Newsletter

Box score bon mots

Let's take a look at some interesting stats from the Badgers first game in France.

Drew Hamm

Drew Hamm

— 2 min read

First things first: here is the full box score if you really want to dive into the numbers.

Second things, uh, second, here are three stats that I found interesting from the first game of the Wisconsin Badgers’ preseason trip to France.

  1. Chris Hodges had six (!) offensive rebounds and seven boards total. This was his first real game action in years (redshirted last season, senior year was canceled by COVID), which Greg Gard alludes to in the video below, but Hodges looked solid (based on the box score and the highlight where he made a layup and then glared at the defender). I’m sure it was relieving for Hodges to get back on the court and to play well.

  2. There were a lot of good things to like about this game. For instance, the Badgers never trailed, they made 12-of-27 three pointers (44.4%), and they had 32 points in the paint. There were also some, uh, areas that will require a little feedback as they continue their journey through France.

    Wisconsin had 25 turnovers against the Paris All-Stars. That’s a shockingly high number for any team, let alone a Badgers team that was second in the nation in turnover percentage last season. Point guards Chucky Hepburn and Kamari McGee tied for the team lead with four apiece, but everyone who played (except for Max Klesmit and Hodges) recorded at least one miscue. Shoutout to Hepburn and McGee, however, for almost coming out at even by recording seven steals between the two of them.

  3. Jordan Davis was an astounding +26 for the game and, just watching the brief clips in the video above, looked more confident and assertive on the court. He only shot 3-for-8 from the field, but was 2-of-4 from deep, hauled in eight rebounds, added an assist, and drew two fouls.

    Subscribe now


    No one on the team will be able to replicate exactly what Johnny Davis brought to the team last season, but Jordan providing 75% of that would be HUGE for Wisconsin’s chances of making it to the NCAA Tournament come March.

Here are couple of other quick things I noticed:

  • Kamari McGee had five fouls in 16:44 of game time. His active hands got three steals, but he’s going to have to learn to pick his spots or else he won’t be able to provide the backup PG minutes that the Badgers need from him.
  • Hepburn was 4-of-7 from deep and scored 12 points.
  • Big Steve Crowl scored a team-high 13 points on an efficient 5-of-7 from the floor.
  • Markus Ilver was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, scored 10 points, and hauled in six boards. Could his run with the Estonian national team over the summer catapult him into a solid season the way Johnny Davis’ stint with the US national team did last summer?
  • Tyler Wahl didn’t attempt a three and made both of his free throws. While I rarely want him shooting from outside the paint, this trip seems like as good a time as any to let a few fly and try to get your confidence up.
  • Jahcobi Neath, Luke Haertle, Justin Taphorn, Ross Candelino, and Isaac Gard didn’t play.
  • Hepburn, Davis, Klesmit, Wahl, and Crowl were the starters.
  • McGee, Isaac Lindsey (3-of-5 from deep ::eyeball emojis::), Carter Gilmore, Ilver, and Hodges were the second line with freshman Connor Essegian getting some run as well.

Read more