It may have been just an exhibition game, but the competition level dictated otherwise.
Facing an Athletes in Action squad that barely lost in overtime Nov. 11 to a highly ranked Kentucky Wildcats team, the Wisconsin men's basketball team had its work cut out for itself.
However, a second-half surge by UW freshman guard Devin Harris kept the Badgers out in front, defeating AIA 82-57 at the Kohl Center Tuesday evening.
AIA Head Coach Chuck Badger said he was as impressed with UW as he was with Kentucky.
\Both teams are really athletic,"" Badger said. ""Kentucky may have the edge in athleticism overall, but I'd love to see the two play. It would be a good game.""
AIA was able make a game of it with the Badgers for most of the first half.
While AIA did not have much of an interior presence, the team more than made up for it with some hot outside shooting, particularly in the opening half. AIA stayed in the game early by connecting on six of 13 shots from beyond the arc.
A late jumper by sophomore guard Freddie Owens gave Badgers a 41-33 halftime advantage and some momentum going into the locker room.
AIA was down by 13 midway through the second half when Harris took over for UW.
Harris made two consecutive three-pointers and had a block to key a fast break that put AIA away.
After scoring 22 points in UW's first exhibition game, Harris once again led the offense, finishing with 19 points and six assists.
Badger said he was very cognizant of Harris' poise on the floor.
""I was really impressed with Harris because he doesn't play like a true freshman,"" Badger said. ""He hit the big shots when he needed to.""
Despite the victory, UW Head Coach Bo Ryan said that seeing a style of play different than that of EA Sports' wide-open offense was beneficial for the Badgers.
""This is a much better game tonight from the standpoint of what they did, mixing their defenses up, offensively with their kick-outs,"" Ryan said. ""A team like this can play real tough if their threes are going in.""
With two victories behind the Badgers in the exhibition, the team now starts a three-week odyssey that will take Wisconsin to Las Vegas to play the UNLV Runnin' Rebels Nov. 17. The Badgers will then travel to Hawaii to compete in the Big Island Basketball Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend. Finally, the Badgers will travel south to face Georgia Tech in Atlanta Nov. 28.
However, Ryan said he is not too concerned with the extended trip.
""Let's set the record straight,"" Ryan said. ""There's no way you would ever want to set up the schedule we have, but it isn't an indication of referring to anybody in the past. It's just the way the Big Ten-Atlantic Coast Conference Challenge fell and then three neutral site games.\
