Badgers Stink Up The Joint » Brats & Beer

February 1, 2006
posted under: Badgers basketball

How awful was that? Wisconsin had a chance to prove themselves against a top 10 team and take charge of the Big 10 standings, but instead they shot 35% from the field, turned the ball over 14 times, and were all but shut out from three point range in their 66-51 loss to Illinois. As bad as any loss is, this one was bad. Give the Illini credit, their defense can be smothering, but the Badgers just seemed dazed and confused out there half the time. There was very little offensive rebounding and they just seemed timid when it came to challenging Illinois inside. Face it, you guys are not the best outside shooters in the world and you either need to get in there for the rebound or drive to the basket. I will say I was impressed by Illinois. They are such a little team but man can they drain those deep jumpers.

Worst of all, though, I had to endure the game on ESPN with Brent Musburger and Steve Lavin. Jeeze, what a couple of tools. There was one stretch there where they went on for five minutes or more about Joe Lunardi, the ESPN “Bracketologist” and what a terrific guy he is and how smart he is and, ooh, he’s so handsome and cool. The game is going on right in front of them, mind you, there was not a time out or some other break in the action, they were just talking right over the action of the game. Please, why can’t TV hire and retain decent announcers like Badgers play-by-play man Matt Lepay. Okay, maybe I’m a little biased, but he calls a solid game and rarely gets sidetracked from that job.