Sports

Lackluster game from Tucker gives way to Wisconsin versatility

STATE COLLEGE, Penn. — Late in the first half of Saturday's contest between Wisconsin and Penn State, the Badgers were in the midst of a six-minute scoring drought and had just squandered a seven-point lead, when disaster struck. Forward Alando Tucker picked up his second foul, forcing him to sit out the remainder of the half.

A team struggling to score and win on the road loses its biggest playmaker during a drought. The script couldn't have been written any better for Penn State or any worse for Wisconsin.

During the Badgers' recent stretch where they lost five of six, if Tucker wasn't scoring, or creating scoring opportunities by drawing quadruple teams in the paint, then UW simply wasn't putting numbers on the board.

One of the recurring points made in post-game press conferences was that more players had to step up and that Tucker and junior guard Kammron Taylor couldn't be the only two offensive threats on the court.

Things weren't looking good for head coach Bo Ryan's boys.

But out of the catastrophe came a silver lining, which would blossom into a full-blown miracle in disguise. Wisconsin thrived.

During Saturday's 82-62 victory over Penn State, Wisconsin found success not only with Tucker not scoring a million or creating kick-out jumpers every play, they excelled with Tucker not even on the floor.

"Well, [Tucker] is an excellent player, and you guys know that," sophomore center Brian Butch said. "It hurts when he is not on the floor, that is a given. But to show that we can do it when he is not on the floor also helps us out as a team, knowing that we can get it done."

The dynamic junior picked up his second foul in the first half with 6:05 remaining and was forced to sit out the rest of the half and lasted less than four minutes into the next period before picking up his third foul, again forcing him to sit until there were under 10 minutes remaining in the game. He ended up playing 22 minutes, the second lowest he has logged in a game all year (20 vs. Marquette, Dec. 10, 2005).

Typically such a scenario would foreshadow a loss, but that was not the case on Saturday, as Wisconsin proceeded to go on a 16-4 run to open the second half and break open the game, much of it coming after Tucker had retreated to the bench with his third.

Taylor and Butch both had career days, and every other player in the rotation made at least two field goals.

"We did it as a team, and that's by far the most important thing," Butch said.

Throughout the game, Taylor was extravagant, hitting almost every open shot he took and controlling the game without taking his teammates out of the mix. The consummate playmaker, Taylor's 24 points, four assists and only one turnover constitute a line that was nothing less than Devin Harris-esque.

Butch notched his third career double-double by displaying the full arsenal of talents that had scouts drooling about the former McDonald's All-American.

When posting up, Butch showed an offensive aggression to the hoop that has rarely been seen since his arrival on campus, using drop steps and hook shots very effectively and also stepping out for several mid-range jumpers. Butch also was an offensive rebounding monster, scoring baskets off of all four of his offensive boards.

"He moved better, positioned himself better, banged better," Ryan said of Butch, who has been battling a left ankle injury since Jan. 18. After the game, Butch had an ice bag wrapped around the ankle.

Along with Butch inside was junior forward Jason Chappell, who turned in the most complete game of his career, piling up nine rebounds, seven assists, six points and a block.

"When our best player wasn't on the floor, we knew our offensive intensity had to come [from] somewhere else," Chappell said. "I think [Butch] did that with the scoring a lot. He shot really well and I just tried to play all-around with passing and rebounding and everything."

After the game, Ryan was pleased to see his team perform well without its star player.

"The job that we did to pick up for a guy that really has been the target of a lot of defenses and a guy that has done some really good things [was good]," Ryan said.

Tucker, though not on the floor for much of the game, also drew the praise of his coach for his work as a teammate.

"Alando was great on the bench there and in the locker room," Ryan said admirably. "He just wants to be on the left hand side."

Although Wisconsin ended its three-game road losing streak and kept pace with the Big Ten leader Iowa, the biggest dividend from Saturday's game could be the confidence the team has gained from having played so well without Tucker available.

"I think anytime you can make a run like that without your best player, it's definitely something good for the team," Chappell said. "It shows your team is more than just your one player."