No. 7 Wisconsin on short rest vs. Northwestern (Feb 12, 2017)
MADISON, Wis. -- Coach Greg Gard decided to run a short practice on Friday for No. 7 Wisconsin, since his players didn't get to bed until 2:30 a.m. earlier that day.
The Badgers claimed a third overtime victory in their last six games on Thursday night, with a 70-69 Big Ten Conference win at Nebraska. All three of Wisconsin's extra session games were road matchups.
Wisconsin (21-3, 10-1 in the Big Ten) has a quick turnaround, as it prepares for a game against Northwestern on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. CST at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers have won eight straight and hold a 1½ game lead over Purdue in the Big Ten standings.
Gard said he's impressed with Wisconsin's perseverance, but the Badgers' work to improve is a never-ending objective.
"We've been tested a multitude of ways and I'm proud of how they responded from a fortitude standpoint, but we've got to continue to mature and grow in other areas," Gard said after the win over the Huskers.
Wisconsin senior forward Nigel Hayes scored a game-high 20 points against Nebraska, including a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 13 seconds left in overtime that lifted the Badgers to victory.
That was the only long-range shot of the game for Hayes, who missed 8 of 9 from 3-point range in the preceding three games.
Hayes, who averages 13.6 points per game, said the Badgers are well aware of the task at hand.
"As coach Gard was telling us, we've got to grow, mature better and if we finally put together 40 minutes of basketball, we could be a semi-decent team once we get to that point," Hayes said.
Northwestern coach Chris Collins and the Huskies (18-6, 7-4) have a goal of earning the program's first NCAA tournament berth. The Badgers will pose a tough challenge, considering Northwestern will be without junior guard Scott Lindsey for a second game.
"There's no panic in our locker room, I think there's urgency," said Collins, who would like to see more production on offense from junior guard Bryant McIntosh, senior guard Sanjay Lumpkin and junior forward Gavin Skelly.
Lindsey, the team's leading scorer at 15.4 points per game, has mononucleosis. Collins said on Friday that Lindsey is getting better and expects him back "sooner rather than later."
Senior forward Nathan Taphorn probably will return to the Huskies' lineup against the Badgers. Taphorn injured his right ankle during the first half of Northwestern's 68-55 win over Indiana on Jan. 29 and has been sidelined for two games.
Northwestern has lost two straight and are fresh off a 68-61 home setback to Illinois on Tuesday. The Huskies held a three-point lead with under four minutes to go, but turned the ball over five times in the closing minutes.
Collins said Huskies who have been role players need to adjust to more playing time, pick up the slack on offense and create chemistry with lineup changes. Learning to finish also is a big priority.
Collins is a big fan of sophomore forward Ethan Happ, who is Wisconsin's leading scorer at 14.5 points per game and top rebounder at 9.3. He realizes if the Huskies double team Happ or Hayes inside the paint, other Badgers might make opponents pay for those decisions.
"When you play a potent team that's very good with outstanding players, you have to kind of decide what way you want to go and what you want to do and be committed to it to get them off their rhythm," Collins said.
"There are certain areas that if you're going to take something away, you're going to have to live with (those actions)."
