Purdue throttles Wisconsin 70-51
A largely listless effort doomed Wisconsin Friday night in a 70-51 blowout loss at Purdue.
The Badgers scored just 15 points in the first half, their fewest in a single half since putting up 14 last season against Minnesota. But those numbers weren’t the most staggering. That was reserved for the rebounds column where the Boilermakers dominated.
They held a 24-10 advantage at the break and finished the night with as many offensive rebounds (16) as Wisconsin had total rebounds. The 16 were tied for the most given up by the Badgers since 2017 and it led to 19 second-chance points for Purdue.
Outside of the rebounding, Wisconsin found itself facing an 18-point deficit at the break because it could get nothing going on the offensive end. Just days after hitting a school record 18 3-pointers, the Badgers were 0-for-8 in the first half and shot just 30 percent overall. They were better in the second half (7-for-14) but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome Purdue shooting 55.2 percent from the floor over the final 20 minutes.
Juniors D’Mitrik Trice and Micah Potter had 11 points each for Wisconsin, while junior Nate Reuvers chipped in 10 points.
The Boilermakers were led by Isaiah Thompson’s 14 points, along with Evan Boudreaux’s 10 points and 13 rebounds (seven offensive).
With the loss, the Badgers dropped to 5-4 in Big Ten play, tied with Minnesota for seventh place. They’ll now head on the road Monday to face No. 17 Iowa, which has won four straight and is currently a 1/2 game up on Wisconsin in the conference.
Wisconsin Basketball Roundtable: Jan. 24, 2020
On this week's episode of the Wisconsin Basketball Roundtable, our former Badgers -- Brian Butch, Josh Gasser and Mike Bruesewitz -- look at Wisconsin's record breaking night against Nebraska, Micah Potter's struggles on defense and the muddled Big Ten picture.
Badgers: RB Bradrick Shaw enters transfer portal
A fourth Wisconsin player has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal.
Running back Bradrick Shaw tweeted Friday morning that he would be applying for a medical hardship waiver to get a sixth year of eligibility and plans to play that elsewhere.
https://twitter.com/bradricks7/status/1220730362583834624
The Athletic was the first to report Shaw’s decision to enter the portal as a graduate transfer.
Shaw’s career got off to a promising start. After redshirting in 2015, he ran for 457 yards and five touchdowns in 2016, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. But when Jonathan Taylor burst onto the scene in 2017, Shaw’s numbers took a hit. He had just 365 yards and four scores as a sophomore and then suffered a torn ACL and hip injury in the season finale. It kept him out of the entirety of the 2018 season. He was able to return in 2019, carrying 18 times for 116 yards and one touchdown.
With Taylor off to the NFL, running backs coach John Settle said at the Rose Bowl there had been some thought to getting Shaw a sixth year of eligibility, though that seemed more likely if they didn’t sign a running back in the 2020 class.
Wisconsin will likely look to sophomore Nakia Watson, senior Garrett Groshek, sophomore Isaac Guerendo, redshirt freshman Julius Davis and true freshman Jalen Berger to fill the holes left by Taylor and Shaw.
Shaw joins Aron Cruickshank, Christian Bell and Griffin Grady in the transfer portal.
Badgers to honor 2000 Final Four team, wear throwback uniforms
It’s been 20 years since Wisconsin made its unlikely run to the Final Four. When that team is honored next month, the current team will be wearing the same uniforms those Badgers did in their push to Indianapolis.
Wisconsin announced Thursday it would wear throwbacks on Feb. 9 when Ohio State comes to town.
https://twitter.com/BadgerMBB/status/1220412013752541184
https://twitter.com/BadgerMBB/status/1220413480743948295
The Badgers entered the 2000 NCAA Tournament as the No. 8 seed in the West Region. All they did was beat No. 9 Fresno State, No. 1 Arizona, No. 4 LSU and No. 6 Purdue on their way to their first Final Four since 1941.
DC Mike Pettine will reportedly be back for a third season with the Packers
When Matt LaFleur met with reporters Wednesday morning he would not commit to keeping defensive coordinator Mike Pettine on for the 2020 season.
“We’re still working through everything right now, just trying to evaluate everything,” LaFleur said when asked about Pettine. “I think our defense did a lot of great things (this season). Obviously, the last game was really disappointing in terms of our performance. It just wasn’t good enough, especially when you get to a championship game and know what’s at stake.”
