Wisconsin lost for the third time in five games and was outscored by 24 points in the final 24 minutes of Saturday's contest. A Badger win would have secured a double bye in next week's Big 10 Tournament. TWisconsin shot just 36.2 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from three-point range and struggled to get consistent offense without Max Klesmit.
Having lost all of its positive momentum, the Badgers will need to get right in Indianapolis before the NCAA Tournament. Here are my player grades from the 11-point loss:
John Blackwell: A-
Blackwell took on a lead role once again Saturday as John Tonje struggled to score the basketball, tying with Steven Crowl for the team lead in points (19) and shot attempts (15). The sophomore guard was critical in keeping the offense afloat through plenty of rough patches, but it's his defense that keeps him from an A grade. Blackwell found himself out of position on a handful of possessions, resulting in fouls or made baskets for the Nittany Lions. Still an A- is a great grade in a let-down loss like this one.
Steven Crowl: A-
Crowl is going to catch most of the blame for Yanic Konan Niederhausen's monster day, but I don't think that's fair. In pure one-on-one settings, Crowl held his own. It was pick-and-roll actions, or blow-by's on the perimeter that forced Crowl out of position and allowed for easy baskets for the PSU big. On offense, we saw an aggressive Crowl. he bested Konan Niederhausen one-on-one, knocked down a pair of free throws and grabbed a pair of offensive boards.
Nolan Winter: B+
Winter was excellent when on the floor, tallying seven points, six rebounds and a block. However, he played just 13 minutes due to a right arm injury he sustained early in the second half. Of course, I'm not knocking him down for the injury, but it's tough to give an A grade to a guy who saw almost nine minutes fewer than his season average.
Kamari McGee: B
McGee earned an A in the first half and a C in the second, so I'll split the two and give him a B. He popped for 10 points in the opening 20 minutes -- he combined to put up three points on 3-for-11 shooting the last two games -- and was an active defender. He dissapeared down the stretch, committing a pair of fouls early in the second period and going 0-for-2 from the field across 13 minutes. With Max Klesmit (lower body) slated to return for the Big 10 Tournament, per Pete Thamel of ESPN, McGee's stint in the starting lineup will likely come to a close.
Jack Janicki: C+
Janicki is a tough player to grade. He was everywhere on defense in the first half and was an impact rebounder. He also committed four fouls and three turnovers while failing to knock down any of his three three-point attempts. There's so much to like with his game, he just didn't convert well enough Saturday.
John Tonje: C-
Tonje followed the path of McGee, finding an impact early before falling off late. The reason why Tonje winds up with a significantly worse grade than McGee is Tonje's level of expectations. Going 0-for-8 from the field in the second half and making zero two-pointers overall is a massive dissapointment. Tonje has now scored 13 or fewer points in three of his last four games, and he's made just eight of his last 34 (23.5 percent) three-point attempts.
Carter Gilmore: C-
Gilmore might be more to blame for Konan Niederhauser's offensive success, as the Nittany Lions frequently targeted that one-on-one matchup, which tilted heavily in favor of the PSU big man. Gilmore couldn't offset the defensive struggles on the opposite end, going 1-for-3 from the field with four points.
Xavier Amos: C-
Amos' final stat line wasn't all that bad, but he looked out of control for most of the contest. His only made basket came after he nearly traveled and then bulldozed a defender before putting in an off-balance layup. If he can play slower and under control, Amos could be a significant bench piece in the postseason, but he hasn't shown the ability to do so consistently this season.
Camren Hunter: D-
Badger fans got their first extended look at Camren Hunter, one of the three transfers from last offseason, and he underwhelmed. Forced into action due to the absence of Klesmit and foul trouble for Janicki and McGee, Hunter played five minutes. He was held scoreless on three attempts, committed a personal foul and had a turnover on a five-second violation.