Lucas: Growing together with ‘urgency and trust’
December 12, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Mike Lucas
Relying on each other, Badgers adjust roster and prep for Western Kentucky
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin guard Brevin Pritzl can speak to the rigors of rehab after missing all but one game of his freshman season with a foot injury that eventually led to a medical redshirt.
"It's not going to happen overnight," Pritzl said of the rehabilitation process. "You're not going to feel great right away. So, you just have to be patient and attack the rehab."
That would be his advice to sophomore guard D'Mitrik Trice (foot) and freshman wing Kobe King (knee). Both had surgery on Monday. Trice is out indefinitely. King has been lost for the season.
On the consequences of the losses, Pritzl said, "We just have to work more together. You're down guys and now you have to bring new guys into the fold.
"This is a time where we're going to have to communicate with each other — on the court and off the court — and really start jelling with each other."
Trice's strong faith and King's positive attitude should help them through their recovery. Both are from basketball families with dads and brothers/uncles who played at the college and pro level.
Successful surgery! Thank you for all the prayers! In God's timing!????
— D'Mitrik Trice (@DMitrikTrice0) December 11, 2017
Trice was leading the team in minutes played (31.5) and averaging 9.4 points. King was averaging 19 minutes and 5.2 points. He would qualify to petition the NCAA for a medical hardship.
"Every team to an extent has this (adversity), some more than others," said assistant Dean Oliver. "We're going to miss those two guys; it's a big blow. But we have to move on; there's no choice."
T.J. Schlundt, a 6-foot-5 redshirt junior from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, will be in line for playing time. Against Marquette, he was on the floor for 13 minutes, a career high. A walk-on his first three years in Madison, Schlundt went on tender this semester.
Walt McGrory, a 6-3 freshman walk-on from Minneapolis, may join the rotation. McGrory, the all-time leading scorer at Edina High School, turned down some scholarship offers from Division I programs.
"Both of those guys have done a tremendous job of being prepared," Oliver said of Schlundt and McGrory. "They've been waiting and they've been putting the work in.
"I feel every time I go by the practice gym or the weight room, Walt or T.J. will be in there. So they've done a nice job of being ready."
During Monday's practice, Oliver observed some positive signs.
"They're leaning on each other a little more," he said of the players, "as far as everyone knows that they have to do their job better and not just because we're missing those guys.
"But it's on top of how we've been playing. We have to grow together and bond together and have each other's back a little better than we have, especially on the defensive end."
The Badgers had numerous breakdowns on defense last Saturday.
"It was probably the worst we've been as far as being there for each other and doing our job," Oliver said. "We've got to tighten up and get back to what we do at Wisconsin."
Oliver stressed that it starts with "communication" and "staying on the same page and helping each other out" on the defensive end. "Never giving in on any possession," he added.
Pritzl used two words — urgency and trust — to put things into context.
"We have to play with a sense of urgency — Coach (Greg) Gard is always on us about playing that way," he said. "And we have to start trusting that we're going to be there for each other defensively.
"That's going to be the biggest thing going forward. We have to develop an innate trust that you know, 'I've got your back' and you've got my back. That will make it a lot easier to play freely."
Oliver expressed the same sentiments about the trust factor.
"It's crucial, especially in times of adversity," said Oliver, a first-year member of Gard's staff. "You've got to trust what we're trying to do as a team and not get away from that."
Every time the Badgers made a mistake, Marquette made them pay by splashing a 3-pointer.
"Film (review) was tough on the guys today," he said. "But that's a start. You've got to accept it and you've got to be willing to take coaching and criticism and be willing to change.
"I definitely saw that in practice and through the film session. We're ready to take a step forward. We've been close for a long time and now we've got to take it."
Oliver has been through this before while starring as a point guard at Iowa. During his senior year, the Hawkeyes lost their leading scorer, Luke Recker, with a fractured kneecap in February.
