Many Badger fans probably did not know who freshman forward Jon Leuer was before Wisconsin's exhibition game against Edgewood College. But the 6'10' forward from Long Lake, Minn., stole the show Sunday night, leading all scorers with 15 points in Wisconsin's 77-48 victory.
We told you he's a good player,"" UW head coach Bo Ryan said. ""We didn't try to keep it a secret. He has a feel for the game as good as anybody I've seen as a freshman.""
In a contest which the Badgers led throughout, Leuer provided an energy boost coming off the bench as he added two assists and a steal to go along with his impressive point total.
""It was fun just to get out there and go against some new bodies,"" Leuer said. ""It just shows, on any given night, anybody on our team can step up.""
Senior forward Brian Butch, sophomore guard Trevon Hughes, junior forward Joe Krabbenhoft, senior center Greg Steimsma and junior forward Marcus Landry started for UW.
Ryan praised Hughes for his solid all-around play against the Eagles.
""Sometimes when you're young coming off the bench, you might '¦ try to do too much,"" Ryan said. ""He was even-keel and kept the game flowing the way I wanted him to.""
Hughes recorded 11 points, three assists, three steals and two blocks in 25 minutes. He committed only one turnover.
Senior guard Michael Flowers and sophomore guard Jason Bohannon were Ryan's first subs off the bench. Both played well in limited action.
Flowers may have had the play of the game when he tossed a behind the back pass to junior guard Morris Cain who layed the ball in the hoop as he was fouled.
Flowers showed no signs of weakness after leaving the team for an undisclosed medical reason from Oct. 18 through Oct. 31.
""I think everybody in the crowd had a big smile on their face to see him out there. I know I did,"" Krabbenhoft said.
Although playing Edgewood did not provide a true test for the Badgers, Ryan said the players gained from the experience of playing in a live game against opponents other than each other.
""We're just trying to get enough people ready for the Big Ten, so we can go 10 deep,"" Ryan said.
The Badgers take on UW-Eau Claire in their second and final exhibition game Wednesday at the Kohl Center. The tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
