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Leuer dishes 7 assists in victory
MADISON – Knowing that Jon Leuer could put big numbers against its smaller lineup Tuesday night, North Dakota frequently double teamed the Wisconsin big man.
Leuer countered by showing off his equally impressive passing skills.
“Our goal with that was trying to make him work,” UND head coach Brian Jones said. “He’s obviously extremely talented. Him and [Jordan] Taylor, we wanted to limit. We knew we weren’t going to shut them out, but limit their looks at the basket.”
The Fighting Sioux were more effective in limiting Jordan Taylor, as the junior guard added just 10 points on the night for the Badgers, on 4-of-7 shooting. Leuer still managed to put up his points, leading all scorers with 22 on 6-of-10 from the floor.
Most impressive, though, were Leuer’s career-high seven assists.
“He could’ve had 10 assists,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “I thought he did a great job of seeing the floor and not forcing things. He’ll need that against some other opponents that we play. He’ll see some of the same things, but we know he can pass.”
While he led the way with seven assists, Leuer was certainly not the only unselfish player on the night for the Badgers.
Wisconsin finished with 20 assists on 31 made baskets, while shooting 62 percent (31-for-50) from the floor on the night.
After Leuer, guards Josh Gasser and Taylor each contributed four assists, while Jared Berggren had two. Nankivil, Tim Jarmusz and Ryan Evans each added one assist apiece.
“They’re such a good passing team, whether you play them zone or man, their bigs do a tremendous job of seeing over the top of people,” Jones said. “We don’t have traditional Big Ten size, so those passes were probably a little bit easier for them tonight.”
It’s been well documented early in the season how much Leuer has improved from last year, thanks in large part to his participation with the USA Select Team.
Most of the time, however, the focus with Leuer is on his scoring ability — both inside and out — and his ability to crash the boards. Little attention is given to the 6-foot-10 forward’s ability to find open teammates.
“It’s kind of hard to work on your passing, I feel like that’s just like the more you play in open gym games, the more repetitions you get, you see things a little better,” Leuer said. “That’s what I was able to do tonight was just read the defense and make the play. Make the right play, hopefully.
“That’s just basically it. Reading the defense and making plays.”
When Leuer read the North Dakota defense, he found fellow senior forward Keaton Nankivil open more often than any other player.
As a result, Nankivil converted three times on Leuer assists, twice for dunks and once from beyond the arc. On the night, Nankivil finished with 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting.
“A lot of it had to do with how well Jon was reading that double team right out of the gates,” Leuer said. “I think they decided that they were going to double the post, and Jon did a great job of finding everybody.”
Notebook: Gasser has historic debut
MADISON – When asked about the kind of impact Josh Gasser could have, assistant coach Greg Gard said Wisconsin did not recruit him to sit on the bench.
Gasser didn’t wait too long to show why.
In his collegiate debut, the point guard from Port Washington scored 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out three assists. Gasser also grabbed one steal against one turnover.
“He took care of the ball, he made great decisions,” head coach Bo Ryan said. “People will remember the points, but he did some other things pretty well.”
In just one game at Wisconsin, the 6-foot-3 guard has put his name in the record books, just behind Rashard Griffith.
With his 21-point debut, Gasser ranks second behind Griffith, who scored 27 on Nov. 27, 1993, in his first career collegiate game.
“Obviously that’s going to help his confidence level and that’s going to be great for us down the road,” Jordan Taylor said. “We knew what Josh could do, and we’ve been talking about that since the season started about guys having to prove themselves. He took a step toward doing that tonight.
“He almost had a double-double and the second-most points for a debut in Badger history. Maybe he’s the next like Devin Harris or something like that.”
What could make Gasser an essential piece to the Badgers offense, though, is his ability to grab nine rebounds in 26 minutes at the guard position.
As long as he continues to take care of the ball and play confident, aggressive basketball, Gasser will continue to see minutes, even when Rob Wilson returns. Gasser’s aggressive style showed in the 10 free throw attempts and the fact that six of his nine rebounds came on the offensive end.
“I always want to try and get my rebounds,” Gasser said. “I’ve always been pretty good at that in my career. I knew I could bring that to our team.
“I was just trying to do whatever I could out there to help us.”
Of course, Gasser’s impressive debut did not come without its teaching points.
As impressive as the freshman point guard was on the offensive end, his defense left something to be desired at times, as noted by his head coach.
