“I got your back, brother. Don’t worry. We got this.”
Such was the statement Micah Potter and Aleem Ford, and the rest of the Wisconsin Badgers, made to their brother and teammate, Nate Reuvers, on Thursday night against the Michigan Wolverines.
We all saw Reuvers get popped in the mouth. He wasn’t able to play normal minutes. Wisconsin lost its leading scorer for portions of a big road game against an NCAA Tournament-quality team with a strong defense.
It didn’t matter:
Here is something to consider: #Badgers never trailed, led for 39:32 and won by seven with their leading scorer (Reuvers) going out early after taking a shot to the mouth and finishing with 2 points/2 boards. His FG in lane was huge.
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) February 28, 2020
The Badger brotherhood was in evidence when Josh Gasser and Jared Berggren saluted the team, the program, and head coach Greg Gard.
This was a brotherhood spanning multiple Wisconsin teams and recruiting classes. The people who have come before the 2020 Badgers recognize and appreciate what the current team is doing to carry the torch and continue a proud legacy.
Thursday night, though past Badger greats were watching and cheering them on, it was up to the current Badgers — the players in the locker room, the players immersed in the foxhole of live-game pressure — who had to stand up and be counted when Nate Reuvers got hit. Did they have his back?
Did they ever.
Potter and Ford produced twin 18-point games. They both hit more than 60 percent of their field goal attempts. They committed a total of only three fouls in 61 combined minutes. They pulled down a combined 15 rebounds, limiting Michigan to just six offensive boards. They combined to hit five 3-point shots, spacing the court and making it that much easier for D’Mitrik Trice to operate on a night when Trice scored 28 points in an alpha-dog clinic.
Potter’s 18 points helped Wisconsin score a 23-4 advantage in bench points. Ford’s 18 helped Wisconsin’s frontcourt outscore Michigan’s frontcourt, 43-23.
Nate Reuvers was hit in the mouth, but no worries — Micah Potter and Aleem Ford punched Michigan in the mouth.
They had their teammate’s back.
Such is the Badger brotherhood, a central reason why this team has so completely turned around its season in February, developing a full head of steam into March.