Lucas’ 3-Pointers: Wisconsin vs. Louisville

MIKE LUCAS
Senior Writer

BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer

MADISON, Wis. — The Badgers host Louisville on Saturday in a rescheduled Big Ten/ACC Challenge game at the Kohl Center. Here are three things to know:

1. Johnny-on-the-spot

Less than 20 seconds after entering the Loyola game, Jonathan Davis made his presence felt by drawing an offensive charge on Keith Clemons and then followed up by making a 3-pointer on his first shot ("I just came in and tried to give us energy at both ends of the floor").
Davis, the 6-5 freshman guard from La Crosse Central, later capped a 17-3 first half run by posting up his defender and draining a turnaround jumper from the baseline. While scoring from multiple spots, including on put-backs ("I've been emphasizing that for as long as I can remember; I know that I'm athletic and bouncy"), Davis finished with 12 points matching his season high at Marquette. He also pulled down five boards, the fourth time in six games that he has collected five or more.

Despite his inexperience, he has blended in nicely on a senior-laden team ("It's kind of comfortable; those guys are really helpful with details and showing me veteran tricks; I'd just say they're great at guiding me") that has designs on competing for a Big Ten championship ("I knew we were going to be playing a bunch of high-level teams and that's what I came here for"). Davis' overall approach has impressed Micah Potter, one of the vets, who played AAU basketball in Ohio with Louisville's best player, Carlik Jones, a Radford grad transfer.

Potter: "First of all, he (Davis) is a great energy guy. He comes in and adds a spark. He's a great athlete – running in transition, defending, blocking shots – he's doing little things like that to get a team's energy going. I think people really overlook that kind of person. He's a lot more than just that, but that's the first thing that comes to mind – his athletic ability."

2. Spurtability

The Badgers had a couple of momentum-changing spurts in their 77-63 victory over Loyola ("Basketball is a game of runs, whether we make a big run, or the other team makes a big run, the biggest thing that we have to focus on is making sure we keep our energy going, we continue to get stops on the defensive end and let our offense work," Potter said).

A 19-2 spurt in the second half was highlighted by four consecutive 3-pointers (two from Potter, one from Trevor Anderson and one from Brad Davison who was fouled and completed a four-point possession). Wisconsin's two bigs – Potter and Nate Reuvers – combined to make five of seven attempts from beyond the arc; a consistent weapon in the arsenal.

"Obviously we like to play with five guys on the floor all the time that can all shoot the 3 – that really spaces the floor, opens up driving lanes, opens up the post," said Potter who's shooting 47 percent on the long ball, 7-of-15).

The Badgers had six different players with at least one triple against Loyola. Moreover, Davison, Potter, Reuvers, D'Mitrik Trice and Aleem Ford have each made eight or more 3's through the first six games. Reuvers is 8-of-15 (.533).

Potter: "That's the danger of our team – the balance that we have. Everyone can shoot the ball … Some guys may be cold some days; other days will be hot and vice versa."

3. Trevor and Tyler (TNT) have been dynamite

Not only has UW coach Greg Gard been encouraged by the rapid development of Davis and his contributions as a first-year player, but he has been pleased by the production of Anderson and Tyler Wahl from the perspective of what they have also contributed to the team off the bench.
After the Badgers fell behind 7-0 to Loyola, Wahl stepped on the floor and blocked Lucas Williamson's shot, rebounded the rejection, and assisted on a Davison 3-point hit. On the following defensive possession, he blocked Marquise Kennedy's shot which was corralled by Anderson who pushed and assisted on a Ford basket.

Wahl missed his only field goal attempt but had two blocks, two assists, six rebounds and drew four fouls. "He brings an aggressive mentality," Gard said.
Anderson's stat line (five points in 15 minutes) doesn't tell the whole story, either. "One thing I've noticed, this was even last year, that Trevor gives us a boost, we pick up our RPMs a little bit when he comes into the game," said Gard.

Gard: "They add some juice to us when they come off the bench in a variety of ways. Trevor does it more in getting us more aggressive offensively. Tyler does it at times at the defensive end and with his rebounding and just brings a level of energy which adds to us which is good."