“He got a lesson about a guy hitting a three and then hitting another one and then hitting another one, and not making a guy move off a spot or make a guy put the ball on the floor,” Ryan said. “So we guarded the three much better. They got into a little rhythm there, but he got some help from his teammates. Plus, he recognized an earlier pick up.”
Smith impressive in first career start
He had just one point in 17 minutes of play, but Wquinton Smith showed what he could contribute to the Badgers if given regular playing time this season.
Smith grabbed five rebounds, all on the offensive end, while dishing out three assists and turning the ball over just once. He picked up just one personal foul in the game as well, while going 1-for-2 at the free throw line.
“His shot didn’t go down, but he did the other things,” Ryan said. “I thought defensively he chased on the screens pretty well, manned up on his guy, got on the glass, was opportunistic. He’s just hungry to contribute. You can’t go wrong with those kind of guys.”
Bruesewitz continues to impress offensively
When putting together a defensive gameplan for stopping the Badgers, the first goal has to be limiting Jon Leuer‘s effectiveness. After that, Taylor is the secondary focus.
As for Rob Wilson and Keaton Nankivil, opponents are familiar with their names as well. After his impressive debut, Gasser is sure to get plenty of attention as well.
But not many people are going to expect Mike Bruesewitz to knock down outside shots the way he did Sunday.
“Mike looked like J-Bo out there for a stretch from last year,” Taylor said, referring to graduated guard Jason Bohannon. “I don’t think he hit the rim.”
Bruesewitz went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc as he scored 11 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the floor. His one basket that did not come via the three ball was perhaps the most impressive.
After hitting a couple open shots from the outside, Bruesewitz shot faked and drove around a defender to the rim for the easy bucket. It’s just one of a few things the sophomore appears ready to bring to the UW offense this season.
“He read the defensive player, that’s in our shooting drills,” Ryan said before adding some humor about Bruesewitz’s much talked about new look. “But I think the biggest key in the offseason was he felt a few times last year that he was open and he wasn’t getting the ball. So he wanted to make sure he was seen better this year.
“You can’t miss the Brueser out there. You’re going to find him.”
Bruesewitz shows ability to score
MADISON – With Mike Bruesewitz, the Badgers know they’ll get maximum effort and energy from a guy that will fill up the stat sheet with rebounds, assists and steals.
As a sophomore, Bruesewitz appears ready to be a more capable offensive threat as well.
“This offseason, I personally worked a lot on my game,” Bruesewitz said. “But the big thing came from playing against my teammates in the summer. That helped me a lot because I got to go against guys like Jon [Leuer] and Jordan [Taylor] and guys that are really good in practice. So that really helped me elevate my game.”
Through two exhibition games, Bruesewitz has averaged 8.5 points, including a nine-point effort Wednesday as Wisconsin defeated Minnesota State, 93-59, at the Kohl Center. Bruesewitz went 1-for-3 from the floor, 1-for-2 beyond the arc and a perfect 6-for-6 at the line on the night.
While scoring more often, Bruesewitz continues to bring plenty of energy, especially on the offensive glass. Against the Mavericks, he grabbed four rebounds, dished out two assists and grabbed one steal. For the exhibition season, the sophomore forward has eight rebounds, three assists, three turnovers and two steals.
Though his offense has shown noticeable improvement and he seems to have elevated his overall play on the court, it’s still his energy and effort that have earned him a major role on Bo Ryan‘s Wisconsin team.
“Well, I know his height is elevated,” Ryan joked, referring to Breusewitz’s new look. “But Mike, finish around the basket, pump fake. But man is he active. He’s a live wire out there. You just love those kind of guys that are not just doing stuff to get in foul trouble or whatever. He’s a mixer. That’s why he earned the position he was in tonight.”
Bruesewitz started Wednesday’s game alongside Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil, with Wquinton Smith and Jordan Taylor in the backcourt.
Giving the starting nod to Bruesewitz, Ryan had both Tim Jarmusz and Ryan Evans coming off the bench against Minnesota State. Of course, that does not necessarily mean Bruesewitz will be in that same position come Saturday, when the Badgers take on Prairie View A&M.
“I’ll see Prairie View, I’ll see some tape, and then we’ll just look at some matchups,” Ryan said. “I’m not going to be real concerned, and the players aren’t either, about who’s going to start and who isn’t. It’s just, ‘OK, here’s what we’re going to do.’
“We’ll play off of some experience and then whoever’s getting it done in practice, reward them.”
