Lucas: The ‘Glue’ that holds Wisconsin together
March 10, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Mike Lucas
For the Badgers, Wahl’s value extends far beyond stats and awards
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Whether drilling the "Dominique" (an up-and-under technique) or the "McHale" (a jump hook) – post moves named after NBA legends, Dominique Wilkins and Kevin McHale – Tyler Wahl has an understanding of footwork, shooting angles and the value in scoring with either hand.
What he doesn't have yet is a name for his signature back-to-the-basket maneuver in the lane.
"Everyone would say it's my little McHale – a little right-hand jump hook over the shoulder," Wahl said of an offensive action that catches some defenders by surprise because he gets it off so quickly with a little flick of his wrist. "It's more of a finger roll out to the side.
"I'm not the tallest guy. I'm not the biggest, strongest guy.
"So, I've got to find a way to get it up there on the glass.
"I've gotten my touch down. So far, so good. I just want to continue to get better at it."
Jogging his memory on the last time he had that shot blocked, he said, "It has been awhile."
UW assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft didn't have any trouble coming up with a name for it.
"That's the Tyler Wahl," he said. "It's a little different than a jump hook or a McHale or what we would call a McHale here. He extends it out and he's got tremendous touch. He has been working on it with his left hand. When he does that, then, all of a sudden, which shoulder do you force him to?
"Right now, people are trying to force him back to his left hand.
"But he's still able to get it off with that right hand. He has an unbelievable touch and feel."
There may not be a bigger fan of Wahl's post-up game than Krabbenhoft.
"He's so comfortable with a guy leaning on him – he's able to keep his vision of the entire court, so he knows where the (defensive) help is coming from – he's a tremendous passer," said Krabbenhoft whose area code as a former UW player (2005-09) was routinely the paint and low block.
"He never gets sped up other than maybe the Minnesota game where I thought they were abusing the heck out of him … he's been so under-control and made great decisions whether he's scoring and getting to the free throw line or finding a teammate for an open look and dunk at the rim.
"That's his comfort zone. Frankly, I think that's our team's comfort zone.
"Playing through Tyler in the post is when we're at our best."
Tyler Wahl (@tjwahl01) watched the @BadgerMBB Final Four runs as a kid.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 28, 2022
He knew back then that he wanted to play for the Badgers, and even included it on his life goals.@BTNJourney spotlights the junior's path to Madison ⤵️.
Fueled by @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/iqWaUl9eiD
Big Ten Network analyst Robbie Hummel is also a fan of Wahl's uncanny feel around the rim.
"That's been fascinating to watch – I'm jealous of Tyler Wahl for the way he can post up at 6-8 – I say that because I'm the same size and I watch him back guys down," said Hummel who scored 1,772 points during his Purdue career (2007-12) and was recognized as a second-team All-American.
"He moves people … bigger people. He posted (Purdue's 7-4) Zach Edey and scored over the top ... he understands what he's good at, and when you do that, you're going to have success. He's just a winner, man. He makes winning plays. I'd take Tyler Wahl on my team every day of the week.
"When you play with a guy like Johnny Davis, there's going to be opportunities.
"He has taken those opportunities and maximized them to the best of his abilities."
In Big Ten games, the 6-9 Wahl had the fourth-highest field goal shooting percentage (.540) behind the aforementioned Edey (.627), Illinois' Kofi Cockburn (.577) and Michigan's Hunter Dickinson (.549). He has steadily increased his scoring average from 2.6 points as a freshman to 5.2 to 11.6 points as a junior.
Wahl has scored in double-figures in 16 of his last 19 games, including three 20-plus outings.
"Where we really saw it jump," Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard said of Wahl's new-found confidence on offense, "was the Providence game when we had to play without Johnny Davis (who was injured). We were really dependent on him to do a lot of the scoring."
In his first two seasons, he never scored more than 14. He had 16 points against Providence.
"I thought it was a good evolution for him," Gard said, "to prove to himself what he could do more than anything. It was like, 'Hey, you can score at a pretty high clip here and we need you to.' Obviously, he followed that up by playing really well in Vegas, too."
In late November, the Badgers defeated Texas A&M, Houston and Saint Mary's to win the Maui Invitational which was staged in Las Vegas due to COVID protocols in Hawaii. Wahl averaged 11 points and 5 rebounds. He had 18 points and four blocks in the title game and made the All-Tournament team.
"It just keeps coming back to how much he's added to his game," Krabbenhoft said. "He's slick with the ball – kind of slithery at times getting downhill. But then it just comes back to how patient and how good he is in the post. His development has been tremendous.
"It has a lot to do with his dedication and commitment to what makes him good, and what makes our team good. He hasn't deviated from that. He hasn't tried to be something that he's not. He knows where his bread is buttered. And that's what makes him great. He knows what makes him great."
The irony, by Wahl's own admission, is "I didn't really have to do post moves growing up" in Lakeville, Minnesota. As a senior, he led Lakeville North to a 27-5 record and the state finals. Since getting to the UW, he has worked out of the post and "I've gained confidence each and every year."
Much of it has to do with his skillset for a big. Along with his patience in executing moves.
