BuckyCap: Badgers Survive Gophers’ Late Push

For the last couple of weeks, my warning about Wisconsin is this one… They’ve let some teams sneak through the backdoor. They are red hot with six straight games. But one fatal flaw has been slowing down the game too much. Wisconsin gets out to a big lead in the second half when things get slow leading to teams coming back. It looked like on Sunday this finally bit Wisconsin in the ass. But Wisconsin found a way to win in the final minutes of the games. Badgers showed the fortitude to win this one and avoid a bad home loss against their rival Minnesota with a 71-69 victory. Hopefully, Greg Gard learned his lesson a bit and keeps the foot on the gas pedal versus taking the air out of the ball.
Player of the Game: Brad Davison – This had to feel good for Davison. He is from Minnesota, and many people do not like him in his home state. Davison scored 20 points with seven rebounds and five assists. That’s a very strong stat line for Davison. While we have talked a lot about D’Mitrik Trice, Aleem Ford, and Brevin Pritzl, people have not pointed out what the Badgers guard has done. This is the fourth time in the six-game winning streak where he scored in double-figures.
Honorable Mention: Brevin Pritzl – Has anyone figured out why Pritzl is so good at home versus on the road? Look at his home/road splits. Is it that he has a kick-ass bed at home? Or does he get a better pregame meal in Madison? I have so many questions about why he is great at home then doesn’t do much away from the Kohl Center. Pritzl finished with 15 points. This is his sixth straight home game where he scored in double-digits.
One Thing to Watch: Nate Reuvers is on the struggle bus – With Micah Potter’s ascent, it seems like it has affected Nate Reuvers game somewhat. He did a great job late defensively against Daniel Oturu which shouldn’t be lost in the shuffle. But Reuvers cannot seem to find his shooting stroke again. This was his third game in the last four where his offensive rating was lower than 100. With Potter’s strong play, Reuvers has seen a slash in minutes and has not responded well to it.
Next up: Wisconsin gets another home game against Northwestern. It will be Senior Night for Pritzl which should be a special moment, but it is crazy to show what could happen next year. They have six juniors with the assumption that none of them will transfer or go to the NBA Draft. Things could be very special next season. Northwestern got an overtime win, but Badgers should be able to handle their business.
Charlie.