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After relying heavily on senior forward Marcus Landry to get them through their 68-61 victory over Long Beach State, it was a sigh of relief for many Badger fans to see younger players become major contributors.

During their 88-58 victory over the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars, sophomore forward Jon Leuer had a huge night. He went 10-for-12 from the field, notching 19 points and three rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.

Although he did not match his career-high 25 points he had against Michigan last year, Leuer showed the tremendous improvement he has made in the offseason and how he has added a significant element to the Badgers’ scoring threat.

“Against a team like this, it can show even more,” Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. “But again, it’s all about, with him, staying within his body. He’s got great length. He’s got good balance. … A couple guys found him at opportune times because he was moving the ball.”

Leuer went 2-2 from 3-point range and had a spectacular alley-oop from freshman guard Jordan Taylor with 13:31 left in the second half. His versatility by being able to play from the post or from outside shows some of the improvements he said has made this year.

“That is definitely one of my focuses because you can’t be one-dimensional,” Leuer said. “Being able to play inside and outside, you can definitely be a weapon. So, I tried to get a little stronger this last summer, and I think that has helped me play a little more inside.”

Leuer has been coming off the bench, rotating with fellow sophomore Keaton Nankivil. Although Nankivil has been part of the starting lineup so far this season, he is only averaging six points and one rebound per game. Against SIU-Edwardsville, he only went 1-4 from the field and did not have a rebound.

“He needs to be more active,” Ryan said. “He’s trying to get some angles and have a nose for the ball. Sometimes the ball isn’t coming your way. Where Tim Jarmusz comes in and finds himself with six defensive rebounds, sometimes it might be because some guys are blocking out and the ball gets bounced around a little bit and you are the recipient of a rebound.”

Other than Leuer’s performance, Landry also put some worries to rest, showing he has a strong defensive presence in the post. Landry had five blocks on the night to accompany his 15 points and five rebounds.

“In the past, freshman and sophomore year, I think I was kind of known for blocking shots,” Landry said. “It’s just about getting back in the groove of things, not being not really focused on one thing, but doing several things you know are good. I was surprised I had so many blocks. I actually felt like a freshman again, blocking shots and contributing in that way.”

Although his five blocks came against a smaller team, Landry showed the athleticism and toughness he will need to play against bigger opponents like he has played in the past.

“He guarded the post in high school; he has a good feel for that because he understands positioning and moving his feet,” Ryan said “He’s guarded some big guys in the past.”

Landry’s defensive post presence will be appreciated down the stretch for the Badgers, especially next weekend at the Paradise Jam Tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Wisconsin has the opportunity to play against some bigger opponents, including Connecticut’s 7-foot-3-inch center Hasheem Thabeet.

“We don’t tell Marcus to go out there and block shots,” Ryan said. “But Marcus moves his feet, and he was in help position. He reads that pretty well most of the time. I’m not concerned about the block shot; [I want to] keep guys from getting to the rim or force people to take tough shots.”