Notes: Wahl fits well in Wisconsin's starting lineup

Tyler Wahl knew for a few days prior to Wisconsin's contest with Rutgers that he would replace Nate Reuvers in the starting lineup. UW fans, however, found out just a few minutes before tip-off in Piscataway.

"We knew a couple days before," Wahl told reporters on a Zoom call Monday afternoon. "It was just for match-ups because they’re more of an athletic team. Kind of just matchup-wise, just needed to be in there and guard Geo (Baker)."

The move paid off for Greg Gard and his coaching staff. Wahl played a season-high 35 minutes and limited Baker to eight points on 4-of-11 shooting. Aleem Ford slid down to play more power forward with the smaller lineup, matching up with Ron Harper Jr. He managed to limit Harper Jr., who had been averaging 20.1 points per contest, to just four points on 2-of-13 shooting.

"It worked perfectly, I'd say," D'Mitrik Trice said of the change in the lineup. "I really challenged Aleem and Wahl before the game, knowing they’d have really big assignments. So I really challenged both of them in our team meeting to go out there with a defensive mindset and that would get their offense going."

Reuvers, who has been struggling recently, played a season-low 17 minutes against Rutgers. The senior started 79 consecutive games for the Badgers but season has finished in double figures just once in the past six games.

Coming into the matchup with the Scarlet Knights, Trice had been averaging 22 points over the previous five games. But his poise and growth as a decision maker was on full display during a 13-point performance.

"Obviously as a point guard it’s important to get others rolling as well, especially when other teams are keying in on you once I got rolling over the last few games," Trice said about his mindset offensively Friday night. "I think that would have hurt our team more if I was to force shots when other guys like Brad (Davison), Aleem, Micah (Potter) and Wahl were starting to roll a little bit.

"Finding them in the right spots and getting them going was super important and I knew that, eventually, it would come to me having to make a few plays.”

Trice, as he has done many times before this season, came through for Wisconsin late. The senior point guard scored nine of his 13 points in the final seven minutes of action to help UW pull away.

“It’s just constantly staying on the attack," he said. "I’ve been working all off-season and even pre-game to work on my ability to work inside and improve in that aspect of my game. I’ve definitely worked on that and give credit to my trainers back home. Just staying on the attack has been the biggest thing and taking the open shot when they come.

"I think a big thing that I added to my game was finishing away from the bigs and getting it high off the glass but soft as well.”

Earlier in the year, the NCAA announced that its annual tournament would be held in six different venues across Indiana. Now fans have dates to look forward to for post-season basketball.