During a radio interview this week, Ohio State coach Thad Matta revealed that he liked to "Scooby-Doo" cartoons as a child. Growing up in Hoopeston, Ill., where alternative activities consisted of practicing free throws and baling hay, Matta found the adventures of Mystery, Inc., to be an exciting diversion.

Sort of like Sunday will be for the rest of us.

The Wisconsin Badgers (26-3), ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, travel to Columbus to face Matta's Buckeyes (25-3), who are ranked No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

The winner of the game, which will be televised nationally on CBS beginning at 3 p.m., will have an inside track toward the Big Ten regular-season title and a No. 1 seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

While a No. 1 seeding doesn't guarantee a trip to the Final Four, teams that earn them are a pretty safe bet to make the Sweet 16. All four teams holding top seeds advanced to the second weekend of the tournament last year and 14 of 16 have done so in the past four years.

Wisconsin's prospects took a hit during a loss to Michigan State this week, but that memory can be wiped out with a victory over Ohio State.

In the first meeting between the teams, Jan. 9 at the Kohl Center, Wisconsin got a season-high 25 points from guard Kammron Taylor and took a 72-69 victory. The Buckeyes, led by standout freshmen Greg Oden and Mike Conley, haven't lost since.

What do the Badgers need to do to win? Attack the basket, make free throws and rebound. A strong game from senior Alando Tucker will help, too. Tucker, a candidate for national player of the year honors, disappeared in the second half against Michigan State and didn't attempt a free throw in the game.

Badgers coach Bo Ryan likes his team to make more free throws than the opponent attempts. Michigan State turned the tables in that department this week, going 13 for 17 while the Badgers were eight for 12. A major reason for the disparity was that the Badgers attempted a season-high 28 three-point attempts.

Ohio State has more talent than Michigan State, so the Badgers, particularly Taylor and Michael Flowers, will have to shoot better than the combined 2 for 16 they put up at the Breslin Center, penetrate and create passing lanes for Brian Butch and Greg Stiemsma. The Badgers' "bigs" must avoid being pushed around like they were in East Lansing, where the Spartans held a 41-24 rebounding advantage.

Both teams will be sky-high for this game and so will many of the people watching Verne Lundquist and Billy Packer call the action in this matchup, which at this point seems too close to call.

A week ago, Marquette coach Tom Crean was mentioned as a possible successor to Miami Heat coach Pat Riley. This week, a rumor has him heading to Kentucky as a replacement for Tubby Smith.

Golden Eagles fans should be used to seeing Crean's name pop up in rumors for high-profile jobs like this. But, that doesn't make it more pleasant.

As for the two jobs, a trip to Miami would reunite Crean with former MU star Dwyane Wade. And, a number of basketball experts feel that Crean's prowess dealing with isolation / matchups would give him a good base to work in the NBA. As for Kentucky, it's one of the marquee jobs in college basketball. The perception is that Smith, whose contract is incentive-laden, is running a "loose" program, so Crean's discipline and work ethic would be an interesting contrast.

With their playoff hopes torpedoed by injuries, the Bucks will have a hard time capturing the attention of the local sporting public until they make a coaching change or a pick in the NBA Draft, which won't take place until June 28.

With that said, the Bucks got robbed Friday night in New York.

For all the darts being thrown at coach Terry Stotts, the Bucks seem to be hanging together and playing hard every night. They were headed for overtime Friday when referees whistled Andrew Bogut for a loose-ball foul with 0.8 seconds left. Channing Frye ended up making two free throws to seal a 95-93 victory for the Knicks.

Replays showed that Bogut probably was guilty of an infraction, but it was one that rarely if ever gets called on a shot at the buzzer. The Bucks have lost seven in row overall, 11 in a row on the road and 22 of 25 since the calendar flipped to 2007.

 Page 1 of 2 (view all on one page)

Next >>

Post a comment / write a review.