BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Jordan Hill "played" Corey Sanders — as in played the role of Sanders on the scout team — more than Hill played against Sanders in the Big Ten opener between Wisconsin and Rutgers; a rugged game that could be best described as a "rock fight" in late December at the Kohl Center.
As it was, Hill personally endured a rocky start to the conference season playing only three minutes against the Scarlet Knights and Indiana and five against Purdue in the first three games. Since then, he has logged 18, 13, 15 and 18 minutes off the bench as his role has steadily expanded.
With 60 career games under his belt, Hill understands the vagaries of his job, which is to say that the fourth-year junior doesn't have a starting job and must be ready to contribute whenever called upon, even though the minutes may be uneven, a fact of life for a sub.
"It was huge adjustment for me, just because I was so used to getting loose and getting right into it (as a high school starter)," recalled Hill, who appeared in 11 games as a true freshman. He redshirted his second year (2014-2015) and played in 30 games with one start last season.
"It was definitely tough to get my juices going right away once I got on the floor. But I've tried to adjust. I try to get at least a touch, so I can feel the ball and get comfortable a little bit. It's just something you've got to deal with. There are plenty of people who specialize in contributing off the bench."
There is one advantage to getting a feel for the tempo before entering the game. "You can see what people's tendencies are," Hill said. "It's one thing to watch them on film, but to see it in person, you can see what they want to do and how the offense overall is working in the flow of the game."
Each situation can be different and Hill has got to be prepared accordingly. Against Ohio State, he capitalized on some scoring opportunities and had a season-high eight points (2-of-4 from beyond the arc). Against Minnesota, he presented the Badgers with their best defensive matchup.
One thing that Hill can't afford to do is "look over his shoulder" when he is playing; a potential temptation for any sub whose minutes may be limited. "I don't have time for that," he said. "If I look over my shoulder, somebody is going to go past me or I might miss a shot, something like that."
Not knowing how many shots he may get, he can't dwell on the misses, either. "I heard (Phoenix Suns) Devin Booker say, 'Shoot the next one like you made the last one,'" Hill said. "I try to abide by that and make sure I stay confident. When I put it up, I believe it is going in."
Confidence has never seemingly been an issue for Hill, a fourth-year junior from Pasadena, California. "But I need to be more aggressive," he suggested. "There are some opportunities where I'm shortchanging the team … I can do more than just pass and play defense."
His unselfish work on the scout team has not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff.
"He's done a great job of staying with it and not letting minutes and things dictate how he approaches practice and every game," said UW assistant Joe Krabbenhoft. "That's not to say it's easy. But he has been around this program for a long time and he has given us a big lift every day."
Freshman D'Mitrik Trice has been the first guard off the bench for the Badgers. Trice is averaging 17 minutes in Big Ten games. Khalil Iverson, a versatile 6-foot-5 wing player, has been the next option. Iverson is averaging 15 minutes. Hill is the only other reserve averaging double digits (10.7).
During practices, Hill spends most of his time running the scout team. He takes pride in that.
"I care about it, I care about pushing these guys in the rotation," he said. "At the same time, I want to get buckets, I want to score on these guys. I want to force them to play defense. I also want to show what I've got because I spend a lot of time here in the gym even when we're not practicing."
Again this week, Hill has been simulating Sanders, the leading scorer (15.5) in Big Ten play for Rutgers. Sanders didn't start the first meeting at Wisconsin. He was benched the first 10 minutes for not attending a team meeting after missing a flight from his home in Florida following Christmas break.
Sanders, a 6-2, 181-pound sophomore from Lakeland, Fla., ended up playing 23 minutes before he had to be helped to the locker room after coming down awkwardly on his right ankle while stepping on Vitto Brown's shoe. Sanders had only four points (1-of-11), his lowest output of the season.
Since then, Sanders has scored in double-figures in seven straight games with a season-high 25 points including the winning basket with one second left against Nebraska. He's averaging 18.8 points over the last four games. Last season, Sanders exploded for 39 against Illinois.
This is a vastly improved Rutgers team, a much tougher out. First-year head coach Steve Pikiell has already made an impact on the defensive end as reflected by the Scarlet Knights field goal percentage defense (.393), which is 23rd nationally. They're No. 4 in rebounds per game (42.14).
Despite losing to Maryland, 67-55, on Tuesday night, Rutgers out-rebounded the Terps, 40-39, punctuated by 22 offensive rebounds, leading to a 32-28 advantage in the paint. Five different players had four or more rebounds led by Deshawn Freeman who had six boards to go along with 10 points.
The Badgers can expect another "rock fight" Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. "They're playing harder and they're playing more together," Hill observed of the Scarlet Knights. "They're more focused on defense than they were last year and that definitely shows."
Rutgers has won three of its last four games at its home away from home. Last season, the Badgers played in the 2K Classic at MSG, losing 71-61 to Georgetown before knocking off VCU, 74-73, on Bronson Koenig's layup with eight seconds remaining. Hill has been looking forward to the return trip.
"I love New York, my dad is from the Bronx," said Hill. "We didn't have a whole lot of time (to tour the city last year). But me and some of the guys just walked around at night and got to see some of the street performers. There's something different to see on every block."
Plus, there's nothing like playing in Madison Square Garden.
"That's the Mecca," Hill said.
