Montana coach Travis DeCuire shares thoughts on Wisconsin: ‘Very hard to beat’
The Wisconsin Badgers are set to face the No. 14 Montana Grizzlies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Denver, Colorado. As each team has had time to review the other’s tape, yesterday, Montana head coach Travis DeCuire broke down what he sees from Wisconsin, what he sees when he looks at the Badgers’ tape, and what his hope is for his team.
In his pre-game presser this week for the Montana press, DeCuire highlighted some of the things he saw from Wisconsin and how he hopes his team can beat them.
Wisconsin and Montana will face each other in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
The first thing that DeCuire notes is the difference in style of play not just between the two teams but also between the two conferences. He said they scheduled a few tough non-conference opponents at the start of the season for just this reason. In an earlier press conference, he joked that the selection committee loves to put them up against Big Ten schools.
“Wisconsin is a tough opponent. The Big Ten is always big and physical and that’s a major adjustment for us going into the game. Hopefully, our guys remember the experiences with Tennessee and Oregon earlier in the year. “Travis DeCuire
He listed a few major things that stand out for Wisconsin: they are a well-coached team, and they know who, what, where, and how they want shots to be taken. They are very good at getting to the free-throw line. He said they are active on defense, and that will cause some issues; “They make it hard to get good shots.”
When asked how Wisconsin compared to other teams they’ve faced this year in the power-5 and even in his career, he gave a lengthy answer.
“Right up there with the best of them. You know Michigan in 2018 was a Final Four team, we walked away from that game thinking we had a chance… I think this Wisconsin team is as good in terms of that ability to make it to a Final Four…This is going to be a tough team, a tough task, but I think we are built for this. “Travis DeCuire
He ends his thoughts on Wisconsin by saying it’s another opportunity for a scout – to find and expose weaknesses. He says both teams will be doing that to the other, and “whoever does it best wins!”
Wisconsin and Montana tip off on Thursday at 12:30 pm CT on TNT.
