Steven Crowl Puts His Growth To Test Against Trayce Jackson-Davis
MADISON, Wis. – University of Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard had seen his team get blistered with ball screen offense by Marquette throughout Saturday's first half to the point it was necessary to spend parts of media timeouts and halftime discussing changes and reinforcing principles.
Knowing that he would have a big part in preventing those easier looks in the second half, Steven Crowl sought out Gard for further clarification, starting a discussion about ball screen coverage on a deeper one-on-one level.
It was a quick moment in time, but one that reinforced that Crowl is acting like a sponge in his first season as a starter.
“He just has a thirst for knowledge,” Gard said. “He wants to get better. He knows there’s a lot of things to improve upon. Some things you can’t fix overnight. Some things you can fix overnight. He has a desire, wants to get better, and asks a ton of questions.”
One of three new starters for No.22 Wisconsin (7-1) this season, Crowl is progression has been marked with peaks and valleys synonymous with a young player. He’s conquered at times and been beaten up by others, which is why he hasn’t been afraid to raise his hand in search of guidance.
It’s generally paid off. After getting the information he needed Saturday, Crowl helped shutdown Oso Ighodaro (who scored none of 11 points in the second half) with action toward the rim. As a byproduct, Crowl became more patient and fluid offensively to finish with 15 points and eight rebounds.
“Learning from him (Coach Gard) and from what he knows, he’s telling me to do stuff, so I won’t mess it up,” Crowl said. “If I do mess up, it’s learning from my mistakes, asking questions, and not be afraid to ask those questions.”
One of the central themes of Wisconsin’s Big Ten opener against Indiana (7-1) at the Kohl Center Wednesday night will be how Crowl and his teammates defend an offense shooting 49.6 percent from the field, largely due to the presence of sophomore forward Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The leading returning scorer in the Big Ten, Jackson-Davis leads the team in scoring at 21.8 points per game on 64.4 percent shooting, is a solid rebounder and passer, and is part of an offense that – not surprisingly – runs through him on nearly every possession.
It’s like what Wisconsin saw Providence do with senior forward Nate Watson, who went 11-for-15 shooting and scored 24 points in the Badgers’ lone loss this season. However, Providence scored more on drives to the hoop while Indiana’s focus with Jackson-Davis is parking him on the low block and letting him work. Through eight games, Jackson-Davis has attempted 100 2-point shots and one 3-pointer.
In the only meeting between the schools last season, Jackson-Davis had 23 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, and three assists, playing 49 of the 50 minutes in UW’s double-overtime victory at the Kohl Center.
“He’s a really good player,” Crowl said. “He likes to play with his left hand, so we’ve got to try to shut that down. It’s going to be a battle, and we’re going to do our best, but just the speed and physicality he plays with is what stands out.”
Jackson-Davis helped Indiana shoot 66.7 percent on its 30 second-half possessions in last year's matchup, largely by getting into the lane uncontested and finishing around the rim. The Hoosiers scored 28 points in the paint during that second half, going 11-for-17 on layups and 5-for-5 on dunks. It’s a matchup that will require Crowl, center Steven Vogt, and others to be cognizant of ball fakes and toe the fine line between physical play and following.
It also will require UW’s guards to make sure nobody is left on an island.
“He’s one of the more elite post players across the country and the thing a post player wants is space and the freedom to take multiple dribbles to get to their spot,” senior Brad Davison said. “Our role as guards is to try to take that space away by our positioning. We can dig, get a hand in there to tip the ball away, and help put the post player on the block where it can make life a little easier for Steven.
“It’s one thing we pride ourselves on in our defensive discipline is trying to make it feel like we have five guys guarding the ball.”
Believing he’s made substantial growth since game one, Crowl is set to face his toughest task to date; a player who can score off either hand utilizing a solid first step, can finish strong above the rim, and generally outmuscles most people in his wake
It brings excitement to Crowl, a chance for him to measure how far he’s come and how far he has left to go.
“I’m excited to see how far I have to go to get on his level," Crowl said. "He’s a really good big and just seeing where I am right now battling against him. I’ll be excited to see how far I go from this game to when we see them again (in February).”
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