Three hours later, though, a report from ESPN said Pettine is expected back.
https://twitter.com/RobDemovsky/status/1220086560793726976
Pettine was one of several defensive assistants that LaFleur kept around from former coach Mike McCarthy’s staff. Players appeared more comfortable in the second year of his scheme and made strides statistically, including going from 25.0 points allowed per game (22nd in NFL) to 19.6 (9th).
But the unit looked lost against San Francisco in the NFC title game, allowing 285 yards rushing and 37 points. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and his staff seemed to know exactly what was coming on nearly every play and were a step ahead of the Packers at every turn.
After the game, several players were asked what went wrong, especially against the run. At least one, outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, took issue with a lack of adjustments to what the 49ers were doing.
“Perimeter plays, man. That’s something we couldn’t stop,” Smith said. “We should have fixed that on the sideline but we didn’t.”
He was asked a follow up question about whether the inability to stop the run impacted their chances to get after the quarterback.
“No, I’m not going to say that,” Smith said. “We just need to make adjustments. That was probably something we didn’t do but now we know. As we go on to next year, we’ll be able to fix these situations when we’re in them.”
LaFleur said he and President/CEO Mark Murphy will have a conversation soon and then they’ll start making decisions.
Badgers 82, Nebraska 68: Last word
MADISON — Wisconsin hit a school record 18 3-pointers and outscored Nebraska by 13 in the second half on its way to an 82-68 win over the Huskers Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.
Player of the Game: D’Mitrik Trice
The junior guard put together his best all around game of the season against the Huskers. He had 11 points, but added a career-high 10 rebounds and a season-high-tying seven assists. Trice did have three turnovers, including a couple that had coach Greg Gard livid on the sideline. But he also had three steals and had a big hand in limiting Huskers point guard Cam Mack to a 5-for-15 shooting night, including just 1 of 8 in the second half.
The good: Brad Davison
Wisconsin led by just one at halftime, but used a 17-4 run to open the second half to take control. Davison played a big role in that stretch, scoring all 11 of his second-half points. He finished with 14 points, including a season-high four 3-pointers.
The not so good: First-half defense
Gard lit into his team at the half after giving up 38 points, including 18 in the paint. A lot of that came courtesy of Nebraska’s two guards slashing through and meeting very little resistance, especially after Nate Reuvers picked up his second foul. The duo of Cam Mack and Dachon Burke combined for 24 points before the break on 10 of 14 shooting.
“Very displeased, kind of across the board,” Davison said of Gard’s attitude in the locker room about their defense. “That was definitely the message at halftime. ‘Don’t worry about offense. Offense will take care of itself but we’re going to win the game on the defensive end.’ That starts with the guy on the ball and trickles down. We don’t play individual defense. We play defense as a unit, as five guys together connected. There were a lot of holes in the first half that we had to clean up there in the second half.”
Stat of the Game: 18
That’s how many 3-pointers the Badgers hit Tuesday night. It was the most in school history and nearly everyone got in on the party. Eight different guys hit at least one.
https://twitter.com/WisconsinOnBTN/status/1219835578079801345
Best video:
https://twitter.com/BadgerMBB/status/1219841609916960769
What they said:
Greg Gard credited the passing for their strong night shooting the ball:
“For the most part, we put the ball on time and on target. When you move the ball like that, and you put it on target, you’re going to shoot it well.”
Gard added that the "on time, on target" saying came from assistant coach Howard Moore.
In Case You Missed It
— Micah Potter had eight points and four rebounds in the first half, but struggled on the defensive end. He played just 2 minutes after the break and was clearly frustrated on the bench. Davison was seen with his arm around a visibly upset Potter trying to calm him down.
“I was just telling him to calm down and relax a little bit,” Davison said. “There’s a lot more game left. He was just being pretty hard on himself for something that happened in the game. I just tried to speak confidence into him and keep him positive.”
— Five different players have at least 10 rebounds in a game this year for Wisconsin. Three of them have been guards — Trice, Davison and Brevin Pritzl.
— Wisconsin had 23 assists on 29 made baskets. That’s assists on 79.3 percent of the makes, the highest percentage in a game this season.
What’s next?
Wisconsin (12-7, 5-3) will travel to Purdue (10-9, 3-5) on Friday to face the Boilermakers.
