Wisconsin basketball capitalizes with steals, assists vs SIUE
The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team scored with routine efficiency, and was led by its dynamic backcourt duo
Madison, WI — The Red and White-hot University of Wisconsin basketball team entered Monday night undefeated through three games for the third time in four seasons, and unbeaten in the all-time series against the SIUE Cougars. Both marks remain unblemished, as John Blackwell and Nick Boyd put on an offensive show again inside the Kohl Center.
UW dispatched of SIU-Edwardsville 94-69. The Wisconsin Badgers are 4-0 in back-to-back seasons, for the third time in four years, and for the fourth time ever under head coach Greg Gard. In the past 20 seasons, UW has started 4-0 10 times.
Having completed a four-game homestand against a slate of mid-major opponents, Gard and the Badgers now face a marked step-up in competition. On Friday, Wisconsin opens a lengthy road trip out west. The first test, against the No. 9 BYU Cougars, will test UW’s dynamic guard duo of Blackwell and Boyd to see if they can continue an outstanding start.
“Hats off to [SIUE], they made a lot of tough shots late in the clock, but I just think it foreshadows our next game coming up against BYU,” Boyd said in a post-game interview. “A lot of talented offensive players who are gonna make some tough shots at the end of the clock.”
John Blackwell lights it up with efficiency
Blackwell, averaging 19.5 points, recorded a season-low last time out against the Ball State Cardinals. Having recorded 31 points, one shy of his career-high, in the season-opener, it has been clear early on that the addition of Boyd to Gard’s backcourt has unleashed Blackwell into a much-needed primary scoring threat.
The junior poured in 24 points on efficient shooting against SIUE. Blackwell made his first five of six attempted three-pointers, added 7-8 free throw shooting, and another basket from inside the arc.
Shooting a lethal 13-26 from 3-point range, Blackwell has placed himself amongst elite company through four games. His 78 total points through Wisconsin’s first four games are the sixth-most by any Badger since 1999.
“I think we got better every game,” Blackwell said of the Badgers’ hot start. Wisconsin is averaging 93.3 points per game, its most through four contests since 1975. “I think we got to grow and learn each other’s game a little bit more every single game, and it’s only going to get better.”
Blackwell’s three-level scoring ability, along with his playmaking, has put other teams on notice and earned him a spot on the Naismith Player of the Year Watch List. Against the Cougars, Blackwell tied his season-high of six rebounds, including three offensive boards that turned into three points. Boyd’s presence has allowed Blackwell to flourish as a scorer and a rebounder, but the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, product can still dish to his teammates when needed. Blackwell logged only one assist against SIUE, but tallied six against Ball State.
Nick Boyd provides balanced backcourt attack for Wisconsin basketball
As a sophomore, Blackwell averaged 2.2 assists per game as Wisconsin’s second-leading scorer. Blackwell may assist as often, or frankly, more, this season after getting feedback during the NBA Draft process, but the presence of Boyd should make the scoring come even more easily.
Against the Cougars, Boyd has 22 points of his own, second only to Blackwell, and added six assists. The San Diego State Aztecs transfer recorded two of UW’s eight steals.
Boyd, whom Gard has called “a jet,” has continued his tendency to push the pace in transition. Against SIUE, that pace turned into points throughout the night, helping Wisconsin score a season-high 19 fast-break points.
As a team, Wisconsin forced eight steals. With those ensuing possessions, the Badgers created 18 points, scoring on seven of eight tries. Four times, UW turned forced turnovers into transition threes, two of which Boyd assisted.
Gard said that “with the length of different guys, and the activity, and the awareness,” his roster “has the ability to cause some turnovers, you know, and create turnovers defensively. And then, obviously, we’re pretty well wired to play aggressive in transition. So, if we have that opportunity and we have an open floor, most likely we’re gonna come pretty quickly.”
SIUE head coach Brian Barone complimented UW’s ability to push the ball in transition and make shots from all over the floor, saying the Badgers “are a unique team. I like their athleticism. I like their ability to have five guys on the floor that at any point in time can make a shot.”
Above Blackwell on the Badgers’ scoring leaderboard through four games since 1999 is 79 points by Trevon Hughes, then 80 by Alando Tucker and Nick Boyd. The senior trails only NBA Draft picks Johnny Davis (81) and John Tonje (94).
The Badgers moved the ball, whether it be on transition or in the halfcourt. Wisconsin created 29 made baskets on 19 assists. It is an impressive number, but one that has become a facet of Wisconsin’s offense full of playmakers throughout the lineup. UW has made 125 buckets so far this season with 72 assists. Along with Boyd, forwards Will Garlock and Austin Rapp have also assisted on double-digit baskets. Neither of those two frontcourt players has committed more than three turnovers.
“It gets us good looks,” said Gard. “And eventually, we got enough guys that can shoot it that one of the, you know, somebody’s gonna bust loose.”
“I just think it’s contagious. It starts off with the guards, myself [Blackwell], Andrew Rohde,” Boyd said of numerous assists up and down the roster. The Garnerville, New York native added, “We got a bunch of talent on this team that goes 15 deep, so, just, you know, sharing the ball is contagious and if we keep that up, we’ll have a great year.”
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