Ky McKeon
I ventured up north to Madison with the wife to catch some college town vibes and see a basketball game.
Madison
Madison rocks. This was my first time in Wisconsin’s capital and let me tell you it was fantastic. Even sub-zero temperatures couldn’t ruin this fair town. We wandered around campus for a bit then headed over to The Old Fashioned, a perfect college town restaurant that had delicious food and ice-cold Spotted Cows.
After a Reuben, some curds, and few cold ones we headed over to Monday’s, an Irish dive bar that ended up being packed with college kids. We were lucky to secure a table next to the window and stayed there for the next several hours pounding more Cows. Great bar, great college town.
Kohl Center
The Kohl Center was sizable, as expected – far bigger than Hinkle Fieldhouse, our last adventure location. Per the internet, the Kohl Center seats the 9th most fans in the nation. The venue itself was pristine, very modern, and clean.
A+ court design, A+ school colors. The color scheme works so well.
The crowd was substantial, though my media row pal for the afternoon, CBS’s Jerry Palm, observed there were more empty seats than he expected for a ranked Big Ten squad.
Whether the overall crowd was adequate or not, the student section was undisputedly full. Students had just arrived back on campus, and they were out in full force for a game against their bitter rivals.
Despite the number of people in the crowd, the atmosphere was lacking. It was quiet! Maybe a Sunday afternoon tip factored into the sleepy aura, but I was a bit disappointed. Every chant the student section tried to start died quickly. There were only a handful of truly “loud” outbursts from the roughly 15,000+ people in attendance.
Overall, I’m placing the Kohl Center behind Mackey and Assembly Hall (IU) in my Big Ten rankings, but ahead of Crisler Center and Welsh-Ryan.
The Game
First Half
Brad Davison, Wisconsin’s 10th-year senior (approximately) was honored before tip-off as the school’s all-time leader in 3PFGM. Congrats, Brad.
That and the National Champion Wisconsin women’s volleyball team being honored at the under-12 timeout were the two most exciting things to happen before half-time.
The game was a lazy, back and forth crawl with neither team really asserting itself early. Minnesota was taking tougher shots – almost every attempt was a mid-range jumper (gels with their season splits), while Wisconsin was focusing on getting the ball into the hands of Johnny Davis, Steven Crowl, or Tyler Wahl on the block. All three had matchup advantages in the post and exploited them.
Minnesota hung with Wisconsin for a solid 10-12 minutes, then the Badgers took their first meaningful lead. Davison created some energy in the building, nailing a triple, getting a steal, saving the ball from going out of bounds, and then passing up to a teammate for an and-1 layup all in succession. At the under-8 timeout Wisconsin led 22-14.
Following the timeout, Minnesota went on a 9-0 run. Former New Hampshire transfer Sean Sutherlin was finding ways to the rim (the only Gopher that was able to do that consistently), Jamison Battle was making his usual tough jumpers, and big man Eric Curry was providing reliable offense. The Kohl Center was so quiet you could hear a mouse sneeze.
The Badgers woke up after the Gopher run, finishing the half in solid fashion. A patented Davis fadeaway and a Tyler Wahl layup three seconds before half-time put Wisconsin ahead 32-25 at the break. Minnesota’s seven turnovers were its killer, as was its 1/6 3-point split.
Interlude
Wisconsin’s students had make-your-own signs scattered throughout their section. Some good signs included “Brad is Dad” and “Crowl is Baby”. Some bad ones included “Go Bagers”.
Second Half
The second half was similar to the first in its back-and-forth nature, but there was more shot-making. Davis started to hunt his shot more and Minnesota’s Payton Willis started to assert himself.
The Gophers were clearly less talented than the Badgers, but they just wouldn’t go away. At the under-12 timeout, Minnesota had the game tied at 42. Wisconsin was on a 4:00+ field goal drought.
Greg Gard must have lit a fire or given his players some of MJ’s Secret Stuff in the huddle, because the Badgers came out firing when play resumed. Chucky Hepburn hit a 3 and then Brad Davison hit one of his own, extending the lead to six in less than one minute.
Battle hit a clutch triple to punch back at Wisconsin, but then Crowl started to shine. Deft footwork in the post from the big fella lead to a bucket, then a slick 3-point shot from the 7-footer pushed the Badger lead out to nine with five minutes to play.
Willis took control following the Badger lead extension. He hit a 3 to cut the deficit to six then another one to cut it to three. A later EJ Stephens triple made the margin two points, and the scoreboard showed 60-58 in favor of the Badgers with just 2:38 to go.
Stephens converted two key free throws out of the timeout, tying the game for the second time at 60. Then it was time for the National Player of the Year favorite to take over.
Davis showed why he’s one of the best players in the country down the stretch. The Badgers gave him the rock, and he delivered. A Davis layup made it 62-60. A Davis free throw made it 63-60. He hit yet another tough jumper after a near-miss by Minnesota and capped off the scoring with another free throw before the final horn. In the final two minutes, it was Johnny Davis 6, the Minnesota Gophers 0.
Wisconsin survived at home 66-60. Minnesota covered the 12-point spread the entire way.
Player Thoughts
Eric Curry was excellent. He does a lot of positive things on the floor for Minnesota, and the Gophers are no doubt pleased he opted to play this season after considering retirement. He has good hands defensively, has a decent mid-range game, and is big enough to be effective on the block.
Not to pick on a college kid here, but I’m not sure why Carter Gilmore played for Wisconsin. Gard himself hinted at his bench guys needing to be ready post game (implying Gilmore wasn’t), and some in the crowd actually booed the 6’7” sophomore after he bricked an open look from distance.
Tyler Wahl rocks on both ends of the floor. What a stud.
Johnny Davis might be the best 1-on-1 scorer in the country (Captain Obvious alert?).
Payton Willis is much better than perception, as is EJ Stephens, as is Sean Sutherlin. In fact, this whole Minnesota team is better than advertised. Credit head coach Ben Johnson, credit the players themselves.
Post-game Presser
Ben Johnson
Johnson seemed satisfied by his team’s effort. Covering the spread for 40 minutes on the road is no easy feat (my words, not his).
He emphasized the importance of Eric Curry and his ability to play through pain. He was pleased by his team’s defensive effort on Davis in the first half but not as much in the second half.
Johnson stated that Wahl was a key player in their scouting. He was a tough matchup for Battle, but that cut both ways. Minnesota wanted to make Wahl guard and get him in foul trouble. Mission accomplished.
Going forward, Johnson isn’t worried about playing three games in seven days. His guys are conditioned and ready.
Johnny Davis, Brad Davison, and Tyler Wahl
Typical softball questions here for the players (side note: there was a crazy amount of Wisconsin media members in the media room – like 20-25 – insanity).
Davison called Davis the best player in the country and all three guys talked about how well the team gets along and likes one another.
It truly does seem like a tight-knit group. Winning certainly helps chemistry, but there is clear chemistry in the Badger locker room.
Greg Gard
Gard reiterated the strong chemistry his players have. He knew it as early as the summer by their interactions and willingness to work.
Gard had compliments for essentially every Badger. Davis, of course, is unstoppable. Wahl is an extremely important defender. Lorne Bowman played good defense. Crowl has shown tremendous growth.
One media member pointed out Wisconsin is 10-1 in games decided by six points or less. Gard attributed his team’s success to the facts that they do not panic, they listen and execute, they stay connected defensively, and they understand the value of each possession.
Check out our Instagram @3MW_CBB for Post-game clips!