i think this game is going to be a typical mu-uw grinder . . . i think uw will dictate tempo, but i don't think that's as bad of a thing as normal (aside from it being absolutely brutal to watch!) seeing as we don't have the pace this year that we've had in the past. however, to me, this game comes down to how we match up against three of their guys-- berggren, evans, and dekker.

berggren is a really bad match up for us because if either chris or davante is in the game they have to follow him out to honor his three point shot . . . i think one of our weaker areas is defending the high pick and roll. the big needs to hedge and quickly recover instead of continuing to pressure the ball aimlessly.

i think jamil draws evans, which i anticipate will be the most telling matchup of the game. I'm still waiting for jamil to turn it on . . . i understand that he is in a transitional role and that he is maybe not naturally a physically dominant player, but if he doesn't bring it saturday, i think evans will have his way and that could be trouble. need jamil to get nasty and assert himself on the glass . . . he cannot disappear if we want to win.

finally, the frosh dekker is having a pretty nice little season so far . . . always hard to judge how a frosh will play in a big rivalry game, but knowing how bucky always seems to save their best for mu, i would anticipate him being a big piece to their puzzle. not sure who draws him if, for instance, evans is in the game too . . . maybe trent guards him . . . maybe juan . . . maybe vander. ill admit, i haven't seen him play all that much since hs, but with any frosh i would challenge him by being physical and we absolutely cannot give him open looks. come to think of it, juan seems like a good fit to guard him.

in the backcourt, i think we have an advantage, albeit only a slight one given the way our guards, save vander, have played so far. i would love to see some full court pressure after made baskets . . . have d wilson hound marshall and jackson from baseline to baseline.

also, mu has GOT to do two things. first, they have to get over their tendency to give up open three point looks . . . if you give brust et al those we could be in for a long day. and second, we cannot get killed on the boards and give up second chance points . . . i think it was 2010, IIRC, that bucky absolutely murdered us on the boards and escaped with a four to five point win at the BC because of all the second chance points.

all in all, i expect great energy at the BC as two bitter rivals are desperate for a win. gotta go with my boys in a close one, MU 67 - UW 62, with vander having himself a game.

thoughts?

GO WARRIORS!