While the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers did not put up the best performance of the season, it was good enough to handle the California Golden Bears and grab a win Monday night in Berkeley, 68-56.
The Badgers, returning from a nine-day break during finals at UW, shot 24-55 (43.6%) from the field, going 3-11 (27.3%) from outside the arc.
A close, single digit first-half lead turned into a bigger, double-digit lead in the second, and the Badgers held on for a 12-point victory.
The Badgers move to 11-1 on the season while handing the Golden Bears their second loss of the season, dropping them to 10-2.
Following the win, here are the post game grades.
Frank Kaminsky: B+
Stat line: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5-13 shooting
Frank Kaminsky certainly did not have a bad showing. Adding 14 points with 8 rebounds helped the Badgers get their W almost equally as much as a strong night from Nigel Hayes. Kaminsky looked more aggressive in the paint compared to past games, and wasn’t afraid to take shots.
However that’s what went wrong, while not being afraid of shooting, Kaminsky shot a mediocre 5-13 from the field. Look for Kaminsky to exert more force in the paint as the season progresses, while bumping up his shooting percentage.
Sam Dekker: B+
Stat line: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 5-10 shooting
Sam Dekker produced statistics relative to those of Kaminsky, therefore earning the same grade. Dekker put up the same amount of points, however he shot better, shooting 50% from the field. Dekker also posted 6 boards, helping the Badgers in the victory.
Dekker has been playing very consistently recently, and has played a huge role in helping the Badgers win. Look for Dekker to stay consistent and maybe even take over the Badgers lead in points or rebounds.
Nigel Hayes: A
Stat line: 17 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 6-13 shooting
Hayes was a beast Monday, scoring 17 points with 13 rebounds, one more double-double, adding to this seasons total of three.
Hayes may have shot 6-13 from the field, and went 5-5 at the line. Hayes has shown recently how he has improved on his outside shooting, but that faltered a bit tonight, as he went 0-2 from outside the arc.
Besides his outside shooting, Hayes played terrific. Look for his outside shooting to keep improving, proving to be more effective come later season.
Nigel also played 35 minutes of the game, resting just 5 minutes, with most coming at the end when the Badgers had sealed the victory.
Traevon Jackson: C-
Stat line: 2 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 1-6 shooting
Sloppy play deserves a poor grade. Yes, Jackson did have both 4 rebounds and 4 assists, yet only had 2 points, not even to mention the fact that he had 3 turnovers.
His shots were off Monday, going a weak 1-6 from the field. While the point-guard should be posting assists, he should also be making shots and helping the team produce points. Look for Jackson to improve shooting and handling the ball on the court.
Josh Gasser: C+
Stat line: 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2-3 shooting
Gasser has been quiet recently, rightfully so, with players such as Dekker, Kaminsky, and Hayes taking the spotlight.
Yet even while being quiet, he puts up stats that aren’t terrible and certainly help the Badgers. Gasser had 7 points while shooting only 2-3 from the field. Look for Gasser to keep putting up consistent statistics, and maybe even have a breakout game, proving his worth.
Bronson Koenig: C+
Stat line: 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2-4 shooting
While Koenig did not have another explosive game as he has recently, he still aided the Badgers in winning the game.
Koenig put up 7 points on only 2-4 shooting, adding 2 rebounds. With Jackson starting at point guard, Koenig only got 19 minutes of playing time.
With starters putting up big amounts of points, there was no real need for Koenig to be shooting Monday. Look for Koenig to continue playing well in games, and to step up in times of need.
Bench: C-
Stat line: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3-6 shooting