Scouting Wisconsin

Wisconsin had been a well-oiled machine until the 2017-18 season came, resulting in a 15-18 mark and some heat on second-year head coach Greg Gard.

UW rebounded last year. It topped NC State 79-75 in Madison, Wis., and went on to finish 23-11 overall and 14-6 in the Big Ten before falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Badgers have only played seven games this season, but already have had some bumps in the road. Back-to-back losses to Richmond and New Mexico last week in Brooklyn, N.Y., has Wisconsin sitting at 4-3. However, UW did get a quality 77-61 win over in-state foe Marquette Nov. 17.

Wisconsin plays at NC State (5-2 overall) at 9:15 p.m. tonight in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on ESPN2. Here is a scouting report on the Badgers.

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The veteran backcourt of junior guards D’Mitrik Trice and Brad Davison have been joined by junior center Nate Reuvers as the key performers for Wisconsin.

Trice’s numbers are a little down this season, but NC State is well-versed on what he can do on the court. He went 4 of 5 from three-point land for 18 points in Wisconsin’s win over the Pack. He averaged 11.6 points per game and shot 39.0 percent from three-point land last year, but has fallen to 8.4 points a contest and 31.4 percent from beyond the arc thus far this season.

Rankings

KenPom.com has Wisconsin at No. 56 in the country this season, and ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Badgers at No. 16.

The Badgers are ranked No. 128 in the old RPI formula used by the NCAA — according to RealTimeRPI.com. In the newly established NET rankings done by the NCAA, Wisconsin finished No. 20 in the country last year. The first NET ratings of 2019-20 should be released soon.

Shooting

Wisconsin is shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from three-point land, which is a little lower than expected. The Badgers are knocking down an impressive 81.1 percent at the free throw line.

As previously mentioned, Trice isn’t shooting as well this season as a season ago. Neither is junior stretch four Aleem Ford, who made 4 of 7 three-pointers against NC State last year. He is just 7 of 30 this season. Fifth-year senior wing Brevin Pritzl comes off the bench and shoots 34.5 percent on three-pointers (10 of 29).

Rebounding

Wisconsin doesn’t have the pure size in the paint like it has enjoyed in the past, but Reuvers (6-11, 235) has stepped up this season in a variety of ways. He leads the Badgers with 5.7 rebounds per game, and Pritz, who is 6-3, is second at 5.4 caroms per contest.

The Badgers are averaging 34.9 rebounds per game with a plus-4.3 rebounding margin, and have six players averaging at least four boards per contest. They’ll get a boost when reserve center Micah Potter, an Ohio State transfer and former NC State recruiting target, becomes eligible after the first semester ends.

Defense

Scoring is always difficult against Wisconsin, and this season is no different. The Badgers are allowing 61.7 points per game, and opponents are shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 35.4 percent on three-pointers.

Reuvers had nine blocks against Eastern Illinois and four against St. Mary’s to help him average 2.6 on the season. He is, however, the only shot blocker on the team. Davison, who is adept at drawing charges, leads the way with 1.4 steals per game, but the Badgers only average 5.3 steals a contest.

Depth

Pritzl leads the bench crew, with some help from Green Bay transfer Trevor Anderson, who arrived as a walk-on guard, and freshman forward Tyler Wahl. The Badgers only played eight players in the loss against New Mexico.

Pritz is averaging 8.3 points in 25.0 minutes per game and has 100 career three-pointers. Anderson is a steady three-point shooter if open, but he has just five points and 12 rebounds on the season. The 6-7, 214-pound Wahl has 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in 95 minutes played this season.

Wisconsin always seems to have a big man emerge right when they need him to, and junior center Nate Reuvers has continued that trend.

Reuvers was ranked No. 83 overall in the country in the class of 2017 by Rivals.com. At the time he weighed 200 pounds, but showed he was a good jump shooter and could be a shot blocker. He has now grown to 235 pounds and has blossomed this season.

Reuvers averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game last year playing alongside four-year standout Ethan Happ. With Happ graduating, Reuvers has improved to 15.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He’s shooting 49.4 percent from the field and he has made seven three-pointers.

Reuvers’ blocks average is skewed when he had nine blocks to go along with 14 points and 14 rebounds in a 65-52 win over Eastern Illinois Nov. 8.

The skilled face-up center has gotten into foul trouble this season, fouling out of the New Mexico loss. He finished with four fouls against Green Bay and McNeese State. The Badgers don’t have a true backup center until Ohio State transfer Micah Potter is eligible in a few weeks.

NC State

PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 175, Sr., 12.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.7 apg, 1.8 spg)

SG — 13 C.J. Bryce (6-5, 210, 5th-Sr., 16.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.9 spg)

G — 10 Braxton Beverly (6-0, 180, Jr., 9.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.1 apg)

PF — 4 Jericole Hellems (6-7, 205, So., 10.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.9 apg, 1.1 spg)

C — 15 Manny Bates (6-11, 230, R-Fr., 7.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.4 apg, 3.4 bpg)

Wisconsin

PG — 0 D’Mitrik Trice (6-0, 184, Jr., 8.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.0 spg)

SG — 34 Brad Davison (6-4, 206, Jr., 12.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.4 spg)

SF — 23 Kobe King (6-4, 205, So., 10.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.0 spg)

PF — 2 Aleem Ford (6-8, 217, Jr., 9.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.3 apg)

C — 35 Nate Reuvers (6-11, 235, Jr., 15.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.9 apg, 2.6 bpg)

1 One NCAA Tournament appearance for Wisconsin from 1948-96, which occurred in 1994 under former NBA coach Stu Jackson and future pros Michael Finley and Rashard Griffith. UW has gone to the Big Dance 20 times since 1997.

5 Scholarship players who have redshirted (medical or regular) at Wisconsin — Pritzl, Trice, Ford, King and redshirt freshman center Joe Hedstrom. The Badgers have used redshirting as well as any college basketball program in the country.

34 Combined field goal percentage in the losses to Richmond and New Mexico. UW shot 9 of 53 (17.0 percent) on three-pointers in the two losses.

Davison won’t likely be matched up against NC State star point guard Markell Johnson, but could defend him on switches or if the Badgers elect to have its point guard D’Mitrik Trice guard NC State junior guard Braxton Beverly instead.

Twice last year Davison drew charges and he drew five offensive fouls in general. The Wolfpack only had 11 turnovers in the loss. The Pack offered Davison, but he committed to the Badgers a few months later. Rivals.com ranked him No. 97 overall in the class of 2017 coming out of Maple Grove (Minn.) High, where he was also an accomplished quarterback.

Davison didn’t shoot well last year, but has improved from 38.5 percent from the field to 44.4 percent this season, to go along with 12.1 points per game. He had a season-high 24 points in the win over McNeese State, which is coached by former NC State assistant coach Heath Schroyer.

Johnson had one of his best games last year against Wisconsin, scoring 21 points and dishing out five assists. He is fresh off of scoring 22 points and having six assists in 39 minutes played in the 83-78 loss versus Memphis last Thursday.

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