They were 17-4 overall and tied for first in the Big Ten when Recker went to the sidelines. After enduring a losing streak at the end of the regular season, the Hawks won the league tournament.
They also won their first NCAA game before bowing out in the second round to Kentucky. Without Recker, the Indiana transfer, Oliver and Reggie Evans carried the team.
The circumstances are much different between then and now and a veteran team (Iowa) that had built equity and an inexperienced one (Wisconsin) that has not. But the approach is the same.
"The next man has to be ready to step up," Oliver reiterated.
Bardo Makes His Point On Davison
Big Ten Network and Fox Sports analyst Stephen Bardo got an immediate baptism to point guard play at the collegiate level during his freshman season (1986-87) at the University of Illinois.
"It's about slowing the game down," said Bardo, who started 10 of 31 games for Lou Henson. "As a point guard, you're trying to please the coach and take care of your teammates.
"And you still have an opponent to deal with. The game moves so fast, in your mind, and you're trying to figure it out.
"When you come from high school, everyone is the best player on their team. Your mind remembers what you could do there. But you can't do it here because it's a different level.
"I had to erase my memory and start over again and go very basic on what I was trying to do and let all the upperclassmen bring us home."
Time to dig deep. #Badgers never quit.
— Wisconsin Basketball (@Badgermbb) December 11, 2017
For guidance and instruction, Bardo relied on his older, more seasoned Illinois teammates.
"Tony Wysinger was excellent," he said. "He really took me to the side when I got inserted into the starting lineup and helped me kind of think the game.
"Doug Altenberger was a 2-guard at that time and he really helped me slow down and simply play the game — try to make the home run play, but make the easy play and trust the system."
That level of upperclassmen mentoring is simply not available to UW freshman Brad Davison, who, nonetheless, has flourished in the backcourt. And it has not gone unnoticed by Bardo.
"Brad is a talented player and I think he can be All-Big Ten very soon," he said. "He needs to do a ton of film study and stay with Dean Oliver because he knows the game and how to think the game."
Cognizant of Davison's football background, Bardo said, "I'm not worried about his toughness. I'd just like to see him get healthy, so we can see him at 100 percent because he's a special player."
Another former Big Ten point guard, Josh Gasser, also weighed in on Davison.
"He's a kid who's as tough as nails — we all know that," pointed out Gasser, who holds the UW record for career starts with 144; 18 more than the runner-up (Alando Tucker).
"Brad has a lot of talent and I think he loves the spotlight — he loves having control of the game and he's doing a great job so far. I just love his game."
The Skinny On Western Kentucky
- Looking to bounce back after Sunday's 89-84 loss at Ohio (coached by former UW assistant Saul Phillips). Trailed 42-30 at halftime. Still had five players in double-figures.
- Hilltoppers lack depth. Seven-man rotation. Eighth plays sparingly. Transfer heavy including Darius Thompson (Virginia), Lamonte Bearden (Buffalo) and Dwight Coleby (Kansas).
- Thompson is leading scorer (13.8). Bearden prepped at Germantown.
- Leading rebounder Justin Johnson went out for the football team during the off-season with the intent of playing tight end last fall. But it didn't pan out and he re-focused on hoops.
- Knocked off Purdue, 77-73, in the Bahamas. Johnson had 17 points, freshmen Taveion Hollingsworth (2017 Mr. Basketball in the state of Kentucky) and Jake Ohmer had 15 each.
- Outscored Boilermakers, 38-26, in the paint despite presence of 7-2 Isaac Haas (who had 22 points and 6 rebounds) and 7-3 Matt Haarms (who played only 11 minutes).
- Lost close game to new No. 1 Villanova in Bahamas. Also outscored Wildcats, 34-32, in paint. Thompson led the way with 16 points and 6 assists. Coleby had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
- Coached by Rick Stansbury, second season. Former Mississippi State head coach (record of 293-165).
- Stansbury sez: "We have no margin of error three ways. Injury-wise. Foul trouble-wise. Mentally-wise."
