The UW men's basketball team earned a victory over Mercer Sunday that may have previewed what the rest of the season will look like. Although both senior forward Alando Tucker and senior point guard Kammron Taylor carried the load in scoring, one of the more important facets of the game was the depth of UW's bench.
Every player not on redshirt status saw game action, and 11 of 14 scored. Perhaps the most impressive player to come off the bench was sophomore forward Joe Krabbenhoft. His line was solid with seven points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. Through his play he showcased his skills with the fundamentals and hard work that he brings to the court.
""Joe goes about his business every single day,"" Taylor said. ""If there is one guy that I would love to have on my team that I know would fight for me, it's Joe.""
""He's an enforcer ... he doesn't stop going,"" Tucker added. ""And I'm telling him ‘Joe, you don't have to kill yourself in practice.' And that's the type of attitude he has. Every game is serious. Every loose ball is Joe's ball.""
Freshman guards Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon also played well in their regular season debut. While head coach Bo Ryan featured many different lineups throughout the game, the two backup guards to Taylor proved they can handle the pressure and gain experience through these early-season games. For the most part, each lineup Bo Ryan put in the game played well, but there is still room to improve.
""It's a work in progress,"" Krabbenhoft said.
