Penn State, Wisconsin identity swap sets stage for Saturday battle
Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry took in the question during his weekly radio show from host Steve Jones.
Set to travel to Wisconsin to face Badgers Saturday (6 p.m., BTN), his Nittany Lions would get an opponent with a traditional, tried and true identity. Fundamentally sound and opportunistic, those elements are again cornerstones of the 17-4 group under the direction of head coach Greg Gard.
Unlike the typical iterations to take the hardwood in Madison, however, this outfit is showing an offensive style with a major change.
“Wisconsin has a system and they stick to it. That’s who they are. That’s how they play. And you have to adjust to it,” Shrewsberry said. “The one thing is, though, they got some different horses and he kind of lets them loose a little bit. You watch them this year, they’re playing a little different.”
How different are Penn State, Wisconsin styles?
In Shrewsberry’s estimation, Wisconsin is playing more like Penn State while Penn State currently employs an offensive pace closer to Wisconsin’s traditional output.
“They score a lot quicker, early in the clock,” Shrewsberry said. “You add Chucky Hepburn as the point guard, who will push the pace a little bit. Johnny Davis is a phenomenal player. Another guy, two games in a row we’re playing against a guy that’s… gonna be a lottery pick this year in the NBA Draft. That’s how good he is. And he’s up for National Player of the Year in the country and Big Ten Player of the Year and everything else.
“So (Gard) allows those guys to go a little bit quicker than they normally do. They still don’t run at a pace like Iowa or Michigan State, but they’re opportunistic when they do attack. And then they play a little bit faster in terms of playing in the half-court instead of the methodical way where they move it side to side and set those back screens.”
The changes are reflected in the Badgers’ team scouting report at KenPom.com.
According to the definitive college hoops analytics site, the Badgers’ tempo rating of 68.9 against Big Ten competition is third in the league this season. Penn State, at 63.8, is 13th in the conference and ranked No. 349 out of 358 teams rated.
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Last season, Wisconsin was last in the Big Ten in the same tempo metric with Penn State checking in at third in the league.
Understanding the shift that has taken place for the Badgers, Shrewsberry is determined to upend the imbalance.
“We have to be good in terms of who you need to help off of, who you need to stay tight to. The moment you make a mistake is the moment they capitalize and the moment they take advantage of things. So we got to be good,” Shrewsberry said. “Playing Iowa helps us. They’re totally different in how they play, but there are different people that you need to help off of. If your guy is screening, you need to help.
“That’s kind of our mantra going in… We’re hoping our discipline shows through in how we need to guard them on Saturday.”
If able to do so, Penn State would earn its first win in Madison in 27. The Nittany Lions have never won at the Kohl Center and last notched a win at Wisconsin on Jan. 26, 1995.
