Following a historic run to the Final Four last season, the Wisconsin Badgers got to the business of creating its own story in the 2014-15 season on Wednesday night. In the first competitive game action of the season, the Badgers toppled in-state D2 foe Wisconsin-Parkside 77-40 in the lone exhibition game of the season.
The Badgers got huge contributions from the main cast of characters, including forwards Frank Kaminsky and Nigel Hayes as well as guards Josh Gasser and Traevon Jackson. Kaminsky took the lead with a double-double, pouring in a team-high 19 points and tying for the team lead with Nigel Hayes, at 11 rebounds.
It was just an exhibition game, but one thing was clear in this contest, the Badgers aren’t letting last season define them this season. Wisconsin showcased even more of an uptempo style against the Rangers, and did it without star Sam Dekker, who sat out with a sprained ankle suffered just a few weeks ago.
What we did get was a glimpse of the depth on this team, and youngsters like Ethan Happ, Vitto Brown, Zak Showwalter and Riley Dearring saw good minutes to help their development. Of that group, Happ stood out the most, playing 12 minutes and tallying 5 points and 5 rebounds.
Having said all of that, let’s take a look at how we saw the night breaking down, shall we?
Player of the Game: Nigel Hayes
Yes, he didn’t score the most points on the night, but the sophomore forward had Wisconsin’s most well-rounded game. He had 13 points, 11 rebounds (tied for team high), 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and shot 6-of-11 from the field. In an exhibition game those are good
Stat of the Game: 53-28
That was the Badgers rebounding margin on the night, and the real reason Wisconsin was able to put the Rangers away. It took over 10 minutes of the first half for Wisconsin-Parkside to get a rebound on the stat sheet, with guard Jordan Mach collecting the Rangers’ first with 9:34 left in the half. Is it any wonder the Badgers were able to come away with that ridiculous advantage?
Difference Maker: Depth
Often times the difference between D2 and the top of the heap in college basketball is depth, and that was on full display on Wednesday night. Wisconsin not only showed it had the bodies to outduel Parkside, but it also proved that there is depth going forward. The Badgers are going to have multiple options off the bench at guard and forward this season, and that makes them even more dangerous.
We’ll have more tomorrow morning as our Jay Swenson goes Beyond the Box Score.
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