Cory Jennerjohn's Point: Badgers will go further than MU

There really shouldn't be a discussion whether Marquette or the University of Wisconsin will go further in the NCAA Tournament.

Because it's a no-brainer.

The Golden Eagles play like their hair is on fire as evidenced by 13.2 turnovers a game. They attack the basket full throttle only to either throw it away when a defender steps up to stop them or attempt an ill-advised off-balance shot.

Sure, Dominic James may get a "SportsCenter" Top 10 highlight every now and then, but for every one of those, he's also got four or five mindless plays that end up costing his team.

The Badgers are much different. They approach the game like they're taking a leisurely stroll through the mall. They inspect everything with the care and precision that has made Matlock famous. The Badgers aren't afraid to let every possible moment drip from the shot clock before eventually finding the perfect play to wrap up the possession.

Bottom line: the Badgers won't beat themselves.

But, Marquette is loaded with talent. They are far and away much more talented than UW. There is no question about that. The only problem is, the Golden Eagles haven't figured out how to harness that talent into a winning formula as they were ousted in the first round last year by Michigan State.

And when it comes to playing in big games, the Badgers are 5-3 against the Top 25 while the Golden Eagles are just 2-3.

Look at the matchups. The Badgers are going to drive the score-now-think-later teams like Cal State Fullerton and the USC-Kansas State winner nuts by slowing the game down and making it seem like a Big Ten football game. Michigan's Manny Harris is still licking his wounds after being held to a season-low four points in the Big Ten Tournament. For their efforts, the Badgers lead the nation in scoring defense at 53.8 points a game.

Marquette, meanwhile, must deal with a tournament-tested Kentucky team only to be followed in the second round with a healthy dose of Brook and Robin Lopez, the 7-foot brothers from Stanford.

Another important factor for the Badgers is multiple personalities. UW has had Trevon Hughes, Marcus Landry, Jason Bohannon, Joe Krabbenhoft, Brian Butch, Jon Leuer and Michael Flowers lead the team in scoring in its 29 wins. It's hard enough for defenses to stop an offense when they know who the scorer is. Imagine how many hairs are pulled out from opposing coaches' heads because they just don't know whom to stop.

Read more at www.greenbaypressgazette.com