Solid outing from Nate Reuvers a bright spot in loss to Ohio State
In a top 15 matchup against Ohio State, Wisconsin's lax defense and cold shooting made for a tough night in a loss to the Buckeyes. With the hope of a long March run in mind, however, the Badgers may have sparked one of their key players: senior big man Nate Reuvers.
Prior to Saturday evening, Reuvers had finished with seven combined points over the previous two games, shooting 3-of-14 during that stretch. Against Ohio State, Reuvers seemed to get his confidence back, scoring 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 5-of-6 from inside the arc.
For head coach Greg Gard, the solid contest didn't come as a surprise.
"I thought he (Reuvers) played better and he's been practicing better," Gard told reporters following the loss. "I think that’s the key, that’s the start. Players never practice poorly and then come into a game and play well. It takes place the other way where they practice better and practice more consistently, and he’s done that.
"For him to take this step forward is a good sign for us because we need him to continue to take steps forward and get back to the Nate Reuvers he can be. That was comparable to what I've seen in the practice the last few days."
The Minnesota native came into the 2020-21 season with lofty expectations, earning a spot on the Karl Malone Award Watch List and the preseason All-Big Ten team. Going further back than the three games prior to the showdown with the Buckeyes, Reuvers only managed to finish in double figures three times after opening the season with four consecutive games with 10 or more points.
Reuvers' front-court mate, fellow senior Micah Potter, pointed out that the bounce back was a result of better patience and preparation.
"Honestly with Nate, the biggest thing he's started to do - what he's really started to do well is just being more patient and picking the right spots," Potter said in a Zoom call with reporters Monday afternoon. "He’s a great player and he’s capable of hitting a lot of really tough shots. But when you’re kind of in a slump, picking the right spots and the right shots is a great way to get yourself back in rhythm.
"He’s done a really good job of being more patient and getting to his spots. Doing his work early in the post so he can get to those spots. Simplifying his moves, all of that kind of stuff. When you simplify the game, it makes it easier."
A season ago, Reuvers led the Badgers in scoring and looked to be UW's No. 1 option on the offensive end. Now 16 games into the season, the offensive load has fallen on the shoulders of point guard D'Mitrik Trice and Potter. Reuvers' defensive prowess, though, has kept him on the court.
"He's (Reuvers) just got to remain confident. He comes to work every day, he’s putting the time in, he put the time in this summer to continue to take steps," senior guard Brad Davison said. "He’s had his ups and downs but every season does, every individual does.
"One thing we always talk about in the program is value your defense, value your rebounding, value the blocked shots and success on the offensive end will find you. I think he’s done a great job of valuing the right things and keeping the team first, and we know how talented he is and that he can play better and that he will.”
Gard hasn't been shy in letting Wisconsin's all-time leading shot blocker know how much he means to the long-term success of the team. Reuvers and the Badgers are hoping his performance against Ohio State was a sign of things to come.
"Coach has been talking to me about that, too, saying this team needs me and needs me to play at a high level to really help us out and win some of these games," Reuvers mentioned after the loss Saturday. "It's been a tough year, personally. Just want to keep playing harder, with more energy for this team because we're going to need everyone down the stretch to start winning these games, especially as we start playing some of the teams we haven't played."