Photo by: David Stluka
Lucas: What I saw in UW’s rout of UNI
November 02, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Mike Lucas
With minutes to be had, young Badgers seizing opportunity
MADISON, Wis. – A couple of precocious freshmen came off the bench and bookended a 17-0 run that delivered an early knockout punch to Northern Iowa during Wednesday night's 69-38 exhibition victory.
Kobe King ignited the offense and the run with a 3-point play while Brad Davison capped it with a 3-pointer as the Badgers soared into 19-10 lead after falling behind 10-2.
"At first, I think everyone was a little bit nervous," admitted junior Khalil Iverson, a battle-tested veteran of 69 games (but zero starts). "After we calmed down, we started playing our game."
Enter Mr. Basketball – King – the Player of the Year in Wisconsin as a prep senior at La Crosse Central. King scored the first five points in the run and had 10 overall during this stretch.
"He (King) definitely gave us the spark that we needed," Iverson said.
Davison also impacted the run with his savvy and court presence, something that was not unexpected given that he was a four-year captain and starter at Maple Grove (Minn.) High School.
"He (Davison) brings everything to the table, especially toughness," said Iverson.
There was another noticeable contributor to the early run: Iverson who knocked down a triple, one of two (2-for-2) that he scored in the first half. For his career, he's 6-of-25 from beyond the arc.
"When I came out here, I wanted to show what I've been working on," said Iverson, who averaged 3.9 points last year and 2.6 as a freshman. "I'm extremely confident in everything I'm doing."
It showed in his body language and production at both ends. Iverson has the flexibility to play as a wing (small forward) or a 4 (power forward). So does King and Aleem Ford, a redshirt freshman.
In addition, Iverson sounds more than willing to take on more responsibilities as a leader. "I'm extremely confident in everything I say to my teammates or anything like that," he confirmed.
With such a heavy personnel turnover, there are many questions that won't be answered right away. And the early signs are pointing to a different team dynamic and personality out of necessity.
"Everyone is rooting for each other, no one cares who's in the game," Iverson said. "Practices are intense and afterwards everyone is saying, 'Good job. Keep pushing me.' Things like that."
Here are 10 things that emerged during the exhibition.
1. The Ghost of Showy Past. Zak Showalter annually led the team in floor burns and taking charges. D'Mitrik Trice, Davison and King each drew charges in the paint on Wednesday.
2. Ford showed good range on his jumper (2-of-4 from 3). After spending his freshman season on the scout team, running other offenses, he's still adapting to the system.
3. Ethan Happ looks quicker coming out of low block spin moves, whether turning to baseline or into lane. He has tweaked his shooting mechanics. Nailed a triple. Didn't shoot a FT. Rare.
4. Charles Thomas had some good moments on defensive glass (three rebounds), plus a follow-up dunk in transition. Played like he knows there are minutes to be had.
5. Football coaches love to talk about tight end Troy Fumagalli's catching radius. No match for Andy Van Vliet's wingspan. Scored on left-handed hook. Doesn't need to "settle" for 3's.
6. The Badgers are planning on incorporating more double-teams into their defense. Once they get in sync, Van Vliet and Happ could be quite a factor in trapping the post.
7. Freshman Nate Reuvers looks thinner than even listed weight of 215 pounds. At 6-10, he has the makings of a classic stretch-4. Especially when he puts more meat on frame.
8. If defenses collapse around Happ – Northern Iowa shaded him with a wing defender – it should result in some open perimeter looks for Trice and Brevin Pritzl, et al.
9. Tonight's exhibition opponents are a far cry from the days of Marathon Oil and touring teams without matching shoes and socks. UNI is picked for second in Missouri Valley Conference.
10. The Badgers and the Panthers gathered at midcourt for a post-game group photo that included members of Team Rubicon, an incredibly inspiring organization.
Kobe King ignited the offense and the run with a 3-point play while Brad Davison capped it with a 3-pointer as the Badgers soared into 19-10 lead after falling behind 10-2.
"At first, I think everyone was a little bit nervous," admitted junior Khalil Iverson, a battle-tested veteran of 69 games (but zero starts). "After we calmed down, we started playing our game."
Enter Mr. Basketball – King – the Player of the Year in Wisconsin as a prep senior at La Crosse Central. King scored the first five points in the run and had 10 overall during this stretch.
"He (King) definitely gave us the spark that we needed," Iverson said.
Davison also impacted the run with his savvy and court presence, something that was not unexpected given that he was a four-year captain and starter at Maple Grove (Minn.) High School.
"He (Davison) brings everything to the table, especially toughness," said Iverson.
There was another noticeable contributor to the early run: Iverson who knocked down a triple, one of two (2-for-2) that he scored in the first half. For his career, he's 6-of-25 from beyond the arc.
"When I came out here, I wanted to show what I've been working on," said Iverson, who averaged 3.9 points last year and 2.6 as a freshman. "I'm extremely confident in everything I'm doing."
It showed in his body language and production at both ends. Iverson has the flexibility to play as a wing (small forward) or a 4 (power forward). So does King and Aleem Ford, a redshirt freshman.
In addition, Iverson sounds more than willing to take on more responsibilities as a leader. "I'm extremely confident in everything I say to my teammates or anything like that," he confirmed.
With such a heavy personnel turnover, there are many questions that won't be answered right away. And the early signs are pointing to a different team dynamic and personality out of necessity.
"Everyone is rooting for each other, no one cares who's in the game," Iverson said. "Practices are intense and afterwards everyone is saying, 'Good job. Keep pushing me.' Things like that."
Here are 10 things that emerged during the exhibition.
1. The Ghost of Showy Past. Zak Showalter annually led the team in floor burns and taking charges. D'Mitrik Trice, Davison and King each drew charges in the paint on Wednesday.
2. Ford showed good range on his jumper (2-of-4 from 3). After spending his freshman season on the scout team, running other offenses, he's still adapting to the system.
3. Ethan Happ looks quicker coming out of low block spin moves, whether turning to baseline or into lane. He has tweaked his shooting mechanics. Nailed a triple. Didn't shoot a FT. Rare.
4. Charles Thomas had some good moments on defensive glass (three rebounds), plus a follow-up dunk in transition. Played like he knows there are minutes to be had.
5. Football coaches love to talk about tight end Troy Fumagalli's catching radius. No match for Andy Van Vliet's wingspan. Scored on left-handed hook. Doesn't need to "settle" for 3's.
6. The Badgers are planning on incorporating more double-teams into their defense. Once they get in sync, Van Vliet and Happ could be quite a factor in trapping the post.
7. Freshman Nate Reuvers looks thinner than even listed weight of 215 pounds. At 6-10, he has the makings of a classic stretch-4. Especially when he puts more meat on frame.
8. If defenses collapse around Happ – Northern Iowa shaded him with a wing defender – it should result in some open perimeter looks for Trice and Brevin Pritzl, et al.
9. Tonight's exhibition opponents are a far cry from the days of Marathon Oil and touring teams without matching shoes and socks. UNI is picked for second in Missouri Valley Conference.
10. The Badgers and the Panthers gathered at midcourt for a post-game group photo that included members of Team Rubicon, an incredibly inspiring organization.
Players Mentioned
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