Lucas’ 3-Pointers: Wisconsin at Michigan

MIKE LUCAS
Senior Writer

BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Badgers travel to Ann Arbor on Tuesday to play Michigan at the Crisler Center. Here are three things to know:

1. Red Belt Mentality Revisited?

The last time that Michigan opened 10-0 was during the 2018-2019 season, an unbeaten streak that reached 17-0 before it finally came to an end at the hands of — wait for it — Wisconsin.

On January 19, 2019, the Badgers upended the No. 2 ranked Wolverines, 64-54, resulting in a court-storming at the Kohl Center. The Wolverines had gone 31-1 over their last 32 games with the only loss coming to Villanova in the NCAA tournament finals. Ethan Happ had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Nobody else from the UW scored in double-figures. Nate Reuvers and Aleem Ford had 9 each, Brad Davison had 8.

In the post-game locker room, coach Greg Gard broke out a karate belt, a red belt which to Gard and his players was symbolic of an adopted chip-on-your-shoulder mentality. Dave Anderson, a nationally-recognized motivational speaker, spoke to the team the day before the Michigan game and shared the story of how the most dangerous people in a karate studio are not the black belts, but the red belts because they're hungrier, not complacent or satisfied with their rank or level of achievement.

Said Davison, "With the Red Belt mentality, you know that you're a good team but you're not a great team yet. Every day, you've got to come in focused." Added Reuvers, "You're working towards something — working your hardest."

For the record, the last time that the Wolverines lost at the Crisler Center was at the hands of — wait for it — Wisconsin. Michigan has won nine straight on its home court since losing, 81-74, to the Badgers last February in Ann Arbor. In a classic lead-guard dual, Zavier Simpson had 32 points, while D'Mitrik Trice had 28. Simpson has moved on; Trice is back for more. "He's one of the elite guards in the country," Michigan coach Juwan Howard told The Detroit News. "He can create his own shot. He's a tough guard for anyone."

2. Age Is A State Of Mind

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas has cracked that the senior-laden Badgers are older than the Milwaukee Bucks. After Wisconsin's double-overtime win against Indiana, Trice conceded as much, "We are probably the oldest team in the country as the announcers keep saying."

Trice is 24. For context, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson just turned 24. But there's no real comparison with the Bucks, save for Donte DiVincenzo, who's 23 going on 24, and the only starter younger than Trice. Giannis Antetokounmpo is 26, Kris Middleton is 29, Jrue Holiday is 30, and Brook Lopez is 32.

But Bilas made his point with his trending AARP quip. So did Michigan's Isaiah Livers by addressing Wisconsin's seniority in The Detroit News: "That's what's dangerous about all those seniors being on one team. They're all going to do the little things right. They're not going to go for home-run plays. They're very disciplined. They're smart … Those teams are really hard to guard because they're very crafty."

Trice knows that the Badgers must be true to their own personality in this early season Big Ten showdown with the Wolverines. "Michigan is a really hot team, one of the hottest teams in the country. We just know that we're a hard-nosed gritty team. We've got to continue to play Wisconsin defense. That's what is going to get the job done."

3. Speaking Of Brook Lopez

Michigan's 7-1, 255-pound center Hunter Dickinson has drawn rave reviews for his mature play in the paint. And much of that may have to do with the fact that Dickinson is a 20-year-old freshman and a product of a competitive high school environment (DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland).

The left-handed shooting Dickinson has converted on 73 of 100 field goal attempts (.730) while averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds. In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Dickinson said, "Everybody tries to call me (Nikola) Jokic from the (Denver) Nuggets because of my passing. I think that's a really good comparison. Somebody who just affects the game in many different ways. Maybe Brook Lopez … how he was able to transform his game. Players like that, I think I play similarly to."

Gard has been impressed with Dickinson: "He's more physical than your average freshman. He doesn't get rattled by double teams. He's a handful. Obviously, he finishes at a high rate, but they get him the ball in some pretty high percentage spots … he keeps the ball high and goes at bodies and doesn't fade away from contact."

UW assistant Alando Tucker was equally impressed: "You talk about a player playing with confidence and fearlessness … and he's got the skill set to go along with that confidence and size."

But the real key for the Wolverines has been grad transfer Mike Smith who has taken over the point for Simpson. The 5-11 Smith started 91 of 92 games at Columbia and produced 1,653 career points and 393 assists during his Ivy League run. Said Gard, "He's finding people at the right spots and shoots it better than what Simpson did from the perimeter. You can tell he's got a great feel for the game … he finds Dickinson in those pick-and-rolls really well."