1/31 Update: Yesterday, the Badger basketbal team continued their strong play against Minnesota, with their 7th consecutive Big Ten victory.
Here are the game grades:
Andy Kowske: B-
6 rebounds, a block, a few gimmie hoops inside, and some solid defensive work. In other words, typical Kowske. His primary opponent (Tarver) did grab 13 rebounds, but Tarver is one of the premier rebounders in the conference and sometimes you just have to hand it to the opposition (see Kelley below). He had one fairly wild offensive shot on the baseline on a turnaround jumper, but overall, Kowske's offensive game is showing signs of improving. I doubt very highly if he will ever become a legitimate offensive threat, but 10 points per game down the road might not be out of the question as he develops his around the basket game to go along with his garbage points.
Charlie Wills: C
Basically didn't do a whole lot. Wills simply provided a few minutes (7) of bench play. Didn't hurt the team which is always a key for any bench player.
Sean Mason: C
Mason's continued spotty shooting continued with a 4 for 15 effort, 1 for 8 from 2-point range. He still gets to the line a great deal and is often forced to force some shots as the shot clock winds down, but 4 for 15 just isn't a strong game. He also had half of the team's 6 turnovers, often coming as a result of forcing play. On the plus side, he didn't let his offensive slump deter his defensive play, as he and Calderwood completely shut down Clark and Nathaniel, depriving Minnesota of another viable offensive threat (along with Lewis). He added 3 steals, 2 blocks, and 5 rebounds to show that he is much more than a shooter on this team.
Ty Calderwood: A-
0 for 6 from long range, and the rest of his game was outstanding. 6 for 8 from 2 point range, 6 of 7 from the line for a career high 18 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, and 0 turnovers. Calderwood controlled the tempo expertly and prevented the game from getting into the helter skelter pace that Minnesota prefers. Defensively, his counterpart (Clark) was 4 for 15 from the field. Finally, Calderwood was big down the stretch, providing key plays at key moments.
Mike Kelley: B-
Only 1 point while the man he was guarding knocked down 28 (although not all against him) doesn't sound like a B- game does it? However, defensively he really didn't do a bad job at all. He didn't give Lewis any open looks and consistently forced Lewis to earn his points, which to Lewis' credit he did. Like Michael Redd, Lewis was able to use his height/leaping advantage to shoot over the top of Kelley, both from the perimeter as well as on drives into the lane area. Without a solid defensive effort, Lewis might have hit for 40 the way he was shooting the ball. Offensively, Kelley was a stable constant of the court (as always), finishing with 4 assists without a turnover again (anyone remember the last time he had one???).
Jon Bryant: B+
"Instant offense" was just that again, despite fewer minutes and a more concentrated defensive effort from the opposition. Bryant nailed 3 of 4 shots in his time on the court. Jon even added a few boards, an assist, and 2 steals to his stats. Despite a soft defensive reputation, I haven't seen a team dramatically exploit him yet. Saturday was no different.
Mark Vershaw: A-
Vershaw was a steady influence in the post. With Pryzbilla limited due to foul trouble, Vershaw was able to generate offense for himself AND his teammates, connecting on 8 points and adding 5 assists (although he did have 2 turnovers). An added to Mark's game was that he contributed 8 rebounds, a season high as far as I can recall. His defense continues to improve. As he gets even stronger next year, his defense might even become a significant plus.
Maurice Linton: C
Maurice knocked down a key jumper in the second half, and gave the starters a nice breather, though his propensity to foul after defensive troubles is a problem. A key reserve for this team, and suited fine for that role at this time.
Duany Duany: B
Had a few significant minutes as Mike Kelley got into foul trouble and Dick Bennett needed someone to match up with Lewis. Lewis still delivered against Duany, but Doc did a decent job. Offensively, Doc provided a brief lift with a long range "3" and an aggressive drive to the hole, netting a free throw. Duany also had an assist and a steal in his 9 minutes, a pretty productive afternoon overall.
Return to Game Previews/Evaluations Page
Return to Badgermaniac's Badger News and Views Page
� 1997 [email protected]
Get your own Free Home Page