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No. 6 Wisconsin utterly embarrassed No. 25 Iowa for more than one reason

Iowa v Wisconsin

Getty Images

Getty Images

No. 6 Wisconsin mollywhopped No. 25 Iowa last night.

It was, in a word, embarrassing for the Hawkeyes and Hawkeye fans alike. For more than one reason.

Let’s start with the most egregious: Adam Woodbury. On two different occasions last night, Woodbury, while “playing defense”, poked a Wisconsin player in the face:

This isn’t the only time that the 7-footer got mixed up with a Badger player, as he was later called for a foul for putting his elbow into Duje Dukan’s neck as he tried for fight for position in a pick-and-roll. The announcer on the broad cast, Dan Dakich, called for Woodbury to be suspended, which might be a bit harsh but, frankly, not undeserved; Woodbury has a rep in that league.

But it also belies a larger issue for Fran McCaffery’s club, as this isn’t the first time that they’ve rolled over during a game. Previously, it’s happened in the second half -- notably at home against both Iowa State and Michigan State, as well as just about any game during league play last season -- but it really makes you wonder just how good this team will ever be if they accept getting smacked around.

At this point, to me, it’s a question of leadership. Aaron White is Iowa’s best player, but he’s also a quiet dude. He’s not the kind of kid that’s going to fire up a locker room with a halftime speech or cuss out a player on the bench for not giving maximum effort. Combine that with the fact that Iowa’s back court play is inconsistent and that they don’t really have a star on the offensive end of the floor, and this is what you get.

7-foot punks feigning toughness by trying to get in someone’s head like he’s ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper.

That wasn’t the worst of it, however.

Wisconsin became the first team since last February to finish a game having committed just a single turnover, and that turnover wasn’t even really a turnover. Wisconsin airballed a good look at a three with the shot clock winding down and the horn sounded while the ball was in the air. As Ricky O’Donnell of SBNation breaks down here, by rule, that’s not scored as a turnover. It should have gone into the book as a missed field goal and a deadball rebound for Iowa.

What that means is that the Hawkeyes got blown by 32 in a game where they had more cheapshots taken than turnovers forced.

Is this where I should mention that the Badgers were playing without their starting point guard?