49ers 37, Packers 20: 2-minute drill
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The calendar read January instead of November and it was slightly colder at kickoff. But those were about the only differences when it mattered on Sunday than when Green Bay came to the Bay Area two months ago and lost 37-8. This time, though, the beatdown the 49ers put on the Packers — a 37-20 victory — ended their season and sent the home team to Super Bowl LIV to face the Kansas City Chiefs.
Game Balls
Offense: Raheem Mostert
The Packers had no answer for the undrafted free agent playing on his seventh team. Using a variety of outside runs, Mostert ran for a 49ers playoff record 220 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 7.6 yards every time he touched it as San Francisco jammed it down Green Bay’s throat to the tune of 285 yards on the ground.
“Just the perimeter plays, man. That’s something we couldn’t stop," outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith said. "We should have fixed that on the sideline but we didn’t.”
Defense: 49ers front seven
As they did in the first game between the two teams, the 49ers front seven largely owned the line of scrimmage. Outside of a five play sequence where the Packers gained 50 yards, including 27 by Aaron Jones, the offense couldn’t run the ball or keep quarterback Aaron Rodgers upright. That included a pair of sacks and three tackles for loss.
Best tweets
https://twitter.com/AaronNagler/status/1219056259015618560
https://twitter.com/RobDemovsky/status/1219060641132052480
https://twitter.com/nickdapick36/status/1219062179791605761
https://twitter.com/mattschneidman/status/1219071142893211648
https://twitter.com/CharlesWoodson/status/1219074058693771265
Best quotes
https://twitter.com/WesHod/status/1219107434624536576
QB Aaron Rodgers when asked if the gap between the two sides is as big as it appears:
“Well, it looks pretty big. They got us a couple times. But I don’t think it’s that big. I think we’re really close. I think we’re just a little more consistent performance away from consistently playing with these guys.”
Rodgers on the season
“This one will always be special because (playing football) became fun again.”
Za’Darius Smith when asked about coach Matt LaFleur’s first season:
“Great head coach. I say it every time I talk to you guys. He’s all about his players. What a great year for him but we came up short. But I told him, ‘Man, most definitely we’ll be back in this situation and we’ll finish next time.’”
In Case You Missed It
— A late addition to the injury report with an illness, punter JK Scott did end up playing. Outside of one horrendous punt -- a shank that setup a 37-yard touchdown drive -- Scott performed well enough.
— The Packers activated safety Raven Greene from injured reserve this week and most expected him to play. That ended up not happening, as the former undrafted free agent was among seven players listed as inactive. That also included fullback Danny Vitale. He’s been dealing with a knee injury suffered against Minnesota in Week 16 and missed his third-straight game.
— Jordy Nelson was among a number of former Packers in attendance. The former wide receiver also took part in the team’s pep rally Saturday.
— 49ers running back Tevin Coleman suffered an elbow injury in the second quarter that led to him being carted off the field.
— Packers safety Adrian Amos suffered a pectoral injury in the second quarter. He initially stayed in the game but did not return after halftime.
— Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander injured his thumb in the third quarter. He did not return and told reporters afterwards that he broke it.
-- Rookie tight end Jace Sternberger caught his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter.
-- Several Packers may have been playing in their final games. Tackle Bryan Bulaga, kicker Mason Crosby, cornerback Tramon Williams and linebacker Blake Martinez are all slated to become unrestricted free agents.
Inside the Numbers
160 -- That’s how many yards rushing Raheem Mostert had rushing in the first half. It was the most rushing yards in a first half in playoff game since 1964.
24:05 -- That’s the amount of game time between pass attempts by Jimmy Garoppolo. He threw a pass with 2:10 left in the first half and then not again until there was 8:05 left in the fourth quarter.
1 -- That's how many targets and catches Davante Adams had in the first half. He finished with 11 targets and nine catches for 138 yards.
40 — That’s how many postseason touchdowns Aaron Rodgers has in his career. That’s tied for the most in Packers history with Brett Favre.
What’s Next
The offseason
Final injury report for Packers-49ers released
Both teams will be as healthy as either could hope in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.
The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers released their final injury reports Friday and there was only one injury designation — Packers fullback Danny Vitale. He’s dealing with a nagging knee injury that’s played a part in him missing the last two games. Vitale is listed as questionable for the matchup.
