The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team, 2-0, secured a comfortable victory Sunday against last year’s bracket busting Yale Bulldogs, 0-2.
For Wisconsin, the 28-point victory brings them their second win in a thus far undefeated campaign. What has been most impressive for the Badgers is that in a year wrought with changes, the team has found new contributors each night.
Men’s basketball starts season off with a win against South Carolina State
Three of Wisconsin’s five starters had never started for the Badgers, with Trice, Happ and Iverson being the only players to average over 10 minutes in previous seasons. While last contest, Andy Van Vliet took over for a near double-double 18-point and 8 rebound performance, it was Khalil Iverson’s turn to step up in this game.
The past week has been an emotional one for Iverson as it marked the three-year anniversary of his father Kevin Iverson Sr.’s death. In this game, Iverson was able to manage those emotions on the way to a career-high 17 points on eight of nine shot opportunities.
On Sunday, Iverson looked like he was on a mission to score every time he reached the rim, going a perfect 8-8 from within the line. His most eye-catching play came in the first half when he performed a monstrous one-handed dunk over Yale forward Blake Reynolds.
Yale seemed to be a much better matchup for Iverson than South Carolina State, where he shot 0-0 from the field. If Iverson can continue this efficiency in the paint, look for the athletic forward to take over a greater role in the offense in the future.
Men’s basketball starts season off with a win against South Carolina State
Though the result was never in question, there are certainly growing pains on this team that could pose a challenge for the Badgers against stronger competition. When Coach Greg Gard was asked about the prospects of coaching a less experienced team, he appeared cautiously optimistic.
“It’s a combination of staying positive and holding everybody accountable. So it’s a fine line,” Gard said. “The two things we talked about today were discipline and details and making sure every possession mattered… You have mistakes that are made. You learn from them and then we’ve got to grow the next time we’re on the floor.”
Yale, like many other teams will do this year, focused heavily on double-teaming star forward Ethan Happ, leaving open shots for many of his teammates. While Wisconsin capitalized well, shooting 50.8 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent from beyond the arc, there were certainly missed opportunities and open threes that the Badgers didn’t exploit.
The Badgers first real test will come this Thursday as they play #17 Xavier at the Kohl Center. For now though, Wisconsin can be content with a team that has looked unselfish in their first few games and has ample time to grow.
