Posted by Graham Watson
BOISE, Idaho --
Trevon Hughes couldn't sleep Friday night.
The replay of his game-winning shot against Florida State continued to replay on "SportsCenter" and also in his head. He studied it, analyzed it, talked about it with teammates, and even laughed at the impossibility of it.
"It looked like a miracle shot," Hughes said laughing. "It was something I planned. I drew it up in my head."
That shot got the Badgers into Sunday's second-round game against Xavier, a team similar to Florida State in athleticism, speed and strength. The one comment many Wisconsin players made about their opponent was that they were surprised at how big they were and how efficient they were rebounding.
Forward Joe Krabbenhoft compared them to Michigan State, which isn't necessarily a good thing considering the Badgers lost to the Spartans 61-50 in February and were outrebounded in that game by 12.
The difference between Xavier and Florida State is that the Musketeers don't rely on one player. Four of Xavier's starters scored in double figures in their 77-59 win over Portland State on Friday and all four of those players shot 45 percent or better from the field.
Xavier watched the first half of Wisconsin's game against Florida State and when the Musketeers left, the Badgers trailed 31-19. Coach Sean Miller said Wisconsin's comeback was a good lesson for his team.
"One of the themes around the country was Wisconsin can't come back. The game was over," Miller said. "And as evidenced by what they did in the second half, it speaks volumes about their style and their toughness and you really have to beat them. They won't beat themselves."
Xavier has played disciplined basketball against high-level competition most of the season. Xavier beat Missouri, Virginia Tech, Memphis, Auburn and Cincinnati; its only trouble has come when it has run into a hot shooting team, like the one Wisconsin became in the second half Friday. The Badgers opened the period with a 13-0 run and outscored Florida State 18-6 through the first 10 minutes of the final frame. Hughes and guard Jason Bohannon hit three 3-pointers down the stretch to send the game into overtime.
"[Wisconsin coach] Bo Ryan is somebody that any young coach has to admire. I'm one of them," Miller said. "What he's done at the University of Wisconsin, his system, his style, the way he recruits, the toughness that his team displays, year in, year out, as faces change, their identity remains the same. It's very admirable and a lot of things that he does with their program we try to do at Xavier. So we're really looking forward to a great game and I hope it is a great game. We're going to have to play our best to advance."
No. 3 Missouri (29-6) vs. No. 6 Marquette (25-9)
The last time Missouri played in the NCAA tournament, Marquette was the team to push the Tigers out.
During the second round in 2003, the Golden Eagles, led by Travis Diener and Dwyane Wade, made all their shots in overtime, including three 3-pointers by freshman Steve Novak, to beat the Tigers 101-92 and ultimately play in the Final Four.
Since then, the programs have gone in two very different directions.
While Missouri has struggled on and off the court, Marquette has continued its success. And though the Golden Eagles haven't been to the Final Four since 2003, they've played in four consecutive NCAA tournaments.
Few players from either team acknowledged that game and neither coach -- both of whom were at other programs at the time -- has brought it up. But Marquette represents a wall the Missouri basketball program hit five years ago, and this is the first opportunity it has to bust through it.
"We've been the first team to do a lot of things this year," Missouri forward DeMarre Carroll said in reference to Missouri's turnaround season, which included a Big 12 tournament championship. "We might as well get out of Boise and be the winningest Mizzou basketball team while we're at it."
Missouri's 29 wins this season are tied for the most in school history, but it's going to be a tough task to notch No. 30. Marquette, like many teams the Tigers have faced this season, is going to try to slow Missouri's press defense and play the game in the half court.
Marquette guard Wesley Matthews said he and most of his teammates aren't able to play 40 minutes of up-and-down basketball.
"They like to move, play quick, play fast, so you're not going to be able to do that for 40 minutes," Matthews said. "It doesn't matter who you are, you're not going to be able to do that at the highest level for 40 minutes."
Marquette has faced high-pressure teams before. The Golden Eagles faced Louisville at the beginning of the month, losing by just four in a game in which they committed only 11 turnovers.
"I think playing in the Big East gave us an advantage over a lot of teams, we have been pressed before," Matthews said. "We're just going to have to do what we do. We're going to have to move the ball, be smart with it, but be aggressive at the same time. I think the reason why they cause a lot of turnovers is because people are being tentative and that's not our style of play."
But Missouri said it's not going to back off its defensive pressure. Coach Mike Anderson said he knows it could lead to easy baskets for some of Marquette's guards, but over the course of the game, it will play to Missouri's advantage.
"There's a big risk in terms of pressuring and getting after people because you're going to give them some easy opportunities every now and then," Anderson said. "But I think as the game goes on, those shots that you were making or shooting early on, you're going to take them and they're not going. And why is that? I think that's where the effect of our defense has come in. Your legs. I mean those shots are open, but they're not open."