If he maintains the level of play he’s had so far, Bruesewitz could be the one reaping that reward once again.
Gasser could play major role
MADISON – As a freshman at Port Washington High School, he quickly made a name for himself as he led the Pirates to the Division II championship game.
Now a freshman guard for Bo Ryan‘s Badgers, it shouldn’t take long for Wisconsin fans to become familiar with Josh Gasser either.
“He understands the game, he plays much more mature than his actual age, he makes good decisions, makes plays, he knows how to play, and he doesn’t get rattled,” assistant head coach Greg Gard said. “He plays like a 21- or 22-year-old that’s been here for two or three years, not like a freshman that’s only been on campus for three months.”
As evidenced by his ability to lead a team as a high school freshman, and noted by Gard, Gasser plays beyond his years at point guard, something that players and coaches have quickly noticed about the 6-foot-3, 185-pound freshman since he arrived this summer.
Could that poise and confidence as a freshman result in more playing time for Gasser?
“Absolutely,” Gard answered. “I don’t think there’s any doubt. We didn’t recruit him to sit on the bench very long. So, he’s been given an opportunity to show what he can do in practice, and he definitely hasn’t disappointed. He’s definitely shown what we thought he could do and the impact we thought he could have.”
Gasser has already given fans a taste of what he can do in the Badgers’ scrimmages earlier this month and Saturday’s exhibition matchup against UW-La Crosse.
When the Badgers scrimmaged at the Field House back on Oct. 16, Gasser connected three times from beyond the arc, finishing with nine points and showing that he was not afraid to release the ball with a defender in his face. In 17 minutes of play during the Red-White Scrimmage, he tallied three points while dishing out two assists against one turnover while grabbing four rebounds and two steals.
In his first collegiate action against someone other than his Wisconsin teammates, Gasser was even more impressive. In 20 minutes, Gasser did not commit a turnover, while collecting four rebounds, one assist, and nine points on 3-of-6 shooting.
For fellow guards like Jordan Taylor, it was likely a relief Saturday to have Gasser on their side, rather than going up against him as they do every day in practice.
“He’s a competitor,” Taylor said. “He’s a tough kid and just loves to compete, bang his head around and bang other people’s heads around, too. He’s given me a few headaches already.
“As he continues to get better and his confidence continues to grow, I think he could see a lot of minutes. I’m looking forward to it, I like playing with him and it’s fun to play against him. He’s a great competitor and a great teammate, so I’d love to be on the court with him at the same time.”
Despite the hard work of trying to secure a major role on Ryan’s squad, Gasser has enjoyed his time so far at Wisconsin, going so far as saying he, “Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here.” The biggest challenge and difference in adjusting to the collegiate level for Gasser has been the physicality and intensity of the game.
Based on the early results and reviews from his teammates and coaches, though, Gasser seems to be getting along just fine in the more physical competition with the Badgers.
While he looks to be putting himself in position to take on a major position within the Wisconsin rotation, Gasser is happy for now with any role that comes his way.
“Whatever they put me in, I’ll do,” Gasser said. “If I come off the bench for a few minutes here and there, I’m fine with that. If I play a bigger role, that would be fine as well. Whatever I need to do to help us win.
“I’m not expecting anything as far as a lot playing time, but I’m working at it. If that’s what happens, it’s what I want.”
Chambliss joins UW staff as video coordinator
MADISON — Since the start of his collegiate career and throughout his coaching career, change has been a common theme for Sharif Chambliss.
As he joins Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan‘s staff as video coordinator for the 2010-11 season, Chambliss hopes yet another change will be a step in the right direction toward his eventual goal of becoming a head coach.
“It’s a great situation,” Chambliss said. “And it’s an opportunity that I’m really excited for this year.”
An all-state and honorable mention all-America selection as a senior, Chambliss led his Racine St. Catherine’s squad to a surprising 23-1 record and a berth in the WISAA Division I state title game. With no offer from Dick Bennett and the Badgers, however, Chambliss spent the next three years with the Nittany Lions of Penn State.
After leading PSU in scoring for consecutive seasons, Chambliss transferred to Wisconsin to play for Ryan. Chambliss sat out a season before captaining the 2005 Elite Eight squad.
He continued his playing career for two seasons in Portugal, and Chambliss then took a job as an assistant for two years at UW-Milwaukee under former UW assistant Rob Jeter. After UW-Milwaukee, Chambliss spent a year at Francis-Marion University and last season, he was an assistant under Jeff Gard at UW-Platteville.
