Back at the Kohl Center, Sunday’s Red-White scrimmage had much more of a game-like feel than last week’s season-opening Fieldhouse Madness.
Keaton Nankivil’s second half performance hammered that feeling home even more. While fellow senior Jon Leuer looked somewhat rusty for the opposing Red squad, Nankivil was in form throughout the 32-minute contest. The Madison native continued his tradition of standout scrimmage performances, leading the way for the third consecutive year with 22 points on 10 of 15 from the field while grabbing 8 rebounds as his White team notched a 65-51 victory.
Despite the individual success, Nankivil was quick to note that Sunday was all about the team.
“I thought our team played very well. We utilized the stuff that Coach Gard gave us…” Nankivil said. “I give a lot of credit to Jordan Taylor and our guards.”
After losing both guards with the departure of Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes, guard play will be a key for the Badgers and today was a big first step toward rebuilding depth in those positions.
Jordan Taylor, the most experienced and clear leader amongst the remaining guards, made his presence felt in all aspects of the game, putting up 9 points on just 4 for 13 from the field but contributing 10 assists and 2 steals to go along with 3 rebounds.
Taylor’s consistency will be crucial in the early part of the year as the younger guards adjust to play at the collegiate level.
“I think we know what we’re gonna get out of Jordan {Taylor},” Nankivil added. “He’s one of the most solid guards in the country. I love playing with him and I think everybody does.”
Lost in the spotlight was Brett Valentyn’s hot hand, as the guard led the White side out to a five-point halftime lead on 4 for 4 from beyond the arc in the first half before adding another three early in the second half to give him 17 points for the game.
On the Red side, Jon Leuer went through stretches looking like the All-America candidate he is projected to be, but struggled for much of the contest. Despite Leuer committing 6 turnovers and going just 4 for 14 from the field, Coach Bo Ryan was quick to warn against an overreaction following this pre-season scrimmage
“Jon I think was trying to do too many things when they got behind…” Ryan said. “I’m glad it happened here.”
Seeing more consistent time than last weekend, the 4 Badger freshman all showed definite signs of improvement. Each got on the board, with center Evan Anderson (white) eventually pacing the group with 6 points despite picking up 5 fouls (no ejections were allowed in the scrimmage). Duje Dukan added 5 for the Red squad to go along with Ben Brust’s 4 and Josh Gasser’s 3-point, 2 assist, 2 steal, and 4 rebound performance.
With the pre-season opener against UW-Lacrosse less than two weeks away, it is clear that the Badgers have yet to fully put all of the pieces together. Still, with Bo Ryan at the helm and a group of players that are meshing perfectly, the progress this team needs to see is certainly within reach.
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