Can Illini jolt Badgers again?

There's only one opposing Big Ten coach who has figured out how to win at the Kohl Center since Bo Ryan took over at Wisconsin in March 2001.

There are only three active Big Ten players who've worn visiting jerseys and walked off the Badgers' home floor as winners.

Bruce Weber, Brian Randle, Shaun Pruitt and Chester Frazier should all take a bow.

To be a part of the effort that puts the "2" in Wisconsin's 47-2 Big Ten home record during the Ryan era is no small achievement.

At the same time, it makes it a bit painful to reminisce about Illinois' victories in 2005 and 2006 as the team prepares for today's visit to the Kohl Center (8 p.m., ESPN).

While Illinois' own considerable homecourt advantage has slipped through its fingers as the best players graduated, the Badgers have reloaded without Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor.

After troubling early losses to Duke and Marquette, the Badgers recharged their self-esteem with their 67-66 victory at then-No. 9 Texas on Dec. 29, a win they earned without top scorer Trevon Hughes.

"Whenever you do that and you do it playing the way you're used to playing," Ryan said, "it's always something where the players, when they go back to their dorms or go back to a meal or go places, they're thinking, 'If we can keep doing what we're doing, you know, we can be OK.' "

The Badgers are more than OK. They're No. 21 in the Associated Press poll but ranked higher according to RPI (19) and Sagarin (11).

"I don't think they have quite the all-Big Ten guys or potential NBA guys like (Alando) Tucker and (Devin) Harris," Weber said. "But it's Bo's trademark. They have solid guys, they play solid defense, they understand what they are, they understand the system, they execute the system.

"For the most part, they don't try to do what they can't do as individuals."

It's almost as if Weber watches Wisconsin's game tapes and wishes he could say the same thing about his squad.

"Even our '04-'05 year, our guys had roles and they understood it," Weber said. "But their roles were pretty … I guess they had more talent, so we allowed more freedom. They could deviate or go beyond their basic role."

Here's a prime example on the current squad that's trying to avoid Illinois' first four-game losing streak since January 1999.

Junior guard Chester Frazier delivered an impressive floor game in Sunday's loss to Penn State.

When his teammates couldn't or wouldn't grab defensive rebounds, he led the Illini with 8 rebounds (all on the defensive glass).

He found opportunities to slash inside Penn State's defense and hit enough open teammates to earn a game-high 6 assists.

He didn't commit any turnovers. He helped hound Penn State point guard Talor Battle into 2-for-12 shooting.

But during the final 10 minutes, when Illinois was trying to cut into a 4-point deficit, Frazier missed 2 ill-advised 3-pointers and also tried a 10-foot pull-up in the lane that barely ticked the front of the rim.

Weber's lesson? Know your role.

"I think he's trying to be more than what he, maybe, is capable of being and has trouble, like a lot of our guys accepting what they are and doing what they are," Weber said.

"If he doesn't have maybe a couple of those shots, it's near a perfect game for him. If we can just get him to be consistent and accept that, then it will carry over with our other guys."

Illinois (8-7, 0-2) at Wisconsin (12-2, 2-0)

When: 8 p.m. at the Kohl Center

TV: ESPN

Radio: WIND 560-AM

Sagarin says: Wisconsin by 14.

The skinny: Coming off a stellar 18-point, 5-assist effort in Sunday's loss to Penn State, Illini freshman point guard Demetri McCamey will make his first college start today. He will spend some time matched up with Wisconsin sophomore Trevon Hughes (13.6 ppg), another budding point guard. Fifth-year senior forward Brian Butch (13.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg) has become the team's leader in production, but fellow senior Michael Flowers and juniors Marcus Landry and Joe Krabbenhoft also contribute mightily to the Badgers' cause. And watch out for 6-foot-10 freshman Jon Leuer off the bench. He's 7-for-8 from 3-point range in Big Ten play. The Badgers entered the week among the nation's top 10 in scoring, defense (53.9 ppg) and rebounding margin (+9.7).

-- Lindsey Willhite