'Sconnie Six Pack 12/15/22
The Bucks play a high-profile game in Memphis, the Badgers seek to take care of business against Lehigh, and a two-day trip to Ball Arena in today's mini-pack
Formalities -
The ‘Sconnie Six Pack you know and love is not dead; it’s evolving! This past week has included some behind the scenes work to improve your daily newsletter for Wisconsin sports fans. I am excited to share those updates with everyone very soon. A little sneak peek at what’s coming:
A dedicated release schedule - start your day with the day’s top stories and be prepared to win every conversation around the office water cooler.
New content - the daily newsletter is not going away! I am, however, excited to bring additional content soon.
A new way to consume the news…
All will come soon! In the meanwhile, enjoy today’s mini-pack to get a preview of what you might be watching tonight.
Without further ado -
What’s brewing?
Bucks and Grizzlies meet in Memphis - two similar teams led by superstars
Wisconsin basketball vs Lehigh
Topping off the mini-pack: two days at Ball Arena
Bucks and Grizzlies meet in Memphis - two similar teams led by superstars
The Milwaukee Bucks (20-7) take on the Memphis Grizzlies (18-9) tonight in a battle of conference contenders. Milwaukee is in second place in the East, one game behind the Boston Celtics, and Memphis is tied for first in the west with the New Orleans Pelicans. After the Bucks' victory over Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, Giannis Antetokounmpo will duel another one of the league's top scorers tonight. You can watch tonight's game at 7:00 PM CST on Bally Sports Wisconsin or NBA TV.
Memphis' high-scoring offense
Tonight will be Milwaukee's second of four-consecutive games against top-10 offenses. Leading the high-powered Grizzlies' offense is Ja Morant. The 23-year-old point guard is his team's leader in points (27.7) and assists (7.8) per game - both top-10 in the NBA.
Morant and Giannis share one key aspect of their offensive games - getting to the foul line. Giannis and Morant attempt the most and fifth-most free throws per game, respectively, but neither make their free throws at an impressive rate. Which superstar makes their foul shots may be the determining factor in a close game. Memphis and Milwaukee each commit among the fewest personal fouls per game in the league.
Two similar teams
Memphis is an exciting matchup for Milwaukee because of their similarities. Beyond their superstars driving the basket to score, the Bucks and Grizzlies have similar statistical profiles.
Both great rebounding teams, Milwaukee and Memphis, are first and second in rebounds per game. Both led by large centers, Brook Lopez for the Bucks and Steven Adams for the Grizzlies, Milwaukee and Memphis are third and fourth in blocks per game.
Wisconsin basketball vs Lehigh preview: three things to watch
After going 2-0 to open the Big Ten conference schedule in December, Wisconsin will play its first of three consecutive non-conference games tonight. First up for the Badgers (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) is the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (4-4, 0-0 Patriot League). You can watch tonight's game at 6:00 PM CST on the Big Ten Network.
Will the Badgers take care of business?
Lehigh is not a very good team. It rates 309th at Kenpom, with losses to UMBC (236th) and Maryland Eastern Shore (318th). Last year, the Mountain Hawks finished fourth in the Patriot League.
However, Wisconsin has a recent history of struggling against poorly rated teams in December non-conference games. Last season, the Badgers defeated Nicholls by three and Illinois State by four points. This season, UW-Green Bay hung around with Wisconsin and lost by only nine points.
Wisconsin has not won a game by double-digits since its ten-point win over Stanford on November 11th. On paper, head coach Greg Gard's squad should win this game easily. Despite saying that, a complete performance against a lesser opponent would be out of character for "Team Drama."
Will Jahcobi Neath return?
Badgers guard Jahcobi Neath has not played since logging four minutes against UW-GB. The 6'4" senior has missed the previous seven games with a lower-body injury. Neath underwent knee surgery in the offseason. During the 2021-22 campaign, he played with that knee injury that forced him in and out of the lineup. It is unclear if his current injury is related to that same knee.
The transfer from Wake Forest would provide Wisconsin with some much-needed depth. Gard has employed a seven-man rotation in recent games. That leaves the Badgers with little wiggle room in big games if a starter gets in early foul trouble.
Although Neath did not have vast success last season, averaging just 1.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 23 games, perhaps playing more consistently would help him get in a rhythm.
Will Kamari McGee get a look?
When Gard brought in Kamari McGee in the offseason, many assumed he would play the role of backup point guard to Chucky Hepburn. The transfer from UW-GB has seen some playing time but not the same minutes as a true backup point guard that some anticipated.
McGee's biggest outing so far was ten minutes in relief for an injured Hepburn at Marquette. The Racine native added five points and two rebounds.
Extended playing time for McGee would offer a look at what this Badgers team could look like if it has to play without Hepburn again. If Team Drama can pull away early, as uncharacteristic as it would be, McGee would be a player to watch.
Topping off the mini-pack: two days at Ball Arena
I am spending my December in Denver and loving it. Apart from the superb outdoor recreation, breweries, and airport in the middle of nowhere, Denver is a great sports town. On my first day, I watched Badgers QB commit Cole LaCrue lead his team to a state title. This week, I have been spending some time at Ball Arena.
Ball Arena, previously the Pepsi Center, is home to the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche. On back-to-back nights, I will see both teams.
Last night, I saw Nikola Jokić (who is huge) and the Nuggets. Washington shot 52.7% from the floor last night, but defense was optional for both teams. Jokić erupted for 43 points as the Nuggets shot 65.1% from the floor to defeat the Wizards 141-128. Jokić made 17 of 20 attempts from the field.
How the Nuggets achieved those 141 points was even more impressive than the sheer number of points. In today's NBA, high-scoring offenses often operate with a considerable volume of three-point shots. Denver, however, only made four three-pointers and scored a whopping 98 in the paint last night.
Maybe the Wizards would have won if Johnny Davis was not stashed in the G-League.
I even ate nuggets while watching the Nuggets.
I return to Ball Arena tonight to watch the Colorado Avalanche play the Buffalo Sabres. Colorado, the defending Stanley Cup champions, is in the thick of the hunt for a playoff spot in the highly-competitive western conference central division. Buffalo is at the bottom of the eastern conference Atlantic Division.
Unfortunately, the Avalanche and Sabres' rosters are devoid of Wisconsin alums or natives. I can't even cheer against Gabriel Landeskog because he's out with a knee injury! With no rooting interest, I guess I will go to sing along to Blink-182, find some Nordiques gear, and eat a funnel cake or something.
On, Wisconsin.