Badgers ready to move on without injured Koenig
MADISON – Wisconsin coach Greg Gard and his players are prepared to face Maryland without senior point guard Bronson Koenig.
“It is going to be tough without (Bronson),” Ethan Happ said after UW's loss Thursday night to Michigan when asked how UW would respond to its first losing streak of the season. “It’s tough to not have (Bronson) in there, of course.”
Gard acknowledged after the 64-58 loss to the Wolverines he wasn’t sure when Koenig, who has been battling through a strained left calf, will be cleared to return.
That call, he said, will be made by the medical staff.
Koenig wasn't available for interviews Friday after UW went through a short practice that was composed of all shooting drills. Koenig participated but didn't appear to be moving at full speed. He hasn't participated in a full practice since Feb. 11.
Trainer Henry Perez-Guerra made the decision to hold Koenig out against Michigan. The decision to allow Koenig to return to the lineup will depend on how he looks during a full practice and how his leg responds afterward.
"As a medical staff we will never put anybody at risk," Perez-Guerra said, adding Koenig wanted to play against Michigan. "When we feel it's not appropriate, we'll hold them."
Koeing first suffered the injury Jan. 24 against Penn State. If he is held out against Maryland, freshman D’Mitrik Trice likely will make his second start when UW (21-5, 10-3 Big Ten) hosts the Terrapins (22-4, 10-3) at noon Sunday.
Trice entered the Michigan game averaging 16.0 minutes per game. He played a season-high 35 minutes with Koenig out.
“I thought he really started off strong,” senior guard Zak Showalter said. “He gave us some good things early. But it is his first time ... he played 35 minutes. A guy like that, who hasn’t played that big of minutes all year, it is tough.
“You start to lose your legs a little bit. His shot was a little short. This was a learning experience for him.”
Trice had four assists, though none after halftime, and only two turnovers. He grabbed five rebounds and added two steals and although he missed 13 of his team-high 15 shots, he generally ran the offense seamlessly.
“I thought for him coming into this position, having this thrown at him, I thought he did pretty well,” Gard said. “He didn’t seem rattled at all. I thought, for the most part, he got the ball where it needed to go.
“I thought we moved without the ball as well as we have in a long time. I thought he facilitated a lot of that. He moved the ball. We didn’t stand and pound it. We were cutting.
"I thought Khalil Iverson did a terrific job in the first half of moving without the ball. We got a lot of things at the rim and were able to finish. In the second half, we had some of the same opportunities and we don't put the ball in the basket."
Trice hit just 1 of 7 shots in the first half and 1 of 8 in the second half. He missed jumpers and drives.
“I would work on finishing at the rim,” Trice said, “and finding my guys in the second half.”
What advice does Happ have for his freshman teammate?
“It’s not on any one person,” he said. “I thought he did well subbing in for Bronson; it is tough to fill Bronson’s shoes."