1/16 Update: In the first of two very big road victories this past week, the Badgers defeated Penn State before a sparse gathering in Pennsylvania due to an ice storm. This balanced out nicely for the Badgers after they lost a home court advantage due to bad weather against Ohio State.
After a fairly slow start on both offense and defense, the Badgers played some very solid basketball in the second half to secure the victory.
Wisconsin did a fantastic job of defending Calvin Booth throughout the game, although I think this attention cost them early in the game as Penn State was able to penetrate to the basket, often via screens at the top of the key. The Badger big men seemed a bit tentative in leaving Booth to stop the ball, leading to a few too many chances for the PSU guards. Once they shored this aspect of their defensive set up, the Badgers gained control of the game until a late PSU rally (fueled by some sloppy Wisconsin play) made things interesting.
Here are the game grades:
Andy Kowske: B+
Although he once again had some trouble finishing a couple of bunnies underneath, the defensive effort by Kowske was a key to the game. Kowske not only was able to stay out of foul trouble against a much taller player, but also held Booth completely in check (with assistance of course from the rest of the team). He contributed 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots to his token 6 points.
Charlie Wills: C+
Wills forced the action offensively early and therefore was limited to 5 minutes of playing time. However, later in the game when he did get open looks, he knocked them down to the tune of 6 points. As he gets older and learns when and where his shots will come, I think he will be a very effective offensive player. Although he is nowhere near the same overall type of player, while watching him Wednesday night, I thought his shooting stroke looked a bit like Brian Evans, formerly of Indiana. When in rhythm, he has a really nice soft stroke.
Sean Mason: A-
Another solid all-around game for Sean Mason. He was able to generate consistent offense thoughout the game and he added 8 rebounds and 3 assists to boot. Another overlooked aspect of his game was his defensive effort on Ivory, a decent offensive player. Until a couple of late scrambling 3's, Ivory was a non-factor for the Lions, in no small part to Mason's defense.
Ty Calderwood: B
With any primary ballhandler, the first thing you need to look at is turnovers, of which Ty had only 1. He also provided some key 3 point shots. Overall though, 4 for 11 from the field isn't that good, and he did a bit too much dribbling at times which limited the ball movement within the offense. A solid, though not spectacular game.
Mike Kelley: C
I didn't think Wednesday was one of Kelley stronger outings of the year overall. His man was able to get some dribble penetration at times, and he seemed to have a bit of trouble fighting through some ball screens allowing further penetration. Yet, he didn't turn the ball over (1) and he contributed 4 assists and a couple of steals. Mike also knocked down 4 big free throws in the last minute which sealed the victory. So, even when not at the top of his game, he was still able to contribute.
Hennssy Auriantal: C
Hennssy was somewhat sloppy with the ball and he had at least one pretty wild pass. However, we all know that he is not on the court for his offensive prowess, and his defensive minutes are quite a benefit to the team.
Jon Bryant: C
Jon hit a couple of open jumpers in limited time, which is his role. He was burned bad once off the dribble though as the shot clock expired. Otherwise, a non-factor.
Mark Vershaw: D
Vershaw was clearly intimidated by the presence of Booth on the interior, as he shot only 1 for 7 from the field. The Badgers were not able to run much through, since PSU did not have to even consider doubling him (freeing cutters) when Booth was on him.
Maurice Linton: INC
Duany Duany:INC
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