Wisconsin’s Steven Crowl showed his importance in win over Ohio State

Who is the biggest key to the success of this Wisconsin basketball team?

Wisconsin basketball finally got back in the win column last night with a 62-54 triumph over Ohio State.

The win moves the Badgers to 17-8 on the season and 9-5 in Big Ten play, now 2.5 games behind first-place Purdue.

The story from the victory over Ohio State, at least in my opinion, was the much-needed bounce-back performance from center Steven Crowl.

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Crowl finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and two assists on 7/14 shooting.

The good night comes after the veteran big man failed to reach double-digit points in each of the last four contests, including a forgettable one-point outing in the loss at Nebraska.

Crowl was noticeably more aggressive throughout the contest, finishing with his highest shot total in eight games and highest three-point attempt total of the season. I believe aggressiveness is a good thing in his case, especially when he’s rebounding well and shooting efficiently.

Many focus on the play of Tyler Wahl, Chucky Hepburn or A.J. Storr when talking about where the Badgers must improve. One of the biggest factors in the losing streak was the poor play of Crowl, making tonight’s performance against Ohio State that much more encouraging.

Keep in mind this trend:

  • January 26 vs Michigan State (81-66 win): 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists on 6/9 shooting
  • February 1 at Nebraska (80-72 loss): One point and 13 rebounds on 0/2 shooting and 0/2 from three
  • February 4 vs Purdue (75-69 loss): Eight points and five rebounds on 3/6 shooting
  • February 7 at Michigan (72-68 loss): Three points and four rebounds on 1/4 shooting
  • February 10 at Rutgers (78-56 loss): Seven points and 13 rebounds on 3/8 shooting
  • Last night vs Ohio State (62-54 win): 16 points, 10 rebounds and two assists on 7/14 shooting

When Crowl plays well, the Badgers often win. It definitely appears to be a causal relationship.