Center Dave Mader has come full circle in his senior campaign. After starting Wisconsin’s first four games of the season, Mader was benched in favor of Andreas Helmigk. But, after 19 games of reserve duty, he has worked his way out of the dog house and back into the starting lineup.
Mader reclaimed the starting center position Sunday in Ann Arbor and received his second consecutive nod in Wednesday’s 68-45 runaway win over Penn State.
With Helmigk and his ailing right foot joining the brigade of Badgers in street clothes and walking casts Wednesday, the much-maligned center from Appleton turned in a workmanlike 22 minutes, nearly 20 more than his season average of 2.7 per game. His role became even more important when forward Zach Morley picked up his second foul eight-and-a-half minutes into the game.
Mader tallied just one point — hitting one of two free throws — in the contest but made his presence felt on the glass, pulling down six rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end. He also came up with a pair of steals and a block.
“He doesn’t get a lot of recognition — points or rebounds-wise — but he does a lot of other things out there,” Wisconsin forward Mike Wilkinson said of Mader. “He keeps a lot of balls alive out there on the offensive end. If he gets the ball in the post he does a good job of finishing. He’s been playing real well on the defensive end.”
Mader’s primary defensive assignment Wednesday was to put a body on 6-foot-9, 240-pound Nittany Lion forward Aaron Johnson.
“Dave did a great job on Johnson,” Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. “That was the idea, to get somebody to be effective on Johnson in the post. We could do a post highlight film of him with the post moves. Using shot fakes, getting people off the floor. Against Indiana he was drawing fouls left and right. He’s pretty good inside, but tonight Dave took a lot of that today.”
Mader’s hard work and hustle have energized the at-times-struggling Badgers as of late, and with Helmigk temporarily sidelined, he is the only true center on the Wisconsin roster.
“He’s been a spark for us overall in the last few games,” Wilkinson said. “As long as he keeps playing well, who knows what can happen.”
Badgers win battle of the bench: To say the bench scoring in Wednesday’s UW victory was one-sided would be an understatement. Led by Zach Morley’s eight points, the Wisconsin reserves out-scored the Penn State backups 18-0.
“They bring a lot of different things,” Wilkinson said. “They bring a lot of hustle; they get to a lot of loose balls; they’re on the floor. They knock down open shots; they do whatever they can on the defensive end, whether it be boxing someone out or playing great defense, getting in the passing lane. They do so many different things that make them so versatile.”
Despite sinking just one of six shots, junior guard Clayton Hanson gave the Badgers a solid 25 minutes off the bench. With injuries stretching the reserves thin at times this season, Ryan and UW have needed more from Morley, Hanson and company.
“Zach (Morley) comes in and he can play two or three different positions,” Wilkinson said, “Then Clayton (Hanson) comes in and plays one or two (positions), and they can both guard guards and both guard big guys. It makes the bench that much more dangerous.”
