Cagers look to rebound against No. 17 Badgers

By VITO FORLENZA
Collegian Staff Writer

Collectively, the teams of the Big Ten have been the biggest surprises in college basketball this season, with seven teams currently ranked in the national polls.

But it is No. 17 Wisconsin (14-3, 2-2 Big Ten) which has been the biggest of those surprises.

Although the Badgers dropped their first two conference openers -- to Michigan and Ohio State -- it is their most recent performances that have gained national recognition.

The Badgers have rose to the level of their competition in their last two games, and come into tonight's game on the heels of consecutive wins over Big Ten foes No. 14 Michigan State and No. 13 Purdue.

Wisconsin will look to keep that momentum going against a struggling Penn State team that is trying to end a two-game losing streak at 7 p.m. tonight at The Bryce Jordan Center. The game originally was scheduled for an 8 p.m. start but was changed after ESPN decided to broadcast it regionally.

"We've played better basketball the last couple of weeks," Badger coach Dick Bennett said, "because we've been much more productive inside. We've been able to get the ball in there and let them create."

Those creators are sophomore forwards Andy Kowske and Mark Vershaw, both of whom are averaging just over six points per game. Since the Badgers play a three-guard offense -- which lacks a center -- Kowske (6-foot-8) and Vershaw (6-foot-9) may have trouble sizing up to the Nittany Lions' 6-foot-11 center Calvin Booth.

Booth leads the Lions (9-5, 1-3) with 16.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, but the Badgers will try to match his efforts from the outside.

Senior Sean Mason, the feature guard of the three, returned to action last season after back-to-back anterior cruciate ligament tears to each knee. Mason, a threat at any place on the court, finished 12th in the Big Ten in scoring last season with a 15.5 average and is posting 19.4 per game this season.

Although Penn State has dropped its last two, it has been playing well at home all season. It also is a perimeter team that may be able to mirror the Badgers' outside play. But it may be on the inside, with the Booth-Vershaw mismatch, where the Lions could win the game.

"I don't think it's do or die time," Lion coach Jerry Dunn said. "I don't think it's time to panic. I think it's time to compete."

Against No. 19 Minnesota Saturday, the Lions' second of the three straight games against ranked opponents, Penn State was outrebounded, 47-25. And in losing to the Golden Gophers, the Lions shot just 32 percent from the field.

"This is going to be a game to test how strong we are," forward Gyasi Cline-Heard said. "It's going to test what guts we have."