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Why pairing 7-footers together less is more for Wisconsin

By Michael McCleary Mmccleary

Why pairing 7-footers together less is more for Wisconsin

Michael McCleary

Things have been different over the last two games for University of Wisconsin men's basketball forward Steven Crowl. Or as he phrased it, "it's not like the past."

Crowl played 21 minutes Sunday at the Kohl Center, his most in the past three contests. It's possible had the Badgers not been in the midst of a blowout 76-53 win over Detroit Mercy to close out nonconference play that Crowl would have been on the floor more, but the shorter spurts of playing time have been by design. Previously, he knew he'd be on the floor for big minutes. Even when he's tired. But now?

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"I know I gotta go hard and play hard and take advantage of the minutes that I'm in there," Crowl said.

That pacing has worked wonders for Crowl. He's averaged 16.5 points per game over his last two, scoring 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting Sunday. He could play hard, and Wisconsin (10-3, 0-2 Big Ten) doesn't need him to save his energy. Because more often than not, there's another 7-footer waiting for them on the bench.

Yes, fellow 7-footer Nolan Winter does start with Crowl. It's an imposing look, one unlike what Wisconsin would have been able to provide in a more-distant past than even Crowl is referring to, and coach Greg Gard said the Badgers are still looking to work on. But outside the beginning of each half, the two don't share the floor that often. Gard said it's approximately 14 possessions each game. Sunday, it was for 9 minutes, 36 seconds, which was perhaps lengthened by the 6:23 without a stoppage to open the game.

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Though the look still remains a tool at the Badgers' disposal, Gard said he has mostly staggered the two bigs throughout the season. And the results have been difficult to argue against of late as, individually, Crowl and Winter, who had an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double, have both been dominant, combining to shoot 13 of 19 Sunday.

"They haven't played as much together as you would think they have," Gard said. " ... There's more reasons behind (the lineup) than, 'Oh, we have two 7-footers on the floor.' That's good in certain situations, but you don't see a lot of 7-foot, 7-foot lineups."

For Wisconsin, the reasoning boils down to -- still -- the look they primarily want to provide defenses: mobility at the four spot. Winter can do that, which is why he shares the starting lineup with Crowl in hopes of developing some of the chemistry the Badgers saw in the dynamic combination of Michigan's 7-footer duo. But in the reserves, the Badgers don't have another 7-footer behind Winter. At least one that's ready, Gard said, mentioning freshman forward Riccardo Greppi (who is listed at 6 foot 10).

Plus senior Carter Gilmore and junior Xavier Amos, the two forwards in the rotation off the bench, are fours. Fours, Crowl added, who can both shoot and defend several positions. And Gard noted the numbers continue to prove that the Badgers are better offensively and defensively when Gilmore is on the floor, even if the box score read Sunday he had zero points and a single rebound.

"Carter's been shooting it great this year," Crowl said. "So I think just the versatility (he and Amos have to) be able to play defense and guard one through five. Carter's played the five before (and Amos) can guard the five, he's big enough. I think those two have done a great job so far this year."

So, the stabilizing play of the reserve forwards provides Wisconsin an opportunity which is perhaps further along the one that's created by Crowl and Winter playing together: It has two 7-footers, so it has figured out a way to use them to their fullest extents.

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Winter said they like both looks, too. Both had individual stretches of dominance Sunday. Crowl parlayed an and-1 to break a 1-minute, 42-second scoreless stretch into a 7-0 run of his own, which the Badgers grew to 14 straight points to take a 30-13 lead early. And after checking in with 5:04 left, Winter grabbed offensive rebounds and finished putbacks on back-to-back possessions (with a defensive rebound in between) to make it 72-44 Wisconsin with 4:21 to go.

They'll continue to look for each other in the high-low. But Crowl's the low-block guy who can step out and shoot it. Winter said he's more of a floor-spacer who can play in the post, too. They don't mind that they'll have the time to show what each of those looks could provide by themselves, Winter said.

"I think just kind of throwing the two different elements at the other teams," Winter said. "It's good to mix it up a little bit."

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