Lucas: What a difference a year makes for Potter
November 06, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Mike Lucas
Transfer emerged as one of nation's best reserves last season
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Having already exercised his civic right to vote, something which he has done in primaries and general elections over the past four years, Micah Potter took advantage of the gorgeous Election Day weather. While the temperature flirted with the 70's, he took a long walk.
Besides phoning and reconnecting with family and friends from back home in Mentor, Ohio and beyond, Potter listened to music. His tastes range from faith-based hymns to Michael Bublé to classical. In the latter category, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, a 21-year-old cellist prodigy, is one of his favorites.
"I don't want to call myself a weirdo, but I'm rather unique, I'm big into classical music; cello, violin, orchestra, stuff like that,'' said Potter pointing out Kanneh-Mason performed at Prince Harry's and Meghan Markle's wedding. "It's just soothing when you're on a walk and it's a beautiful day.''
From the time that he began singing in the church choir as a grade schooler through his many years in the school band – including nearly a decade playing the piano – Potter has acted on his musical impulses right up until his focus shifted almost entirely to sports in the ninth grade.
Earlier this week, the matchups for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge were released which was sweet music to the ears of Potter and his teammates who have been waiting for the nonconference scheduling pieces to fall into place. In this case, the Badgers will face Louisville on December 9 at the Kohl Center.
Potter has a link to the Cardinals roster in guard Carlik Jones, a graduate transfer from Radford. Last season, Jones averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in carrying his team to a Big South title. Potter played AAU basketball with Jones, who's from Cincinnati, Ohio (Aiken High School).
"At least having some form of what seems like security that we're playing a game outside of the Big Ten before January 1st is super encouraging,'' Potter said alluding to all the uncertainty that has abounded. "So, we're ready for Louisville and excited about playing them. Should be a good game.''
Because the 2020 schedule has been so slow to crystallize, it has left the players in the dark.
But it hasn't dampened their enthusiasm. Or diminished their expectations.
"We know we have the ability to beat anyone in the country,'' Potter said. "We have the confidence now and we've got kind of that swagger. Now obviously that means nothing because you have to go out and you have to perform, and you have to work hard.
"Our mentality is to work hard every single day with the understanding that we have that ability which gives us that confidence that we can beat anyone. The biggest thing right now is making sure we're paying attention to details, fine-tuning little things and making sure we're a well-oiled machine.
"Also, we have to make sure we're getting better.''
Potter has been balancing the unknown (a piecemealed schedule) with the known (a senior-laden roster with a lot of returning pieces). He knows what the Badgers accomplished last season in winning the final eight games of the regular season and a share of the Big Ten championship.
"We know what ability we have from what we did last year,'' he said, "and we know how much everyone has gotten better over the course of the last six to nine months ever since that season ended. We've got a lot of confidence. Whoever comes in the door, we know we can compete.''
Last weekend, the Badgers had a five-on-five scrimmage at the Kohl Center; the first simulated game competition since last March when they rallied for a win at Indiana. Noted Potter, "It was the first time we had actually gone up and down the court physically without a whole bunch of stoppages.''
Critiquing the results, he said, "There's still work to do. But there are definitely some positives and some negatives. We've got some work to do defensively. Offensively, we have to be a little more consistent and, in some situations, we need to slow down a little bit.''
The Badgers return all but Brevin Pritzl from a 21-win team that went 14-6 in the Big Ten.
"Our depth is going to be really good; a huge part especially when it comes to playing later in the season,'' said Potter who cited other strengths. "Our shooting is an obvious one. We're going to have five guys, pretty much at all times on the floor, who can shoot and shoot consistently well.''
Wisconsin finished second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.352).
In addition, the Badgers led the league in free throw shooting (.764).
"And then, there's our size – we've got a lot of really good size,'' said the 6-10 Potter, singling out another team strength whereby the Badgers can go with a big lineup. "We'll be able to be versatile defensively. We've got guys who are longer and taller and who can guard multiple positions.''
