It is rare to see two teams face off against each other with the amount of depth that Wisconsin and Minnesota bring off their respective benches. Both teams arguably bring their biggest offensive threats off the bench in Blake Hoffarber and Jon Leuer and each will likely be the top favorites for the Big 10’s Sixth Man of the Year.

Bo Ryan vs. Tubby Smith- Bo Ryan
Bo Ryan has the all-time edge with a 2-1 all-time record. If you may recall, Wisconsin lost to Tubby Smith’s Kentucky Wildcats in the 2003 Sweet 16. I don’t want to sway too far off topic, but what if Wisconsin would’ve beaten Kentucky that year? Living in southeastern Wisconsin I can’t even imagine the hype a Marquette-Wisconsin NCAA tournament game would’ve had. Wisconsin beat Marquette at the BC that year as well… oh well! Bo Ryan has only lost to Illinois and Purdue at the Kohl Center in conference play and until that changes you can’t go wrong with picking the Badgers at home.