NCAA Basketball Tournament Second Round: Wisconsin vs. Vanderbilt
Game: (4) Wisconsin – (5) Vanderbilt 3/17 6:10 PM ET
Game Analysis: Wisconsin was apart of the most one-sided game of the entire first round, as they crushed Montana 73-49. Senior point guard, Jordan Taylor, who is extremely protective of the ball in the open court, will be leading the Badgers. The team is shooting very well from the outside and have amazing depth with sharpshooter Rob Wilson coming off the bench. Vandy was carried by John Jenkins who scored a game high 27 points, including a 3-pointer, three-point play, and even a four-point play in the second half alone. Jenkins is by far the team’s best scorer, so expect the junior to have the ball in his hand all game.
Matchup to Watch: PG Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin vs. PG Brad Tinsley, Vanderbilt – This matchup features two of the most experienced point guards in the nation. Both players have been playing since they were freshmen and have matured very well over their four-year tenures with their respective universities. Taylor boasts one of the best assist/turnover ratio (2.5) in the NCAA, and he is perfect at orchestrating head coach Bo Ryan’s disciplined defense. Taylor is also posting 14.7 points a game and will be very difficult for Tinsley to keep in front of him. Tinsley is much bigger than Taylor though, as he is two inches taller and 15 pounds heavier than the Wisconsin point guard.
Matchup to Watch: SG John Jenkins, Vanderbilt vs. SG John Gasser, Wisconsin – Jenkins is the best pure shooter in this game, as he is averaging a game-changing 19.9 points per contest. Jenkins will be a true test for Gasser to mark up with and the sophomore cannot get discouraged if the Vandy guard gets hot early.
Prediction: Wisconsin 71 – Vanderbilt 67
