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The Wisconsin Badgers relied on a balanced scoring attack to defeat the Northwestern Wildcats in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday.
Six playmakers accounted for at least seven points, with Nolan Winter and John Tonje leading the way with 18 points apiece. Two leaders of the overall winning effort were Winter and senior guard Max Klesmit, both players making their return from recent injuries.
Winter, who injured his shoulder in Wisconsin's loss to Penn State on Saturday, returned to action with a dominant 18-point, six-rebound performance in 26 minutes of play. The Minnesota native also made nine of his 10 free throw attempts, leading Wisconsin's offense.
After the game, head coach Greg Gard discussed the significance of Winter's play as the team looks to make a deep run in March.
"In the first half, I thought he was active on the glass," Gard said. "He kept a couple of possessions alive, got him going a little bit, got fouled on a rebound. Going to the free throw line, to be able to get there ten times, he's got a really unique skill set at seven feet. The way he shoots it, and now he's getting stronger and more confident to be able to put the ball on the floor. He has a lot of versatility to his game. You could just tell his confidence was growing and growing as the possessions were going on. I know he had 18 [points], but I was as impressed with the job he did defensively on [Nick] Martinelli. I thought he moved his feet really well. I thought he contested when he needed to and really helped set the tone defensively with the job he did on Martinelli."
Klesmit, meanwhile, had missed the Badgers' previous three games with a nagging ankle injury. His return to the lineup included nine points, two rebounds and two assists.
"He's started for three years for us, so there's a lot of experience there," Gard said. "He's extremely competitive. He's got toughness and an edge to him that he plays with. He was out. We missed him. There's no doubt he's an important piece as this whole group comes together. We're best when we're whole."
Not only does Klesmit offer an individual two-way skill set, but he also allows Gard liberty to utilize different lineups in his rotation. With so much resting on the shoulders of John Tonje and John Blackwell, Klesmit's presence in the backcourt is a major key to the team operating efficiently.
"Having Klesmit back and then having [Kamari] McGee off the bench, that allows Blackwell to settle in a little bit more and not have as much on his plate," Gard emphasized. "I can rest him more. I don't have to play [Blackwell] 38 minutes a game. I can use the bench more and spread those minutes out."
Wisconsin returns to the court for a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal matchup against UCLA on Friday afternoon.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball Greg Gard Northwestern Recap Max Klesmit stats
Continue reading...
Six playmakers accounted for at least seven points, with Nolan Winter and John Tonje leading the way with 18 points apiece. Two leaders of the overall winning effort were Winter and senior guard Max Klesmit, both players making their return from recent injuries.
Winter, who injured his shoulder in Wisconsin's loss to Penn State on Saturday, returned to action with a dominant 18-point, six-rebound performance in 26 minutes of play. The Minnesota native also made nine of his 10 free throw attempts, leading Wisconsin's offense.
After the game, head coach Greg Gard discussed the significance of Winter's play as the team looks to make a deep run in March.
"In the first half, I thought he was active on the glass," Gard said. "He kept a couple of possessions alive, got him going a little bit, got fouled on a rebound. Going to the free throw line, to be able to get there ten times, he's got a really unique skill set at seven feet. The way he shoots it, and now he's getting stronger and more confident to be able to put the ball on the floor. He has a lot of versatility to his game. You could just tell his confidence was growing and growing as the possessions were going on. I know he had 18 [points], but I was as impressed with the job he did defensively on [Nick] Martinelli. I thought he moved his feet really well. I thought he contested when he needed to and really helped set the tone defensively with the job he did on Martinelli."
Klesmit, meanwhile, had missed the Badgers' previous three games with a nagging ankle injury. His return to the lineup included nine points, two rebounds and two assists.
"He's started for three years for us, so there's a lot of experience there," Gard said. "He's extremely competitive. He's got toughness and an edge to him that he plays with. He was out. We missed him. There's no doubt he's an important piece as this whole group comes together. We're best when we're whole."
Not only does Klesmit offer an individual two-way skill set, but he also allows Gard liberty to utilize different lineups in his rotation. With so much resting on the shoulders of John Tonje and John Blackwell, Klesmit's presence in the backcourt is a major key to the team operating efficiently.
"Having Klesmit back and then having [Kamari] McGee off the bench, that allows Blackwell to settle in a little bit more and not have as much on his plate," Gard emphasized. "I can rest him more. I don't have to play [Blackwell] 38 minutes a game. I can use the bench more and spread those minutes out."
Wisconsin returns to the court for a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal matchup against UCLA on Friday afternoon.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball Greg Gard Northwestern Recap Max Klesmit stats
Continue reading...
