MILWAUKEE -- Steve Wojciechowski can count on his hand the number of times he's not felt better about whatever it was that was on his mind following a conversation with Mike Krzyzewski.
But Thursday morning, the first-year Marquette coach walked away from a phone call with his mentor shaking his head.
Although Krzyzewski just led No. 4 Duke to an 80-70 road victory over Wisconsin the night before, the Hall of Fame coach had nothing but great things to say about his former player and assistant coach's next opponent.
"After talking to him this morning and hearing him say how good Wisconsin is, I hung up the phone," Wojciechowski said with a grin. "I was kind of hoping for some tips than 20 minutes of praise of how good they are.
"He said what's a little bit surprising is how big they actually are. They take up a lot of space. They really make you take tough shots. He was wildly complimentary of coach (Bo) Ryan and Wisconsin."
Wojciechowski and Marquette (4-3) doesn't need any further reminder as to the challenge at hand Saturday morning when the Golden Eagles host the Badgers for the 121st edition of the in-state rivalry game.
While the Badgers (7-1) present many challenges, Wisconsin has three players in its rotation taller than any player Marquette has eligible for Saturday's game. Somehow containing the 7-foot Frank Kaminsky is a daunting task itself for one of the smallest teams in the country, but throw in Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker and the challenge seems overwhelming.
"Most teams are going to be bigger than us. That's just something we've accepted," Marquette senior forward Juan Anderson said. "We have to impose our will on the ball, on their guards and front the post. I think we did a pretty good job of doing that against Georgia Tech. Steve (Taylor Jr.), Deonte (Burton) and I, we just try to keep it out of the post and do our work early."
Although he isn't eligible until following the Wisconsin game, 6-11 sophomore center Luke Fischer has helped the undersized Golden Eagles prepare to guard bigger players.
"Luke is a 7-footer," Anderson said. "Most of the time when he catches it in the post he's at the rim and it is going to be an easy bucket for him. He's one of those guys you have to do your work early against, so it is good practice for us."
When Marquette last left the BMO Harris Bradley Center floor, it did so after struggling to beat the New Jersey Institute of Technology. But following a third-place finish at the Orlando Classic, including wins over Georgia Tech and Tennessee, the Golden Eagles feel they are a much-improved team.
Marquette seemed to find its identity as a group needing to be tougher than its opponents each night in order to win.
"I was really proud of how much our guys improved," Wojciechowski said. "We're a much better team now than we were when we headed to the airport for Orlando. We've improved in every way. We have to continue that process of improvement, no matter who is in front of us. Our primary focus this year has to be on ourselves, making the most of each day. We've shown we're capable of that.
"I thought our guys played as hard or harder than any of the teams down (in Orlando). I think that's a credit to our guys when you consider the quality of programs and coaches down there. Ultimately, that's what we have to hang our hat on this year as we're learning. We have to always bring the effort, energy and the fight."
One of the contributing factors to Marquette's success in Orlando was Wojciechowski's decision to flip to a zone defense due in part to a small rotation. Marquette played zone for most of its three games, holding opponents to a 32.8 percent clip from beyond the arc.
The zone might not be relied on as heavily against a good 3-point shooting team like Wisconsin, but Marquette at least has it in its arsenal.
"I think we have to be a pitcher that throws multiple pitches," Wojciechowski said. "We're not going to be able to be like Duke and just throw fastballs the whole game. We're going to have to throw a fastball, throw a changeup, maybe a knuckleball. We're going to have to mix and match because that's where we are."
The annual game between Marquette and Wisconsin is usually a close game, but this year has the makings of being different. Wisconsin returns all but one player from a Final Four team and is widely thought of as one of the best teams in the country.
On the other hand, Marquette is in the middle of a bit of a rebuilding project and has a first-year coach trying to overcome numerous roster limitations.
"It is going to be a huge test for us," Wojciechowski said. "But these are the reasons you come to Marquette -- to play in games like this against outstanding programs. I think our guys are excited about the opportunity. We'll be ready to fight come Saturday afternoon.
"I think this is great for our young team. We've been battle tested early in the season against good teams and good coaches. This will be the best team we've played. It will be a heck of a test."
The cliche of "just another game" is tossed around quite a bit in sports, but getting a crack at Wisconsin, even though the Badgers will likely be heavily favored, is something Marquette is looking forward to.
"Athletes always say rivalry games are just another game, but at the end of the day it is a little bit more than that," Marquette point guard Derrick Wilson said. "Especially when it is the two high-majors in Wisconsin. Basketball is a pretty important sport here. I think it is important to a lot of people at Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin. It means a little more for bragging rights for a year, things of that nature."
It will be Wojciechowski's first Marquette-Wisconsin game, but he's experienced what rivalries have to offer in college basketball in his years playing and coaching at Duke.
The Golden Eagles are hoping the improvements they made in Orlando and the extra boost rivalry games bring will allow them to compete with the second-ranked team in the country.
"You want to prepare for each game like it is a championship game," Wojciechowski said. "I think that's the best preparation habit you can have. So you wouldn't necessarily prepare differently for Wisconsin than you do for Tennessee. You have to prepare the same way all the time. Every opponent deserves that respect.
"However, there are games where the emotion and intensity behind it can bring out more in you. I think that's what a rivalry game does. It puts you on a stage where you can reach another level. Hopefully we'll be able to find that as a group."
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