MADISON — In their penultimate out-of-conference game, a sleepy finals season matchup at the Kohl Center, the Badgers were heavy favorites against an overmatched Jacksonville State team.

Facing a roster with a distinct lack of size — only two Gamecocks checked in at 6-foot-9 or taller — Wisconsin wasted little time taking advantage. The Badgers rode their clear and obvious strength to immediately take control of the game: forwards Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl, who scored the team’s first 15 points.

“I don’t know if that’s the sole identity that we want,” Wahl told BadgerBlitz.com prior to the game, referring to getting the forwards involved first and foremost.

“But yeah, if the ball’s getting in there a lot, we’re usually playing pretty good offense.”

It doesn’t take a basketball professional to see that when Wisconsin plays inside out through its primary big men Wahl and Crowl, good things tend to happen.

Likewise, the reverse is also true: when the Badgers’ big men struggle, the rest of the team is likely to follow. In Wisconsin’s loss to Providence, Wahl went 3-for-9 from the floor and Crowl went 1-for-5. In Wisconsin’s blowout loss to Arizona, Wahl shot 3-for-10 from the field. Conversely, in the Badgers’ closest loss of the season, a 10-point defeat at the hands of Tennessee, Wahl and Crowl shot better: 4-for-6 and 4-for-9, respectively.

“They just kinda set the tone for us. Physicality-wise down low, that’s where it all starts with the rebounding, finishing in the paint,” forward Carter Gilmore said.

Yes, the Badgers have much-improved guard play this season, thanks to the additions of transfer AJ Storr and freshman John Blackwell. That’s undoubtedly a big factor in Wisconsin’s perceived improvement this year. But it’s clear to see that the Badgers thrive when they play through their forwards.

The starters Wahl and Crowl will get most of the attention, and deservedly so. But development from top to bottom amongst this more robust front court has played a big role as well. For instance, last season Gilmore was thrust into the spotlight when Wahl suffered an ankle injury. This season, he no longer has an outsize role. Gilmore is averaging 5 less minutes through 10 games than he was a season ago.

“He knows his role pretty well. He’s not looking to do too much, he’s looking to get his teammates open. He’s looking to play good defense, get some loose balls. That’s kinda what we need out of him,” Wahl said.

While Gilmore has been able to settle back into a supplementary bench role, fellow forward Markus Ilver appears to have taken a step in the right direction. The junior from Estonia is shooting 40 percent from three this season.

“I feel like he’s gotten more physical. He’s gotten bigger, he got stronger over the summer. He’s been doing a pretty good job rebounding in the games that he’s been in,” Wahl said.

“That dude can shoot the lights out of the ball,” Gilmore said of Ilver. “He’s worked his butt off, and he just continues to show up and work every single day. His time’s coming soon.”

Continued development has made Wisconsin’s cache of big men more dangerous, but just like on the perimeter, so has an influx of talent. True freshman Nolan Winter is exceeding all expectations, averaging 9.9 minutes, often as the first forward off the bench.

“He asks questions, he’s really involved,” Gilmore said. “He’s seven feet, which can make up for a lot of the mistakes he does make if he does make them. I’ve been really impressed and really proud of him.”

“He soaks things up like a sponge,” Wahl said. “No hesitation, if I see something out there, I’ll tell him, and he’s usually able to pick it up and implement it in the game.”

Between a feisty freshman dripping with potential, a hot-handed junior and more complementary Carter Gilmore, Wisconsin’s front court is clearly deeper and more skilled. But what exactly does that allow the Badgers to do?

“It allows us to play more aggressive,” Ilver said. “Even if we get in foul trouble, we’ve got guys coming off the bench that can still keep that intensity up. If you go in there, you give 100 percent, the next guy coming in there will do the same thing.”

“It just gives the team a different look,” Wahl said. “It’s another thing they have to think about when the game comes. And then when the ball goes out there and it’s a whole different lineup, it just gives the defense another look. We’re able to take advantage of some things with different lineups.”

“Just to play with more energy,” Gilmore said. “Last year, we got a little stagnant at times on offense because we’d be so tired or worn down. Now, when you can rotate fresh bodies in there and you can screen and roll, you’ve got guys that can box out and constantly be rebounding on the defensive and offensive side, it helps a lot. So just keeping fresh legs and keeping the energy high in there has helped a lot.”

Again, Wisconsin’s perimeter play has obviously improved as well, and that’s no small reason why the Badgers are more dangerous from top to bottom. Still, a more robust, diverse front court is the engine that makes the Badgers go.

“The physicality starts in the paint,” Ilver agreed. “If we start the game off, punch one or two of the first few in, get a bucket, get a defensive stop in the paint, it sets momentum up for the rest of the game.”

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