Notes: Wisconsin 'Fired Up' After Hook-and-Hold Controversy

MADISON, Wis. – D’Mitrik Trice wasn’t involved in the controversial hook-and-hold foul late in Wisconsin’s 77-72 loss at No.5 Iowa Sunday, nor was he the one whose name was being put in the microscope.

Still, Wisconsin’s fifth-year point guard saw how irritated his head coach – sixth-year man Greg Gard – was in the locker room and saw the social media reports of how Gard went to bat for senior guard Brad Davison. It meant the world.

“I had to tell him personally that I really appreciated it, and I thanked him for it, because it really shows he cares for the players and cares for this team,” Trice said. “It really lit a fire under us, even after the game. We could have went out there and played Iowa again.”

Wisconsin may get that chance. If the Badgers get past the winner of No.11 Penn State and No.14 Nebraska in Thursday’s second round of the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis, they will face the Hawkeyes.

Despite the Badgers (16-11, 10-10 Big Ten) having lost three straight and five of six, not to mention falling out of the AP poll for the first time this season, Trice said there was a bounce to Tuesday’s practice that isn’t reminiscent of a team in a skid.

“It was a really good day,” Trice said. “We’re just going to continue to use that momentum to push us forward and continue to play for one another.”

Wisconsin was down three with 21 seconds left Sunday when Iowa’s Keegan Murray fouled Davison on a drive to the basket, but immediately complained that Davison hooked his arm on the way to the basket. The officiating crew of Bo Boroski, D.J. Carstensen and Courtney Green agreed with that ruling, awarding Iowa two free throws and possession of the ball.

The usually mild-mannered Gard had an uncharacteristic outburst during his postgame Zoom session, saying Murray created the hook-and-hold call, called the application of the rule “a mockery,” how the rule had become “the Brad Davison rule” because of how the senior is viewed by some as a dirty player and criticized the officiating crew and the conference.

Gard said he spoke to the league Monday and, while he wouldn’t go into specifics, appeared satisfied by whatever was said.

“I voiced my concerns, they heard me out and got good dialogue back and forth with that,” Gard said. “We were able to move on.”

Davison was not made available to reporters after Sunday’s game or on Tuesday but has reportedly been honored by the way his coach went to bat for him. That has helped the Badgers flip the page to this week.

“Brad was honestly ecstatic that Coach went above and beyond what he expected Coach to really do,” Trice said. “He’s continued to fight for it. Brad sees that. He’s been smiling and happy … Brad has been at an all-time high.”

A third-team and an honorable mention selection last season, Trice was able to carve out a spot for himself amongst the talented guards in the Big Ten this season by earning a third-team nod from both the coaches and the media.

Trice was the only UW player selected for the all-conference teams, which were announced Monday afternoon.

“Really proud of him,” Gard said. “He’s come a long way. His journey is unique in terms of going to prep school afterwards because he needed to get focused on basketball after high school and get healthy coming off a football season where he was banged up going into basketball. Just how he’s grown, he’s taken steps every year, parts of his game has improved. Really proud of him because he’s put a lot of work in.”

Currently ranked 17th all-time on the school’s scoring list, second in 3-pointers and fourth in assists, Trice leads the Badgers this season with 13.7 points per game and has a 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s struggled the last two games offensively, however, with zero first-half points and 5-for-18 overall.

“We obviously need him playing up to his potential and his ability (on) both ends,” Gard said. “Sometimes it gets lost how important the defensive end is and how good he’s been on that end at times for us. We need everybody to take another step … If everybody can minimize some miscues and mistakes, if everybody can take care of one, that adds up pretty quickly for our whole team.”

A team full of seniors is expected to carry the heavy burden in terms of scoring, defense and leadership, but the Badgers have two young rotational players who know their roles are just as vital.

Sophomore Tyler Wahl is coming off back-to-back solid road performances, finishing with seven points, 10 rebounds and two assists at Purdue and six points, four rebounds and two assists at Iowa, and shot 43.2 percent in conference play (third-best among rotation players).

“I think I’ve started to become a little more comfortable offensively this year,” Wahl said. “I just hope to grow off that, both defense, offensively, becoming smarter, growing more confident.”

True freshman Jonathan Davis struggled at Purdue (two points in 16 minutes) but had nine of his 11 points at Iowa in the second half, as well as three of his four steals.

Both will be playing in their first conference tournament, after Wahl didn’t play in last year’s event after it was canceled because of COVID.

“We’ve got young legs,” Wahl said. “It’s always nice to have an extra spark. Something about a new face, not necessarily that we need that, but someone new to bounce off of, lean on a little bit down the stretch.”

One of the reasons the conference tournament was moved from Chicago to Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium this year was logistics. With the NCAA tournament being hosted entirely in Indiana around the Indianapolis region, Big Ten teams projected to be in the NCAA tournament field won’t return to their campuses following their conclusion of play this week.

According to the information Gard has gathered, the Big Ten will be using a similar isolation protocol that the Badgers have been implementing all year, but the NCAA will be significantly stricter with quarantine and testing while in quarantine.

“It will definitely be an adjustment and a step to a little bit different level than what we are accustomed to,” he said.

Either way it’s going to be a longer road trip for Wisconsin. However, Trice and his teammates are coming prepared.

“We’re bringing our Xboxs in,” Trice said. “We’re going to be having NBA 2K, Call of Duty and Fortnite parties all the time. On our down time, we’ll most likely be playing the game. Guys aren’t scared of the quarantine part or anything like that. They’re like, “15 to 20 hours? That’s easy because we’re going to be playing the game together.”

Although players will be quarantining in their own rooms, it’s another opportunity for the group to bond for what they hope will be an extended stay.

“Hopefully we’re going to be there for a long time throughout this whole next month.”