MADISON, Wis. — John Blackwell is just about as humble a person as you’ll meet. That’s why, when he walked out of Mackey Arena after Wisconsin’s road win at Purdue and said he and Nick Boyd are the best backcourt in the country, it made you stop and listen.
For a player who usually lets his game do the talking, that kind of confidence says a lot about what’s brewing in Madison. And it’s not just backcourt swagger. When you factor in Wisconsin’s sharp-shooting big men, the whole equation becomes a nightmare for opposing defenses. As No. 22 puts it, the Badgers are a true “catch 22.”
“When you got guys that can stretch the floor at that size, you’re bringing away shot blockers and rim protection,” Austin Rapp explained. “So for us to bring those big guys out, they have to make a decision. They have to pick their poison. Are they going to let Nick Boyd get to the inside the 20th time of the game, or are they going to let me, Aleksas, shoot? We’re shooting a really good clip right now. So they’ve got to pick their poison.”…