After last season’s run to the Final Four, senior forward Frank Kaminsky and the No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers enter this year with lofty expectations.
They gave fans a glimpse of what might be to come Wednesday night, defeating Division II opponent UW-Parkside 77-40 in an exhibition game at the Kohl Center.
Kaminsky, who was selected to the AP preseason All-American team, picked up right where he left off in last season’s NCAA tournament, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds on his way to a double-double.
“He’s a very good player and he’s trying to get better, and that’s all I’m looking for,” said head coach Bo Ryan after the game.
Ryan utilized his bench early and often, playing nine different players in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Badgers were without junior forward Sam Dekker, who is recovering from a sprained left ankle, and redshirt senior forward Duje Dukan, who will be out until the third game of the regular season in order to regain his senior season of eligibility.
All 13 players that suited up for the Badgers saw action during the course of the game.
Among those who saw playing time off the bench was freshman forward Ethan Happ, who grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a three-point play on his first possession of the contest.
“[Happ] rebounds the ball well, he plays hard. He pushes the ball in transition,” Kaminsky said. “From the second he stepped on campus, he’s played hard.”
In addition to Kaminsky, Wisconsin received contributions from the rest of its starting lineup—senior guard Traevon Jackson, redshirt senior guard Josh Gasser, sophomore guard Bronson Koenig and sophomore forward Nigel Hayes.
Jackson posted 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, seven rebounds and three assists; Hayes recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds to finish with a double-double; Gasser had 11 points while going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc; and Koenig chipped in five points and three assists.
Junior guard Jimmy Gavin had 15 points for the Rangers, who scored just 10 points on 12 percent shooting in the second half. This was a UW-Parkside team that ranked second among all NCAA Division II teams in field goal percentage last year.
The Rangers, who only have two players on their roster taller than 6’6,” were also dominated by Wisconsin on the glass, getting outrebounded 53-28 during the game.
Wednesday night’s game was a reunion of sorts for Ryan, as UW-Parkside is currently coached by Luke Reigel, who won a national title at UW-Platteville as both a player and assistant coach under Ryan.
“We always work together on the Coaches vs. Cancer event that we have, with Luke having played at Platteville,” Ryan said. “He coached at the high school in Platteville for a few years, so he coached my youngest son, Matt.”
Wisconsin will kick off the regular season next week. The Badgers will host the Northern Kentucky Norse Nov. 14 at the Kohl Center.
