The Creighton men’s basketball team takes part in the Gavitt Games again this season, making their second appearance in as many years of the games. While the Bluejays were not originally slated to take part this year, they ended up getting a great home matchup with Wisconsin, making it most likely the best non-conference home game for the Jays this season.
Creighton and Wisconsin last got together in Vegas in 2012, where the Bluejays left with a 10 point victory. A lot has changed over the past four years with roster turnover and a head coaching change for Wisconsin with Bo Ryan retiring. The get together in the Gavitt Games is potentially the first of two games with the Badgers as both schools will be in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City during the 2017-18 season.
To help us get caught up on the Badgers, we reached out to Jim Polzin of the Wisconsin State Journal. He provides some good insight on the Tuesday evening matchup. Here is what he had to say.
White & Blue Review: How has the post Bo Ryan era been so far? Since Greg Gard was part of Ryan’s staff is there any urgency to keep the Badgers at the same level and not to drop off?
Jim Polzin: Last season was such a whirlwind after Ryan retired and Gard took over but, after a few weeks, things settled down and the players started to buy into what Gard was preaching. Now that he’s had an entire offseason to implement some things he wants to do, I think there’s a level of comfort and consistency once again within the program. As for urgency, I don’t sense that’s the case. Gard is a pretty even-keeled guy and he understands what it takes to win at this place, so he’s not going to stray too far from that plan. As cliché as it sounds, this program under Bo was always about “next” — the next practice, the next game — and there was never really any looking ahead. That said, this team’s seniors have been pretty outspoken about the fact that the one thing they haven’t accomplished is winning a national title. That’s their mission this season.
WBR: How important was it for Nigel Hayes to decide to come back to Wisconsin for his senior season?
JP: I think this team would have been pretty good without him, but Hayes’ return gives it a better chance of being one of the elite teams in the country. Not only was he the Badgers’ leading scorer least season, he also led the team in assists. He’s a really good passer and does a nice job of finding open teammates. He’s also the team’s most versatile defender, which sometimes gets overlooked.
WBR: With this being a veteran team, outside of Hayes, who is the biggest leader on the team that will step up this season for the Badgers?
JP: Bronson Koenig isn’t real vocal, though he’s improved in that area. But he’s a good leader-by-example type and would be the first to admit that he’s matured a lot from the time he stepped foot on campus until now. Hayes and Koenig have played a ton of big games at UW, so it’s only natural that their teammates look to them for leadership. I’m not sure they were totally comfortable in that role at this time last year and that, among other things, contributed to UW’s slow start. Now, I think they embrace being leaders.
WBR: Who is the player under the radar that Creighton will need to look out for on Tuesday night?
JP: This is going to sound like a bit of a cop-out, but I think one of the strengths of this team is its depth. UW’s rotation can legitimately go 10 deep, which is pretty rare for this program. Hayes, Koenig and Ethan Happ, who was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season, are clearly going to occupy the top three spots on opponents’ scouting reports. But there are a handful of other guys who will probably average between 5-10 points per gme this season. Senior forward Vitto Brown was UW’s most consistent player on offense the second half of last season and he didn’t score in the opener, so maybe he’ll bounce back. Zak Showalter is capable of burying 3s if teams leave him alone. Reserves Alex Illikainen and Jordan Hill have flashed at times during the preseason. So I think UW is comfortable with the idea that the points will come from somewhere, they just don’t know the exact source each night.
WBR: What is your opinion of the Gavitt Games? Are there games Wisconsin would rather schedule or do you think these kinds of scheduling options are good for the game?
JP: From a media and fan standpoint, I think games like this are great. I think the coaches love it from the standpoint that it’s a challenging game early in the season. Now, if this was Wisconsin playing at DePaul, there might be some griping. But games against the best teams in the Big East, whether it’s Creighton or Villanova or Xavier or Georgetown, should create plenty of buzz.
WBR: Over the past several years, Creighton and Wisconsin have had quite the battles. It also sounds like they could face each other next season in Kansas City. What is it about these two teams that it is attractive to put them up against each other?
JP: I think it’s just two good programs with really good fan bases. Geography helps, too. It’s nice that UW fans can make the drive over to Omaha if they want to see this game.
WBR: What is your final prediction? Will this be one of the early great games of the season when all said and done?
JP: Sorry, but I don’t do predictions, especially early in the season. I do think it’s going to be a good game. I’m not sure UW will see a better backcourt this season than Creighton’s, so that will be a good test for the Badgers. On the flip side, UW is far more experienced in the frontcourt, so I’d expect the Badgers to try to work their offense through the post as much as possible