MADISON, Wis. – With a mountain of failed appeals and frustrations finally behind him, junior forward Micah Potter is set to play his first college basketball game in more than 21 months.
It comes at a critical juncture for the Badgers, whose mediocre start to the 2019-20 campaign has dug them a hole when it comes to post-season aspirations.
Ready to fill a gaping hole in the middle of Wisconsin’s lineup, Potter’s teammates say the former Ohio State forward will bring a physical inside presence on both ends of the floor, toughness and the all-important leadership from an energy and vocal standpoint.
“He does a lot of things that probably won’t show up in the stat sheet, a lot of those things this program is built on,” junior guard Brad Davison said. “Great addition. Not many teams get to have a great addition to their program 10 games into the season, but we are.”
So, while fans may be hoping that Wisconsin goes on a torrid stretch to right a listing ship, the realization is that Potter won’t be able to fix everything with a snap of a finger. For starters, Potter hasn’t played since Ohio State lost to Gonzaga in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, a span of over 640 days.
And considering Wisconsin has rarely had a full roster to practice with this past week due to final exams, how Potter will fit into the lineup and rotation will be a work in progress when the Badgers (5-5) host Milwaukee (5-6) Saturday afternoon.
“He’s going to have to get some game experience and get into a flow,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. “I know he’s excited about it. We’ve talked about, and we’ll talk some more. Just play hard, simplify things, don’t try to make up for 600 days in just two possessions. That has been the message, and he understands that.”
No matter what Potter produced, his presence certainly can’t make things worse for a Wisconsin team that is missing an identity through the first two months of the season.
Wisconsin ranks 265th in the nation in scoring, averaging just 68.1 points per game and tied nationally with mid-major programs Fairleigh Dickinson and Texas Southern. While the low number is partly due to UW struggling to generate low-post production, the Badgers have largely struggled from the 3-point line. Through 10 games, Wisconsin is shooting 31.1 percent from the perimeter, a mark that puts them 259th out of 350 Division 1 teams.
In theory, Potter’s presence can elevate some of the burden and minutes being placed on forward Nate Reuvers (UW’s leading scorer at 14.5 ppg) and perimeter-shooting guards Davison, Kobe King and Aleem Ford (all shooting under 30 percent from 3-point range).
“(Micah) gives us a lot more options,” said Davison, who is shooting 31.7 percent from 3-point range. “Those options will help Nate and everybody else.”
Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s problems aren’t limited to offense. In Wisconsin’s last outing, a 72-65 loss at Rutgers Dec.11, Gard openly questioned Wisconsin’s toughness and physicality. With a roster lacking experienced post presence, the Scarlet Knights out-rebounded Wisconsin, 40-26, turning 14 offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points. UW’s lineup managed five second-chance points.
At one point in the loss in Piscataway, N.J., freshman forward Tyler Wahl – playing plenty of minutes because of a lack of depth and the ineffectiveness of others – had the ball simply ripped out of his hands on a rebound. He compounded the issue by fouling the ball thief – Ron Harper Jr. – as he scored on a put back.
A lack of size is one thing, but the Badgers have had trouble doing the simple things – like blocking out and ball security – with any great consistency. Potter should help to correct those issues against Milwaukee. The Panthers have given up an average of 38.5 rebounds per game, including 40.0 per game on their current four game losing skid.
If anything, Saturday’s game should sure as a fresh slate for Potter and Wisconsin, considering tough road tests and the resuming of Big Ten play are on the horizon.
“I know how much he loves the game,” Davison said of Potter. “I know how much we all love to game. To have the opportunity to experience that first time again with him, we’re all very excited for him.”
