[media-credit name=’Derek Montgomery’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Wisconsin’s point guard picture began to come into focus Tuesday as senior Sharif Chambliss turned in another strong performance. Making his second start of the season at the point, Chambliss strengthened his hold on the starting job with 13 points and three assists on 4-6 shooting, including 2-3 from 3-point range.

For the first time this season, a Wisconsin point guard seems to have distanced himself from the competition in a position battle that has raged all season long. Since the announcement of Boo Wade’s indefinite leave of absence from the team, the point guard position has been up in the air. Three candidates set their sights on the starting job, but now it appears that sophomore Kammron Taylor and freshman Michael Flowers will be coming off the bench as Chambliss has taken up the reigns as the Wisconsin floor general.

“Right now, he believes in himself,” head coach Bo Ryan said of Chambliss. “It isn’t just on the floor, in practice also. He’s gained the confidence of the team. More importantly, he has the confidence in himself to be able to get things done.”

Taylor was the frontrunner from the outset, starting the first four games of the season at the point. Though he played well enough to remain the starter, Taylor never opened a significant edge over Chambliss and the Penn State transfer remained close on his heels.

The turning point came in the Maryland game, when Chambliss put up 15 points and three assists in 26 minutes off the bench while Taylor did not score or record an assist and turned the ball over twice in 12 minutes of action. Chambliss’ performance against the Terps combined with Taylor’s struggles was enough to convince Coach Ryan to give the senior a shot in the starting role.

Chambliss made his first appearance in the starting lineup against Rutgers and the senior turned in another solid performance with 14 points, two assists and just one turnover, knocking down 4-6 from 3-point range. However, the Rutgers game did not provide a definitive swing in the ongoing position battle, as Taylor provided a major boost off the bench with nine points and three assists in 21 minutes of action.

Tuesday’s game finally provided the first definitive swing. After a third strong performance from Chambliss and another sub-par effort from Taylor, the victory over Green Bay may prove to be a pivotal moment in Coach Ryan’s search for a starting point guard. Chambliss provided a steady hand, running the offense effectively and holding onto the ball. The senior gave the Badgers 30 strong minutes and did not turn the ball over all night.

“He’s not trying to do things that he can’t,” Ryan said of Chambliss. “He’s more trustworthy with the ball.”

With Chambliss running the point, Ryan’s trademark swing offense ran as smoothly as it has all year. The Badgers won the turnover battle, posting more assists (12) than turnovers (11) and capitalizing on 14 Phoenix miscues to take a 20-4 advantage in points off turnovers. That number, which may have been the difference in what ended as a 10-point game, can be attributed to the efficient play of the Badger point man.

“On the offensive end, the ball’s moving side to side, we’re getting open looks, we’re getting it in the post, we’re kicking it out,” forward Mike Wilkinson said. “Our ball movement’s really good right now and I think that’s a big component to Sharif being on the floor and having that experience and kind of knowing where people are and [having] a feel for the game.”

The senior guard also shined on defense, providing a disrupting presence on the perimeter and preventing his Green Bay counterpart from getting into a rhythm offensively.

“He’s done a good job moving the ball, playing defense and knocking down shots,” Wilkinson said of Chambliss. “The biggest thing that’s picked up in the last few weeks with Sharif is his defense. He’s really keeping the point under control, controlling their point, making them work, and that’s really helped our defense.”

Meanwhile, Taylor struggled mightily. The sophomore did not score, managed just one assist, and turned the ball over three times in 17 minutes of action. For the second time in the past three games, Chambliss has clearly outperformed his younger teammate. As a result, Chambliss seems to have taken a commanding lead in the ongoing position battle.