Wisconsin senior Tyler Wahl not making any excuses for recent struggles
MADISON - One day after
a disappointing result against Northwestern, Tyler Wahl was in Wisconsin’s facilities with his coaches and teammates.
The senior forward, who is coming off a string of rough outings, was looking for answers to get back on track and playing up to his capabilities.
"We definitely talk to him. We had a nice discussion," assistant coach Dean Oliver said. "He takes losses pretty hard and he wants to be better, and he's going to do whatever is possible. He's not trying to struggle. So he's looking for ways to get back to how he normally plays."
When looking at Wahl's stat line from Sunday, the final box score resembles nothing close to the player fans have seen over the last three and a half years in Madison.
Across 30 minutes, Wahl tallied just five points, one rebound, four assists and one steal. The most alarming mark, however, were the five shot attempts Wahl put up and one rebound he came down with.
"That's not me," Wahl said the day after the loss. "I got to be a lot more aggressive to get myself going in other ways. If I'm being doubled in the post, I have to find my shot in a different way. Not just going to get post-ups all game. Got to find other ways to get my teammates involved and just play basketball the right way."
Northwestern's scheme of doubling the post played a role in Wahl's inability to get much of anything going. It forced him to kick it out to his teammates, but head coach Greg Gard challenged Wahl after the game to find a way to make an impact.
"He's got to find a way, whether we run stuff for him or find a way to get his hands on more balls off the glass," Gard said Sunday. "He's got to be able to convert and he has to command it more. He should be finding a way to get more than five field goal attempts."
Apart from the one rebound, the lack of shot attempts was alarming. That mark tied a season low for field goal attempts, matched only by the Minnesota game where Wahl was forced to exit early with an ankle injury.
"I think you have to look at the injury. It definitely is a factor in it and now he's getting back to that and getting back into his rhythm," Oliver said. "I think the big thing for him is the rhythm and flow of the game and getting back to that."
In Wahl's six games since coming back from an ankle injury, he's averaging 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 30.3 minutes per game. Those numbers fall to 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists over the last three contests.
"Pretty close. I feel like I'm almost there," Wahl said when asked if he's back to 100 percent yet. "I'm feeling great. These last couple of games I feel like I've been able to move a lot better than I have been, so just getting better every single day."
As one of the four leading scorers on a team that's hit rough patches on the offensive end, Wahl's return to form could provide a spark for the Badgers. Whether that's attacking more off the catch, getting the ball at the elbow for more face-up opportunities or being a more aggressive as a cutter, his resurgence would be a welcomed sight for Wisconsin.
"He didn't get as many opportunities but I'll tell you what, sometimes you have to make opportunities," Oliver said. "He can see even in the film where he had some opportunities to make a cut here or get an offensive board here or maybe a driving opportunity there... We have full confidence in him and he has to just keep playing aggressive."
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