By: Zach Cook

The 2015 NCAA Tournament has had a consistent theme for the Wisconsin Badgers: rematches. It began with their Round of 32 matchup against No. 8 Oregon. Then, with a back-and-forth battle with North Carolina in between, the Badgers beat Arizona for the second straight year in the West Regional Final.

Thanks in large part to the emergence of Sam Dekker—and some unbelievable shooting from the rest of his teammates—the Badgers have a rematch with Kentucky in the Final Four, where they face the tall task of ending the Wildcats’ perfect (38-0) season.

But something just feels different about this year’s Badgers team when compared to the 2014 Final Four, and it starts with their mindset.

This was clearly evident in their press conference before leaving for Indianapolis. A very relaxed—if not loose—Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker, Nigel Hayes and Josh Gasser took the podium in front of the media. The interviews were filled with laughter, trash talking and even a plastic bottle being slapped off the table after the guys listed the top FIFA players on their team.

Last season the constant phrase that the players used to describe getting to the Final Four was, “We’re just happy to get this for Coach.” While that is certainly still a factor, this year’s team expected to be back in the Final Four.

As they prepare for John Calipari and the Wildcats, there are a couple things the Badgers must do in order to hand Kentucky its first loss in 360 days.

1. Shoot well from the perimeter

If the Badgers come out as hot as they were in the second half of their 85-78 victory over Arizona, they will find themselves in the National Championship. But it is just not plausible to think they will start 10-12 and outscore their opposition 30-3 from deep. Kentucky is holding their opponents this tournament to shoot just 20 percent from three and haven’t allowed more than four three-pointers in a game. The Badgers are averaging nine per game.

While it would certainly improve their odds of winning tremendously if they can shoot at that percentage, the mere threat of making three pointers is just as important as making them. There is no question that Kentucky will have to respect the Badgers big men’s ability to shoot it from deep, which in turn will allow for more drives to the basket.

The notion of taking it to the rim against this extremely long Kentucky team sounds foolish, as they are on average longer than all but one NBA team. But the underlying factor here is that UK’s big men will have to be on the perimeter to honor the outside shooting of Kaminsky and Hayes, thus drawing them from sitting under the basket swatting everything in sight.

More jump shots and less pump fakes from Frank early in the game could really get this strategy going and if he can knock his first few down, dribble penetration should certainly increase with less bodies in the lane.

2. Get something from their bench

After the insertion of Bronson Koenig into the starting lineup, the team’s bench production took a big hit but it has looked better as of late thanks impart to an unlikely source. Zak Showalter has provided a huge spark off the bench this tournament, mainly with his defense and hustle. It was his steal and layup in both the North Carolina and Arizona game that seemed to wake the rest of the offense up and start a run that would eventually secure two wins.

Duje Dukan has also looked more confident as of late, shooting 40% from deep in his last seven games. Traevon Jackson has also seen minutes the last two games, which is huge considering the extended minutes Koenig has been forced to play with their lack of depth at PG.

It is likely, barring any foul trouble, that the starters will again play the majority of the minutes in Saturday’s contest, but the five or six minutes the subs see is critical for the Badgers’ success. With a nine-man rotation, UK is able to throw a lot of different looks at their opposition while continuing their physical playing style.

This game could very well likely come down to a possession or two, so for guys like Showalter, Dukan and Jackson the limited possessions that they see could end up being the deciding factor. The Badgers have vowed to not get sped up by the fast-paced Wildcats so it will be noteworthy how their role players react to the size and athleticism of UK.

One of the main reasons behind Kaminsky’s return for his senior year was to get another shot at Kentucky after the one point defeat last year—and now he gets it. After being favored in their first 37 games, the Badgers will again be underdogs for the second straight game. But if there is one thing fans have learned about this Badgers team lately, it is that they will not count themselves out until the final whistle.

Zach Cook is an intern with The Fan and a student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. You can hear him on the Saturday Morning Showcase 8:00-10:00 and follow him on Twitter @ZCooksTweets.