[lawrence-newsletter]The eight-game winning streak that ended Wisconsin’s season and culminated in a share of the Big Ten regular-season title did not happen for one, singular reason. It seemed like everybody on the roster suddenly became the best version of themselves amongst late-season adversity. There may not be a better example of a player improving throughout the season than Wisconsin point guard D’Mitrik Trice.
Early in the season, I may have chosen my words differently when referring to the 6-0 guard. As the year progressed, Trice earned the label of point guard as he developed into the offensive general that this team needed to make a run.
After the saga that was Micah Potter and his eligibility finally came to an end on December 21, Wisconsin sat at 5-5 facing a home contest against UW-Milwaukee. With Potter eligible, the Badgers went 16-5 over their final 21 games and ended the year as Big Ten champions. It was not only the impact that the Ohio State transfer himself made, but also the impact he had on the players surrounding him that elevated the team, most notably Trice.
Wisconsin’s point guard showed significant differences in his numbers with and without Potter. In the 21 games with the UW big man active, Trice averaged 10.9 points per contest to go along with nearly five assists. In the ten games without Potter, the Ohio native averaged just 7.7 points and barely over three assists per game.
Their chemistry was evident on film. Keep in mind that although Potter was held out of game action, the two have been working together since the Ohio State transfer arrived on campus in December of 2018. That off-court work paid off in a big way during the second half of this season. The most notable area where Trice and Potter wreaked havoc on opposing defenses was in the high pick-and-roll, usually either very early or very late in the shot clock. Let’s dive into some film.
In this clip against Michigan State, UW showed a set that worked well when both Potter and Nate Reuvers played together. Here, Wisconsin runs a version of the “horns” set, a very popular set run at nearly every level of the game. Two forwards set screens slightly above each elbow, and in this iteration Potter slips while Reuvers pops off their respective screens. Trice does an excellent job at reading the defense by rifling a pass to Potter for a slam.
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In the standard high pick-and-roll, Trice and Potter also made defenses pay. In this clip against Maryland, Trice draws both defenders after Potter sets the screen. The UW point guard once again makes the right read to find a rolling big man at the rim. Potter also shows tremendous patience with a fake that gets the help defender in the air, and creates an and-one opportunity.
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In this next clip, as Trice navigates around the screen, a 45% three-point shooter in Potter frees himself up for an in-rhythm look. Potter was an inside and outside threat off the screen. Trice feels Minnesota big man Daniel Oturu way out of position and once again makes a solid point guard read.
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The chemistry also lead to highlights in transition. You should always reward your big man for running the floor, and that is exactly what Trice did in transition against Rutgers.
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The most exciting part of it all for Badger fans? These guys are both coming back along with 88% of Wisconsin’s scoring from 2019-20. Hopes should be high in Madison for a deep NCAA Tournament run in 2021.