The first time the University of Wisconsin men?s basketball team played Michigan this season, the Badgers were riding a red-hot senior point guard.
The script has been flipped for the teams? second meeting in 30 days, which comes tonight at Crisler Arena.
While UW?s Bronson Koenig is battered and in a shooting slump, Michigan?s Derrick Walton Jr. is carrying the load on offense as the Wolverines live life on the NCAA tournament bubble.
Koenig, who?s battling a calf strain in his left leg, was held out of practice Tuesday and Wednesday. According to a UW official, Koenig?s status is day to day as the No. 11 Badgers (21-4, 10-2 Big Ten) prepare to face the Wolverines (16-9, 6-6).
If Koenig isn?t ready to go, freshman D?Mitrik Trice would make his first career start.
Since injuring his calf in a victory over Penn State on Jan. 24, Koenig is shooting 25.5 percent overall (14 of 55) and 22.6 percent (7 of 31) from 3-point range over the past five games.
In UW?s first seven Big Ten games, including the meeting with Penn State, Koenig shot 51.5 percent overall (35 of 68) and 57.5 percent (23 of 40) from beyond the arc.
Included in that stretch was the game against Michigan on Jan. 17, a 68-64 victory for UW that included 16 points from Koenig. He scored 10 consecutive points for the Badgers during one stretch in the second half to help rescue a struggling offense, a burst that included two explosive drives to the basket and a pair of 3-pointers.
The injury has robbed Koenig of his explosion, leaving some to wonder if it?d be better to sit him a game or longer so he can be healthy for the postseason.
Koenig wasn?t available for interviews earlier this week, leaving UW assistant coach Howard Moore to answer the question of whether sitting Koenig is an option.
?It?s just, ?Hey, let?s get the treatments, let?s do what we need to do and then gauge it day by day,? ? Moore said. ?Because you may feel crummy today and the next day you feel like, ?Hey, I can go and I can give it my best,? and you play well. I don?t think you overreact. I think you just take it each day as it comes and then go from there.?
Walton, meanwhile, has hit his stride as the season hits its stretch run. He?s averaging 23.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists over his past five games ? two each against Michigan State and Indiana, and one against Ohio State ? while shooting 55.9 percent overall (33 of 59), 53.8 percent from beyond the arc (14 of 26) and 92.1 percent (35 of 38) from the free throw line.
?The biggest thing is he?s played inspired basketball,? Moore said. ?Since our game, his urgency level has gone through the roof. ?
?You name it, he?s picked it up in every facet of his game and it?s been infectious on their team. ?
?As seniors do around this time of year, they step up and they grab the team by the horns and pull them with them. That?s what he?s doing.?
Walton, meanwhile, said Wednesday that he?s looking forward to going against Koenig one more time.
?He takes and makes big shots,? Walton told MLive.com. ?A guy like that, you respect it. But that?s a challenge I want to take. That?s my matchup for the game. I want to take him out of the game as much as possible.
?Down the stretch, it?s limiting touches. When he has the ball, it?s just being really sound and make it tough on him. But make no mistake about it, I respect the fact that he takes those big shots.?
The script has been flipped for the teams? second meeting in 30 days, which comes tonight at Crisler Arena.
While UW?s Bronson Koenig is battered and in a shooting slump, Michigan?s Derrick Walton Jr. is carrying the load on offense as the Wolverines live life on the NCAA tournament bubble.
Koenig, who?s battling a calf strain in his left leg, was held out of practice Tuesday and Wednesday. According to a UW official, Koenig?s status is day to day as the No. 11 Badgers (21-4, 10-2 Big Ten) prepare to face the Wolverines (16-9, 6-6).
If Koenig isn?t ready to go, freshman D?Mitrik Trice would make his first career start.
Since injuring his calf in a victory over Penn State on Jan. 24, Koenig is shooting 25.5 percent overall (14 of 55) and 22.6 percent (7 of 31) from 3-point range over the past five games.
In UW?s first seven Big Ten games, including the meeting with Penn State, Koenig shot 51.5 percent overall (35 of 68) and 57.5 percent (23 of 40) from beyond the arc.
Included in that stretch was the game against Michigan on Jan. 17, a 68-64 victory for UW that included 16 points from Koenig. He scored 10 consecutive points for the Badgers during one stretch in the second half to help rescue a struggling offense, a burst that included two explosive drives to the basket and a pair of 3-pointers.
The injury has robbed Koenig of his explosion, leaving some to wonder if it?d be better to sit him a game or longer so he can be healthy for the postseason.
Koenig wasn?t available for interviews earlier this week, leaving UW assistant coach Howard Moore to answer the question of whether sitting Koenig is an option.
?It?s just, ?Hey, let?s get the treatments, let?s do what we need to do and then gauge it day by day,? ? Moore said. ?Because you may feel crummy today and the next day you feel like, ?Hey, I can go and I can give it my best,? and you play well. I don?t think you overreact. I think you just take it each day as it comes and then go from there.?
Walton, meanwhile, has hit his stride as the season hits its stretch run. He?s averaging 23.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists over his past five games ? two each against Michigan State and Indiana, and one against Ohio State ? while shooting 55.9 percent overall (33 of 59), 53.8 percent from beyond the arc (14 of 26) and 92.1 percent (35 of 38) from the free throw line.
?The biggest thing is he?s played inspired basketball,? Moore said. ?Since our game, his urgency level has gone through the roof. ?
?You name it, he?s picked it up in every facet of his game and it?s been infectious on their team. ?
?As seniors do around this time of year, they step up and they grab the team by the horns and pull them with them. That?s what he?s doing.?
Walton, meanwhile, said Wednesday that he?s looking forward to going against Koenig one more time.
?He takes and makes big shots,? Walton told MLive.com. ?A guy like that, you respect it. But that?s a challenge I want to take. That?s my matchup for the game. I want to take him out of the game as much as possible.
?Down the stretch, it?s limiting touches. When he has the ball, it?s just being really sound and make it tough on him. But make no mistake about it, I respect the fact that he takes those big shots.?
