MADISON -- There's usually a common thread in games where Wisconsin has struggled on the offensive end this season. According to Greg Gard and his coaching staff: the team doesn't get the ball into the post often enough in its defeats this winter.
That likely won't be an issue Gard points out when the team goes over the film from a 64-59 win over Michigan.
Each of the first four possessions against the Wolverines were run through Crowl, and the group got a great look each time.
A solid screen left Crowl wide open for a layup underneath, and a hand-off followed by a screen for Max Klesmit gave him enough room to hit a three on the following possession. The next time down, Crowl hit Connor Essegian, who missed a layup but worked on the right wing and found Chucky Hepburn, who converted a layup after cutting hard off a back screen.
That was good for a rebound, an assist and two points in four possession for Crowl, and 1.75 points per possession for Wisconsin.
Crowl had mentioned that the team wasn't expecting to see many double teams in the post since Michigan generally elects not to send a second defender down low. With the Wolverines' best player being 7-footer Hunter Dickinson, Juwan Howard often likes the matchup in the post.
"Big fella is definitely a big presence inside, whether it’s rebounding or playing with his back to the basket, and he can also face the basket and make threes from the outside. So we knew it was going to be a challenge for us," Howard said after the game. "At the same time, we wanted to make sure he played defense inside against our big guy, Hunter Dickinson."
Crowl and his improved physique were up for the challenge. Over the offseason, the Badgers' big man added 10-12 pounds to get up to 245 pounds. That bump was instrumental in the 31 minutes against the 7-foot-1, 260-pound Dickinson.
Single coverage and consistently having the ball in his hands led to a busy night for Crowl. Overall, the junior center hoisted up 15 shots (5-15) for 11 points. The 15 opportunities were the fourth most he's taken this season, behind games against Penn State (16), Michigan State (17) and Illinois (18).
"I want him to be aggressive and to continue to do that," Gard said after the win. "I also think with just how he added weight - 12 months ago he wouldn’t have been able to do that and gain leverage in the post. The strength and the work that he’s put in in the past has helped him."
The 11 points won't jump off the stat sheet, but Crowl put together maybe his best all around the game of the season against the Wolverines. The Minnesota native ended the night with 12 rebounds (three offensive), six assists (one off his career-high), one steal and one block.
On a night where Wisconsin scored at a rate of 1.032 points per possession, turned it over just five times and hauled in 15 offensive rebounds, Crowl was in the middle of it all.
"He is such a skilled player and sometimes I’ve been on him about being too unselfish," Gard said. "He’s looking constantly and he’s a really good passer and I continue to want him to look to score and work better angles, finish better. But when he gets traffic around him, he finds guys, he never gets rattled and I’ve coached some big guys that sometimes in traffic or double teams, they panic, and he never has.
"He’s always made good decisions and is very unselfish. Sometimes too unselfish to a fault, but a big guy that can pass is a heck of a weapon."
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