For senior forward Ray Nixon, the talent has been there since the day he first set foot on campus. The 6'7' frame with outstanding athleticism. The smooth outside jumper. The ability to put the ball on the floor and drive to the hoop. But there was one thing that was lacking; something four years in the Badger program is helping him develop.
'I think confidence. Earlier in my career, I used to get down on myself when I wasn't doing things right,' Nixon said, following Wisconsin's victory over Marquette. 'But now I've got great teammates that are encouraging me to keep progressing and keep doing the little things right.'
The Milwaukee native's newfound confidence was on full display from the opening tip before a sellout crowd Saturday at the Kohl Center. For the second game in a row, Nixon opened the scoring for the Badgers with a three-point basket and continued to stay hot early, scoring seven of the team's first 13 points, finishing with career highs in scoring with 15 points, up from his season average of 4.3 points per game, and minutes with 32.
'My teammates found me early in the game, and I just took what the defense gave me,' Nixon said. 'Marquette is a very aggressive team. They overplay wings and things like that, so I just took what they gave me. A lot of my teammates have been telling me lately, 'Ray, just calm down and shoot the ball.'
However, the most impressive aspect of the lone Wisconsin senior's performance was the versatility he displayed throughout the game. Normally content to hang on the perimeter and hoist three-point shots, Nixon repeatedly and effectively used ball fakes to take the ball to the basket and create easy midrange jump shots for both himself and his teammates. Marquette head coach Tom Crean also noted the variety of skills that Nixon brings to the floor.
'He made some threes. Made some runners and went to the rim and we weren't nearly aggressive enough with him,' Crean said. 'He did a good job of taking advantage of the opportunity we gave him defensively.'
Nixon's impressive play was not just limited to the offensive end. He proved to be a force on defense all day using his height and length to continually harass Marquette's shorter players such as freshmen Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews. Nixon was rewarded for his hard work on the defensive side of the ball with three steals and his pressure undoubtedly caused a few of the Golden Eagle's other 13 turnovers.
Having a career day against Marquette, a school he grew up in close proximity to, and had enjoyed little to no success against in the past also had to be satisfying for the senior.
'Ray Nixon did what seniors do,' Crean noted. 'I don't think he had scored a point, in the Marquette-Wisconsin series over the last couple years, and today he gets 15. So a lot of credit to Ray, he's made himself a better player over the years, and he showed that today.'
For a Wisconsin team that continues to show it possesses a multitude of players who can fill it up, this Saturday's breakout game will hopefully lead to the emergence of Nixon, giving an increasingly potent Badger offense yet another option.
'That's always big,' he said. 'Anybody playing any sport, you always need a big game to get you going. I think this can be a big game to get me started.'
