Micah Potter lived up to the hype in his season debut.
I think it’s fair to label Potter’s long-awaited debut in the Cardinal and White a success.
We definitely did see some jitters from the Ohio State transfer here and there throughout the game after he came off the bench with 16:36 remaining in the first half. For example, he missed a handful of bunnies down low, including a couple of botched dunks, and he also turned the ball over three times.
That being said, overall, what the Badgers got from Potter against Milwaukee was very encouraging. He scored 12 points on 3-6 shooting from the field and was a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line, and he also hauled in five rebounds and recorded a block. Most importantly, Potter was active and aggressive down low all game long, which is something this team desperately needs.
This monstrous one-handed slam set the tone for the intensity he displayed throughout the game.
WELCOME BACK, Micah Potter! 💪😤@BigJam_23 » #OnWisconsinpic.twitter.com/PPZTEv1eYy
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) December 21, 2019
While the production Potter can provide himself is valuable, it’s worth noting that it’s probably not a coincidence that Nate Reuvers had one of the best performances of his career in Potter’s return.
The junior big man played with a much higher level of energy than he did against Rutgers and matched his career-high with 22 points on 8-12 shooting from the floor and 4-4 on his free throws. He also chipped in five rebounds and three blocks.
Reuvers looked like a shell of himself in Wisconsin’s loss in Piscataway last week, and though he was clearly having issues with the physicality of the Scarlet Knights’ frontcourt, as his only true big man in the rotation, Greg Gard had no choice but to leave him in the game. However, with Potter now in the fold to take some of that load off of his shoulders and provide some relief in the post, perhaps we will start to see Reuvers have more outings like last night moving forward and establish himself as Wisconsin’s go-to offensive player.
There’s no doubt about it: Potter’s presence in the lineup is a massive boon to a struggling basketball team. Will it be enough to help turn around Wisconsin’s season?