Meanwhile, every other player listed on the injury report — for both sides — does not have an injury designation and should be available to play. That includes Green Bay wide receivers Allen Lazard (ankle) and Geronimo Allison (illness), as well as 49ers tight end George Kittle (ankle).
“It definitely helps,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said when asked the impact of all 52 players on the active roster practicing Friday. “You’re able to get the reps out on the practice field that you’re going to get in the game. I think our guys have done a great job of taking care of their bodies and they’re dialed in and ready to go.”
The two teams will meet on Sunday in Santa Clara with a trip to Super Bowl LIV on the line. Kick is at 5:40 p.m. CT.
Former Packers safety elected to Pro Football HOF
Add another former member of the Green Bay Packers to the list of players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The NFL announced its special Centennial Class of 2020 on Wednesday and former Packers safety Bobby Dillon was among the 15 players announced.
Dillon played for Green Bay from 1952 to 1959 and is the franchise’s all-time leader in interceptions with 52. A six-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection, Dillion also holds the Packers’ record for return yardage on interceptions.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Dillon’s career is he did everything despite playing the whole thing with only one eye. He lost his left eye when he was 10 years old. A third-round pick in the 1952 NFL Draft, Dillon played on only one winning team his entire career.
Dillion passed away at the age of 89 last August. He’ll be the 26th member of the Packers to enshrined in Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Wisconsin 56, (17) Maryland 54: Last word
MADISON — Brad Davison hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to lift Wisconsin past No. 17 Maryland 56-54 on Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.
Player of the Game: Davison
The junior guard didn’t lead Wisconsin in any specific category against the Terrapins but he made the two biggest plays of the night. The first came with the Badgers trailing 54-53 with 12.3 seconds left when he managed to tip away an inbounds pass and then knock it off a Maryland player. It allowed for his second big play when he came off a screen by Nate Reuvers for a corner 3-pointer that gave Wisconsin its final points of the night.
The good: The two bigs
They didn’t share the floor at any point Tuesday night but Reuvers and Micah Potter combined for 31 of Wisconsin’s 56 points. Potter did much of his damage in the first half, scoring nine points and grabbing three rebounds. He finished 6-for-7 from the field and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. Reuvers also hit a pair of 3-pointers and had a huge steal late in the game.
The not so good: Early second-half defense
Wisconsin led 30-25 at the half, but Maryland came out and took it to them early in the second. Coach Greg Gard said the Terrapins scored 21 points in the first 13 possessions, which works out to a significantly higher number than the 1.0 points per possession the Badgers aim to keep teams under. They were better in the final 12 possessions (8 points), but their early struggles put them in a tough spot at the end of the game.
Stat of the Game: 3
That’s the number of ranked teams the Badgers have beaten in their last four games. They took down then-No. 5 Ohio State and then-No. 21 Penn State on the road before handing the 17th-ranked Terrapins their second-straight loss.
Best Tweets:
https://twitter.com/BigJam_23/status/1217301733451423744
Best video:
https://twitter.com/WisconsinOnBTN/status/1217306024442507264
https://twitter.com/ZachHeilprin/status/1217297866391203840
What they said:
Greg Gard on Davison:
“He’s the heartbeat. I’ve said that before. I don’t play him necessarily because of the numbers that he produces. He obviously shot the ball well tonight (and) made big plays, but he’s on that floor because he’s the mortar between our bricks. The kid is just a winner.”
Maryland coach Mark Turgeon:
“That’s a devastating loss.”
In Case You Missed It
— Assistant coach Howard Moore’s son, Jerrell, was sitting on the bench for the game. When Davison hit his 3-pointer, he went crazy on the bench. He was also one of the first to run on the court and celebrate when the final buzzer sounded. Howard Moore is not coaching this season as he recovers from a car accident that took the life of his wife and daughter last May.
— Potter played just six minutes in the second half. Gard said in the postgame it was because he liked the way Reuvers was playing the ball screens on defense.
— Turgeon told reporters that the goal on the final possession was to have guard Anthony Cowan drive to the basket to try and tie the game. Cowan instead pulled up for a 3-pointer that he missed.
What’s next?
Wisconsin (11-6, 4-2) will travel to No. 15 Michigan State (13-4, 5-1) on Friday to face the Spartans.