"My freshman and sophomore year, Coach Gard was always telling me, 'Slow down, slow down,'" Wahl recalled. "Now, this year, I would say I don't know if I've slowed down or I'm just seeing things a little slower. I feel like I'm a little more confident and I can see things a lot better than I have.
"When I get the ball in my spots, I'll either go up with a shot or make the right basketball play. If I'm one-on-one, I'm really kind of thinking about just getting it up on the glass, getting it up on the rim. But when I suck in more people and get more attention then I can pass it out."
Wahl, like others, has refined his craft through fundamental shooting exercises in practice. Like the Mikan layup drill – honoring the legendary George Mikan, the original big man – in which a player shoots a series of layups, alternating between his right hand and left hand, from under the basket.
"Every day in practice, when we do these post moves, you get the same amount of reps on your opposite hand as you do your main hand," Wahl said. "When we're drilling, we're definitely working both hands. When you're constantly working the other one (left), it becomes second nature using it."
There's an orderly sequence to everything, Krabbenhoft suggested. One day, you may be doing the Mikan drill. The next, you may be shooting from the post with resistance from a blocking pad held by an assistant. The next, you may be matched against a teammate in a live situation.
"We're constantly working on all of those things," Krabbenhoft said. "Not just one thing."
Wahl's 3-point shot has been a work in progress. As a freshman, he was 6-of-28 (.214) from beyond the arc. As a sophomore, he was 10-of-36 (.278). This season, he missed his first 17 attempts through the first 15 games. Since then, he has made 6 of 19 (.315) from the perimeter.
"Since I hit my first one, I feel like I've been shooting it decent," Wahl said. "If I get an open 3, I let it fly. My teammates have the confidence in me. My coach has the confidence in me. But it can definitely be kind of demoralizing when someone is not going to guard you (from outside the lane)."
But when an opponent is inviting a 3, a wide-open shot, Wahl was quick to note, "It's not always the best shot – you have to pick and choose the time – because a one pass shot is not the best in the world." Plus, he added, "I have to continue to be aggressive, working downhill, getting to my spots."
Wahl has earned a spot on Seth Davis' six-player All-Glue team for The Athletic. This would be the 22nd All-Glue edition for Davis, a CBS college basketball studio analyst. In 2014 and 2015, former Wisconsin guard Josh Gasser was on the team. In 2007, Marcus Landry was one of Davis' selections.
"It is a compliment – there are some good Badger alumni on that list – I'm glad I could be a part of it," Wahl said. "I do a lot of things for this team, whether it's playing defense, getting rebounds or points. I feel like I do a little bit of everything in holding this team together. I feel like that's the glue."
Wahl wasn't afraid to acknowledge that his game hasn't always drawn the spotlight.
"I've been getting overlooked my whole life," he said without rancor.
In the same breath, he stressed, "I'm just going to continue to be confident in myself."
Although he received Big Ten honorable mention recognition, Wahl was left off the All-Defensive team chosen by the coaches. It felt like a whiff and glaring oversight for someone who can guard 1-through-5 and had five steals in each of his last two games against Purdue and Nebraska.
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 8, 2022
Congrats to our guy, @tjwahl01 pic.twitter.com/nF09tHvPd5
While viewing Wahl perform for three days against high-level competition in Vegas, ESPN's Jay Bilas opined, "Tyler Wahl is one of the best defenders in the country. The box score doesn't truly indicate his value." His 23 blocks/33 steals in 29 games are a small reflection of his defensive prowess.
Obviously, he wasn't pleased to be overlooked on the All-Defensive team.
But he insisted, "It is what it is." There are other things, more pressing things on his mind.
Like bouncing back as a team in the Big Ten Tournament starting Friday in Indianapolis. Said Wahl, "We're not promised anything from here on out. We have to go into every game like it's our last. Hopefully, this lights a fire under our butt, and we can play our best basketball in March."
Wahl tried lighting that fire during a disappointing loss to Nebraska last Sunday. After pulling down an offensive rebound in a crowd, he scored on the put-back and flexed. It seemed to be an out of character pose by Wahl who conceded, "I did flex a little
bit. I was hoping I would get a picture of it."
His intentions were clear. "I felt like we needed something to get us going," Wahl said.
Spoken like someone who's no longer deferring to others. As he has in the past.
"I knew from a leadership standpoint, it was something we had talked about during the off-season, and he was ready to be a more vocal leader and it was time for him to be a more vocal leader," Gard said. 'But that's something that has to be earned. We don't hand it out. You earn that."
When asked what he might share about postseason basketball with some of the younger players – especially the first-year starters – based on his leadership and playing experience (91 games, 50 starts), Wahl pointed out, "This is kind of new for me, too, this whole March Madness."
As a freshman, he didn't have a postseason because of COVID. A year ago, the Big Ten Tourney, with limited attendance, was at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Badgers stayed in that bubble for the Big Dance with games at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette and Hinkle Field House in Indy.
"It's a lot of people's dreams to play in March," said Wahl, welcoming a return to norm.
And then he offered the perfect advice, "Just soak it in, and let's go win some games."
Something a glue guy would say.
