The Wisconsin men's basketball team heads into the final two games of the season as arguably one of the hottest teams in the nation. Winners of seven of their last eight games, the Badgers have dominated the majority of their opponents en route to solidifying a top-three finish in the conference.
Leading the charge for the Badgers (12-4 in Big Ten, 22-6 overall) are junior point guard and Cousy Award finalist Jordan Taylor and senior forward Jon Leuer. Heading into Wisconsin's road match-up with the Indiana Hoosiers (3-13, 12-17) Thursday night, the tandem ranks sixth nationally in scoring with 37.1 points per game.
Although senior forward Keaton Nankivil has not attracted nearly the same national attention Taylor and Leuer have, his presence both on blocks and beyond the three point line have arguably turned that tandem into a three-headed monster.
A Madison native, Nankivil has scored in double figures 12 of the last 16 games and ranks second in the Big Ten in three-point shooting percentage (47.1 percent). He has consistently hit the three all year and is one of only three Big Ten players to record 20 made three-pointers and 20 blocks this season.
""He's a great spot up shooter … he knows how to play off of Leuer, play off Taylor, play off of the system to get open shots,"" Illinois head coach Bruce Weber said. ""If he's open, you have the feeling it's going in.""
Nankivil has also shown he is a defensive threat, recording 1.25 blocks per game, which is good enough for second in the conference. His 35 blocked shots this season is tied for 10th all-time in UW single season history.
The lack of attention Nankivil has received has not caused the senior to alter anything in his game, something his teammates see as a huge plus with the boost he has given them over his career.
""He's critical of himself, which I think is a good thing,"" Leuer said. ""He's always looking for something he can do better … and obviously he's improved a lot over his four years.""
If there's one thing the Badgers are good at and hope to continue, it's their ability to erase second-half deficits. Much like the team's 15-point comeback against Ohio State in early February, Wisconsin will look to continue it's determined poise amidst adversity.
In four of their last seven wins, the Badgers have remained steady and fought back in the closing moments of the game to pull out the victory.
Heading into Thursday, the team hopes it won't be forced into a comeback situation against a struggling Indiana team against which the Badgers have dominated, winning 13 of the last 16 meetings. With Indiana at the bottom of the Big Ten, the Badgers remain positive and continue to prepare like any other game.
""If you think about how devastating it would be to lose, that's a seed you plant in your own mind,"" Nankivil said. ""We're the kind of team that expects to win any game, home or away, against any opponent.""
