As the 2013-14 Final Four banner was raised to the Kohl Center rafters, the new season got off to a very similar start as to the last — mainly with the Wisconsin Badgers beating down an opponent. The Badgers opened the 2014-15 season with a dominating 62-31 win in front of a sold out and happy Kohl Center crowd.
Preseason All-American Frank Kaminsky used his overwhelming size advantage down low to perfection. He opened the season with a double-double, pouring in a team-high 16 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and shooting 7-of-12 from the field in 31 minutes.
However, he was the only Badger to impress on the night. There was also Sam Dekker showing off an overall improved game as he slashed, cut and outmuscled his way to a 15-point night. Dekker shot just 5-of-9 from the field, but also went 5-of-6 from the free throw line and was efficient with his touches offensively.
That means the Badgers 1-2 punch up front poured in 31 points (50 percent of UW’s scoring) on the night. So, maybe it isn’t so funny that the duo wold hook up for perhaps the best highlight of the night then.
Dekker would take a pass and feed Kaminsky with an alley-oop from half-court in the first half of the contest.
That meant UW up 18-6 with just under halfway to go in the 1st half, and it seemed to be the moment that really sparked Wisconsin.
As impressive as all the offense was, the Badgers defense was equally impressive in holding Northern Kentucky to just 31 points, the lowest opponent point total among Big Ten teams on opening night of college basketball.
UW held Northern Kentucky to just 26.4 percent shooting (14-53), while also dominating the glass with a 42-28 overall advantage. The Badgers also held Northern Kentucky to just two made three pointers in 16 attempts.
Lost in the offensive output by stars Kaminsky and Dekker was the effort put forth by Nigel Hayes in his first collegiate start. The sophomore put up just six points, but he grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds in 29 minutes of action.
Let’s get in to the superlatives though…
Player of the Game: Frank Kaminsky
This one was easy to pick, as he was the only Badger to go for a double-double on the night. Some wondered if he would fall off a bit after last season, and he answered any questions pretty emphatically. He didn’t show any signs of slowing down, and actually showed some better passing ability (if that was possible) in this one. Finishing with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block is about all you can ask from the big man.
Stat of the Game:
So it was 21-15 with 4:57 left in half. Now 35-15 #Badgers with 15:42 left in game.
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) November 15, 2014
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Difference Maker: Size
I’m often asked what the difference between the mid-majors and “Power 5” really is. Simply put, there aren’t a lot of players in mid-major basketball that are over 6-9 tall. Wisconsin has a few of those, and they used it to their advantage on the defensive end of the court and on offense. UW played well above the rim and also pushed the Norse away from the basket on offense. If they’re forcing teams to jack up 15-20 three-point attempts per game then you’re doing something right around the rim.
(image courtesy @BadgerMBB)
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