Entering this season, the Wisconsin Men's basketball team knew it needed a star to emerge. The Badgers depended on graduated senior guard Kammron Taylor, and his departure left a huge void in who would step up as Wisconsin's go-to scorer, as well as floor general for the squad. Sophomore guard Trevon Hughes has answered the call, leading his team while performing extremely well under pressure.
The first time I saw him play I knew he would be a good player here,"" junior swingman Joe Krabbenhoft said. ""Coach Ryan loves a kid who can handle the ball and is tough as nails, that describes Trevon Hughes. He's tough, and he doesn't let one turnover or one bad play get him down either. You can't discourage that kid from playing and being aggressive, especially on defense. If a guys scores on him, it just makes him that much more angry and he's going to get a steal the next time down.""
In the offseason, the Badgers had many question marks in their new starting lineup. In the end, Hughes emerged as the team's starting point guard, and Wisconsin's coaching staff seems confident in his developing progress and comfort level.
""Last year there were times in practice where he was just terrific,"" assistant coach Gary Close said. ""This year, he's worked hard and prepared well. You can see it in conditioning; he was in terrific shape and pushed himself. I'd say from the first day of practice, you could see that this was something he had worked hard for and prepared for. Like a lot of the guys on our team, he's work in progress but he's making good progress.""
Hughes is originally from Queens, N.Y., but later attended St. John's Northwestern Military Academy in Delafield, Wis. He was named First-Team All-State by the Associated Press as a senior, averaging 22.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 4.8 steals per game. He also led St. John's to its first ever WIAA state boys basketball tournament berth that year.
Hughes also showed his athletic prowess outside the realm of basketball, as the starting quarterback for the St. John's Academy Lancers, and was named the league's offensive player of the year in football during his senior season. This experience has helped Hughes in adjusting to his crucial role as starting point guard and directing his teammates.
""Leading by emotion is a big part of being a point guard,"" Close said. ""Knowing when to get people going inand making sure people are organized. That's a key part of being an effective leader and an effective point guard.""
Teammates also have similar sentiments, as Krabbenhoft recalled an earlier game versus Georgia where Hughes pulled the Badgers together.
""He took us in the huddle, grabbed us by our jerseys, and told us to get going and get our butts in gear, to start working harder, and we did that,"" Krabbenhoft said. ""He's just a tough kid who refuses to lose and refuses to give in to pressure. I think that's why he and Coach Ryan get along so well.""
Hughes played in 31 out of 36 games his freshman season, but averaged just 7.7 minutes per game and a game-high 18 minutes playing behind Taylor. This season, Coach Ryan has put a lot of trust in his new starting point guard, and Hughes has responded by playing huge minutes and leading by example.
Hughes has an average of 16.7 points per game. He also has 16 steals and 21 assists, all team highs. Despite his rather small size of 6 feet and 193 pounds, Hughes has shown a tremendous amount of hustle with his play on the boards, averaging 4.6 per game. As a team, Wisconsin has out-rebounded its opponents 259 to 174.
Hughes is still a sophomore and has plenty to learn about how to play most effectively in Coach Ryan's system. But despite the learning curve, this year promises to be a breakout season for Hughes. Most importantly, he has embraced the idea of being called upon to come through in the clutch.
""That's what I've been raised to do. That's what I've wanted to do all my life is be out there on the court playing. Now that my teammates look for me to contribute on the floor and come through in the stretch run, it's a good feeling,"" Hughes said.
