The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team was unstoppable Tuesday night, and the driving force behind them were their three big men.
It was no doubt the Badgers had the one-up on Ball State height wise in this matchup. Jai Anthoni Bearden, the Cardinal’s tallest player, stands at 6-foot-7 while five Badgers are taller than him.
They would use this to their advantage the whole night on their way to the 31 point win.
Ball State wanted to score in the paint throughout the game, but the Badgers would not allow it. Wisconsin tallied an exceptional eight blocks in tonight's contest and made it agonizing for the Cardinals to score inside. Every attempt they made to score down low, a giant was waiting for them to swat the ball into the stands.
Nolan Winter led the charge for the Badgers, posting a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He covered every spot on the court during the game, whether it was playing in the paint or letting it fly from 3-point range.
Being a threat on both ends of the court as a big man enables a very versatile player, which is exactly what Winter is. He wasn’t just an offensive presence, but a defensive one as well. His presence alone forced the Cardinals into tough, off-balance shots all night.
Badgers guard Nick Boyd had a fast break and could not connect on the layup, but it was Winter who snatched the ball and slammed it down for the bucket.
That wasn’t it for Winter. When Andrew Rohde could not connect on a shot, Winter came out of nowhere, grabbing the miss from midair and slamming down the putback.
Alongside Winter, transfer Austin Rapp asserted himself into the game with his commanding presence.
Although he started off slow from 3 for the Badgers, shooting 0-for-3 from beyond the arc, he made up for it in the paint by contributing an and-one play and a block during the first half.
He had a new mindset coming out of the locker room for the second half though, chalking up two 3-pointers and two blocks. He ended the night with 11 points and three blocks.
This game was a big man trifecta, and it ended with Aleksas Bielauskas. He came off the bench for the Badgers and contributed six points, eight rebounds and two blocks in the game.
Bielauskas has been vital for the Badgers off the bench so far and plays with intensity each game. He is adapting fast and is blending in well..
He contributed two big blocks for the Badgers before the first media timeout and gave them some great momentum to gather a sizable lead in the first half. Bielauskas also threw down two thunderous dunks, both assisted by freshman Will Garlock, capping off a dominant night for the Badgers’ frontcourt.
All night long, the big men were putting together a highlight reel with some tremendous plays. Fans in the Kohl Center were treated to a complete display of paint presence, long-distance shooting and crucial interior defense that the Badgers’ frontcourt will surely try to replicate in future matchups.