Though it was not an easy decision for Chambliss to leave the Division II level at Francis-Marion to join Gard’s staff at Platteville, a Division III school, Chambliss highly regards his time in the western part of the state.
“I got the call from Jeff Gard and it was kind of a tough decision because at a certain point you think the numeral behind the division is what’s going to make or break you, but it’s not,” Chambliss said. “Platteville was a great experience. It was more than I expected.”
Finally, after a year abroad, two years in Milwaukee, a year in South Carolina and another year in Platteville, Chambliss finds himself back in Madison, reunited with Ryan.
“We’re excited to have Sharif back as a Badger,” Ryan said in a press release. “We saw his dedication and commitment first hand when he decided to forego a scholarship and return to his home state to join our program as a walk-on for the last two years of his playing career. This is a natural progression in Sharif’s career development.
“He was a great role model as a player and will be a tremendous asset to our staff.”
Now, Chambliss will look to translate his current position into the kind of success others — including one of the Big Ten’s best — before him have had.
“It’s a really great experience to be with, and around, coaches at this level,” Chambliss said. “If you look at prior history, this is the way that young guys are getting into the coaching business at the high level.
“Coach Mike Brown, who was the Cleveland Cavaliers coach, he started out at a video coordinator. The coach for the Miami Heat, started as a video coordinator. Tom Izzo started as a video coordinator. This is the way that you get into the business and you’re able to learn a lot from the game by watching a lot of film and helping the coaches with their scouting reports.”
Leuer learns from USA Select Team experience
MADISON — While summer means a time to relax for most college students, it’s a time for hard work and improvement if you’re a member of a Division I basketball program.
After he spent the summer competing against NBA competition as a part of the USA Men’s Select Team, senior forward Jon Leuer has shown significant improvement as Wisconsin began practicing last week.
In fact, he’s gotten so much better that it’s frustrating for teammates like sophomore Mike Bruesewitz to guard Leuer in practice.
According to Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan, a lot of that has to do with Leuer’s approach to the unique opportunity to compete against Team USA on a daily basis for Villanova’s Jay Wright and Washington’s Lorenzo Romar.
“Jon was smart in that he went there with the idea that he could learn something and get better,” Ryan said. “Some guys are asked to those things and then guys are going to say, ‘OK, I’m going to prove I can beat the world, I’m going to get a potential contract and get noticed.
“Jon went in there with the idea that he knew he was going to try to help those guys get better, and he did, and that he was there to listen to Coach Wright and to Coach Romar. They just loved him for that.”
While it may not be much consolation for guys like Bruesewitz, Leuer likely went through much of the same thing over the summer as they are now.
In fact, one player in particular really stood out to Leuer as he did his best to cover him.
“Kevin Durant. He’s the best player I’ve seen,” Leuer said. “He’s just so long and athletic and he can score so easily. He’s pretty much impossible to guard. The scary thing is, he can still get better, too. Just trying to guard him every day was a challenge.
“I’m glad I don’t have to face him in the Big Ten.”
Going against Durant was a challenge for Leuer, much the way it has now become a stiffer challenge for Leuer’s teammates facing him in practice.
Of course, there’s plenty to take away from such challenges. If he went in with the mentality of learning from the best, what exactly did Leuer take away from the experience?
“First and foremost, I learned I can compete against those guys, which moving forward, gives me confidence that I know I can play against those guys,” Leuer answered. “It definitely gives you some confidence, knowing that you could do that against some of those guys.
“At the same time, every time you step on the court, it’s going to be a challenge and you’ve got to be willing to work hard and put forth the effort. It doesn’t matter what I did this summer.”
Now that he’s back to facing collegiate competition, Leuer will look to take his experience against Durant and other members of the 2010 FIBA world champion United State squad. And if he can successfully compete with established NBA big men, what Big Ten forward will be able to consistently stop Leuer?
Add on the fact that a number of Badgers have put together their best seasons as seniors, and Leuer appears to be poised for big things this year. But as a senior leader at Wisconsin, Leuer’s focus is not only on himself, either.
“As a senior, that’s kind of what you’re called upon to do, is step into a leadership role and me and the six other seniors, that’s what we’re trying to do,” Leuer said. “We know that this is our last go ’round, and it’s our job as seniors to kind of step into a leadership role and push the other guys and set a good example for them.”
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