After giving the Badger faithful a scare in Evanston on Saturday, the Badgers were in firm control for all 40 minutes against the Hoosiers. They jumped out to a 26-4 lead in the opening minutes of the contest and never let Indiana back in it. Wisconsin has now won 21 straight games at home against Indiana one of the most impressive streaks in the Big 10.
Wisconsin has now won 21 straight games at home against Indiana one of the most impressive streaks in the Big 10. Here's how I think each Badger player performed on a scale of A+ to F:
John Blackwell: C-
Plainly put, it wasn't a good game for Blackwell. He struggled to get shots to fall, whether they were at the rim or beyond the arc, and committed three of Wisconsin's six turnovers. Save for a couple of poor defensive possessions, he was an active defender and was a plus-rebounder. The sophomore guard reeled in eight boards. Blackwell was able to salvage his day a bit by making a pair of layups in the second half, but it was an otherwise poor performance.
Max Klesmit: A+
I don't think there's any more Greg Gard could have asked out of Klesmit in this one. Despite making his first two three-pointers, Klesmit largely refrained from putting up heat checks -- though he shot multiple tough threes deep in the shot clock -- and continued to be the Badgers' top facilitator. He doled out six assists with zero turnovers and was lethal with the ball in his hands. In addition, he was a defensive menace. Klesmit lived in the passing lanes, garnering three steals while also swatting a shot. His 4-for-10 shooting line isn't visually appealing, but there's so much more to his performance than the box score.
John Tonje: B
Tonje's fall back to Earth felt inevitable, and he certainly re-entered the atmosphere Tuesday. He made merely one of his five three-point attempts and logged 13 points. Still, there was plenty to like about his aggression driving the basketball. Biggest downgrade? Tonje went 4-6 from the line.
Nolan Winter: A
Winter started both halves hot, scoring five of Wisconsin's first 10 points to open up the game and scoring back-to-back baskets to begin the second period. Indiana altered their lineup to start the second half, subbing out the six-foot-nine power forward Malik Reneau for a 6-foot-7 perimeter player in Luke Goode. Winter showed a level of physicality against the smaller opponent that Badgers fans have been yearning to see, considering he's expected to slide back to the center position once Steven Crowl graduates this spring.
In typical form, Winter was highly efficient, going 5-for-7 from the field as part of a 12-point, five-rebound outing. Being more aggressive offensively is perhaps the only thing he could have done better.
Steven Crowl: B
Honestly, this might be too much for Crowl, considering he scored just three points, took three shots, and logged two rebounds. However, I am ecstatic about his defensive performance. Oumar Ballo went for 15 points and nine rebounds on 7-of-8 shooting last season when the Badgers matched up with Arizona. Ballo wound up with four points, and Crowl held his own down on the block. Yes, it was a team effort to defend Ballo, but Crowl's biggest weakness has been large, physical bigs, and he looked more than comfortable in the matchup.
Carter Gilmore: A+
Gilly James might just be here to stay. Gilmore knocked down 3 more three-pointers, following up his 15-point performance against Northwestern with 10 points Tuesday. As per usual, Gilmore was rock solid on defense and didn't make any major mistakes.
Considering MVP chants broke out in the Kohl Center on multiple occasions down the stretch, anything other than an A+ would be flat-out wrong.
Kamari McGee: B
McGee continues to hit three-pointers at an unreal clip, going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc as part of a 9-point performance. He only had one assist and couldn't connect on either of his two-point attempts. McGee's biggest blemish came in the first half when he missed a one-on-one fastbreak layup and then committed a frustration foul -- his second -- immediately after. Giving McGee a B grade may be a little harsh, but it's more of a compliment to how well he's played this year.
Jack Janicki: B
As a player whose job is to play fundamentally sound, intelligent basketball, it's a good thing that Janicki was largely invisible.
Xavier Amos: B+
Amos reminds me a lot of Nolan Winter last year: it doesn't always look pretty, but the talent is there. Tuesday's game put a spotlight on Amos' strengths and weaknesses. He was effective in driving from the perimeter and flashed some of his scoring capabilities. Yet, he looked out of control on occasion, committed a pair of fouls, and went 2-of-4 from the line. What's more important, though, is that he got an extended run in the second half, which should bode well for his development.