The Wisconsin Badgers battled with the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, and it came down to the final few minutes. It wasn't as easy of a victory as the last time they played, where the Badgers crushed the Hawkeyes. Here's a look at how each player played:
John Tonje: A
Tonje has been on a different level lately, and Saturday's contest was no different. He scored 20-plus points for the fifth time in six games, totaling 22 points. 12 of those points came in the final nine minutes, helping the Badgers pull away. But, his impact extended beyond scoring. Tonje dished out four assists -- hisd most since Nov. 22 against UCF.
John Blackwell: A-
It was a much-needed bounce back game for the sophomore guard after he combined to score 13 points on 5-of-20 shooting in his last two games. Blackwell trailed only Tonje in points (19) and went 7-for-15 from the field. There's still some things for Blackwell to clean up, but he was outstanding in the final 10 minutes.
Kamari McGee: B+
McGee didn't do anything flashy, but he was rock solid across 21 minutes. He didn't miss any shots, had two assists and a steal, which is deserving of a B-plus in my book.
Steven Crowl: B-
On paper, a Owen Freeman-less Iowa team should have resulted in a monster game from Crowl. However, he scored just seven points and attempted three shots from two point land. Those opportunities just weren't there on most possessions as Iowa sent double teams on every Crowl touch. Despite struggling to score, Crowl reeled in eight rebounds and was impressive defensively, notching three steals and a block.
Max Klesmit: B-
Klesmit took a few three-pointers I didn't like, but he did an excellent job slowing down Payton Sandfort and weaving his way through screens. I've applauded Klesmit for his playmaking off the dribble this season, but he didn't have as much of an impact in that department Saturday. Still, it was a solid game from Wisconsin's two-guard.
Carter Gilmore: C
Gilmore's hot streak came to an end, but he still found ways to make an impact in this one. He fouled out in 23 minutes and went 1-for-5 from the field and grabbed four rebounds to go along with a pair of assists. Gilmore's defensive presence was felt, though that didn't show up on the stat sheet.
Jack Janicki: C
Four minutes of action make Janicki hard to grade, but he did make one of his two three-point attempts. Instead of reading too much into this small sample, I'm giving Janicki an even C.
Nolan Winter: C-
Efficiency has been Winter's calling card this season, but he struggled on that front Thursday.. Winter made two of his eight attempts from the field and missed all three of his three-point attempts. He played just 19 minutes. The biggest contribution from Winter came on the offensive glass, reeling in three offensive rebounds.
Xavier Amos: C-
Amos had an up-and-down day. He skied through the lane to throw down a one-hand putback dunk in the second half, but also got rejected twice in one offensive possession. Inconsistency isn't a new issue for the NIU transfer, but Saturday's contest featured more lows than highs.