In summary, he said, "Obviously, we've got a lot of pieces and a lot of tools, and it will benefit us with how unselfish our team is going to be. Everyone is trying to make the right play. Like I said, sometimes we just have to slow down a little bit, which is expected when you first start playing again.''
As far as the offensive focal points, Potter offered the shorthand.
"Slow down. Be patient. Make the right reads. Run the offense. Score some points.''
In this vein, freshman Steven Crowl did some good things during the scrimmage.
"The first time really playing as a freshman there's going to be some mistakes but offensively he looked very good,'' Potter said of the 6-9 Crowl, who's from Eagan, Minn. (Eastview)." He had a couple of post moves where he was very patient and kept his pivot foot to get around his defender.
"I've mentioned this in earlier interviews, but all the freshmen just want to learn …  Obviously, they get frustrated if they mess up because they want to do everything right. But they're freshmen. They're learning, they're really good listeners and they play really hard.''
He stressed the importance of being patient. In this context, for different reasons, Potter's patience was tested last fall while going through the NCAA's eligibility appeal process after transferring from Ohio State. In the end, he sat out 10 games and didn't make his UW debut until Dec. 21.
What a difference a year makes for Potter.
"It goes back to the confidence level – beginning with the time that I was allowed to play my confidence level wasn't as high – and I'm a lot more confident now,'' he said. "Even in (preseason) practice last year, the reps were very minimal because we didn't know (how the NCAA would rule).
"So, in now being able to get full-time reps in practice, I'm really getting the confidence not only with myself on the floor but also with my teammates, especially defensively. I'm a lot more comfortable with where they're going to be and what I can expect from them and what they can expect from me.''
Last season, Potter appeared in 21 games with three starts. He averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds. In the title-clinching victory at Indiana, he had a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds), his third at UW. Over the last five games, he scored in double-figures four times, twice scoring 18 points.
Potter shot 53 percent from the field, 45 percent from the arc, 86 percent from the line.
"The biggest thing I'm trying to do is really reduce my turnovers from last year,'' said Potter who had 33 turnovers in 374 minutes (17.8 per game) of playing time. "I know that I didn't have a ton of them. But my percentage from that standpoint was still high.
"Really the thing I'm trying to do is focus on making sure I'm making the right play – not turning the ball over – and making smart decisions in every facet of the game, offensively or defensively. I want to pay attention to the fine details of doing all the little things right on a much more consistent basis.''
To a large degree, Potter has reshaped his body. He's not quite as large. When he started playing last December, he weighed 252. By the end of the season, he was down to 240. Since then, he has put on more muscle and decreased his body fat by roughly three percent. At the moment, he's 245.
"And I'm feeling really, really good,'' he said. "My recovery times are shorter, and I feel a lot better with my wind to where I can stay on the floor a lot longer to the point where I get upset when I'm taken off. I don't want to come off. I feel much better even compared to the end of last year.''
There has also been a newfound peace of mind since Potter got engaged in late June to Elle Van Grinsven, a senior volleyball player at Loyola of Chicago and a native of Franklin, Wis. (Wisconsin Lutheran High School). The couple will be married in June of 2021.
"I've said this all along, I knew after three days, she was the one,'' Potter said of their first meeting in December of 2018. "We've gotten a lot of the wedding planning done which has been very nice because we won't have to worry about it before my season starts and her season starts in January.''
Another scrimmage is planned for this weekend in preparation for the start of the UW season. Whenever that may be, Potter knows that he will be an integral part of it. Unlike last year. Without him, the Badgers went 5-5. With him, they went 16-5 with the promise of so much more when it ended.
That promise has not dissipated since last March.
Maybe that crossed Potter's mind after last Saturday's scrimmage.
"As a team, we looked good,'' he said. "Obviously, we will continue to improve.''
Maybe that crossed Potter's mind during Tuesday's long walk.
"We're just making sure we're putting ourselves in a situation where we can do that.''
That being improving, and living up to that promise.
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