2/4 Update: Generally speaking, I often think folks are too rough on their teams when they lose. Sometimes, a loss comes not so much from poor play as much as superior play from the opposition (see Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd against the Badgers). I think overreaction and excessive criticizm is all too often the norm. That being said, I think the Badgers really did play poorly last night, especially defensively.
Here are the game grades:
Andy Kowske: C
Andy actually showed some nice offensive moves, hitting on 4 of 6 shots including two nice hooks and a pretty lengthy jumper. He also added a couple of blocks and 5 rebounds. So, why the mid range grade? Well, his opponent (William Gladness) controlled the boards (14) and Kowske insisted on getting himself into marginal foul trouble with stupid over the back fouls. Like the rest of the team, his help defense was very suspect, as IU continually got deep into the lane.
Charlie Wills: D
Poor offensively (1 of 4 although all were makeable shots), and very bad defensively as well. Wills spent some time against Recker, which is a tough matchup I realize, but Recker was allowed to just shoot over the top. IU was just too quick for him.
Sean Mason: C
After draining two early 3 balls, Mason disappeared for the rest of the first half. On one hand it was good to see him not force the action, though I think a lot of it had to do with Mason not working as hard to get his shots. In the second half, Mason stepped up and began to take responsibility for the scoring before some silly fouls limited his time and eventually fouled him out. The big miss was his last shot when Mase failed to convert on a wide open three that could have altered the game. Mason also failed to get to the line (a major element of his game), although much of that can arguably be attributed to the interesting foul interpretations by the zebras. Mason only nabbed 2 rebounds and failed to have an assist while turning the ball over twice.
Ty Calderwood: C
Like Sean, Ty was a non-factor in the first half. As he tried to get involved early in the second half, he forced a few plays but overall finally did get a small spark going. However, 3 for 10 overall is not what you want to see. IU did a fine job of both limiting his penetration as well as not giving him open looks from outside, forcing him to a step behind his natural range. Calderwood did lead the team with 5 rebounds and contributed 4 assists to the contest, though his counterpart for Indiana (Lewis) was able to effectively execute the Indiana offense to near perfection at times (10 assists).
Mike Kelley: A-
Kelley did a reputable job on Guyton overall (only 4 of 13), although A.J. was able to get to the hoop on more than one occasion even though he couldn't always finish. Offensively, Kelley hit all of his limited shots, including a rare three ball. (I do think he will develop into a decent long range threat in the future as his stroke seems to be respectable). He also added 4 assist without a turnover (AGAIN!!!...his ratio is approaching 7 to 1 for the season which is unheard of).
Jon Bryant: D
Just as his grade sours when he is on, it plummets when he is off. Bryant was 0 for 5 from beyond the arc, including most that were uncontested. He did hit his only 2 pointer, but the Badgers needed more on a night when their defense betrayed them. After missing early and often, Bryant became a bit gun shy late in the game.
Mark Vershaw: D
The only thing that saved Vershaw from a total waste of a game was the fact that he WAS the Badger offense for much of the first half, connecting for 10 points in the first frame on a variety of nice post moves and short jumpers. Yet, his second half was a big zero. Against a smaller IU front line, Mark managed only 4 rebounds, of which 1 or 2 were in garbage time late in final seconds. Defensively, he was matched up with Turner, and Turner ate him up with a variety of uncontested jumpers and drives to the hoop. Turner is a tough matchup for Vershaw, but in the Big Ten, you have to come to play and adapt, and on this night, Mark didn't.
Maurice Linton: C-
Offensively, Linton gave the Badgers a small lift with 4 points and a nice assist, to go along with 3 total rebounds. However, Linton was suckered twice VERY badly on back door cuts which led to Indiana layups and Maurice's exit from the game.
Duany Duany: D
Duany tried to provide some offense, getting off 4 shots in only 9 minutes. However, when not a one drops, what can you say. He also had one poor turnover (as opposed to a good one...I know, but you get the idea).
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