UW's Brad Davison insists he wasn't trying to hit MU's Joey Hauser in overtime

MADISON – Brad Davison isn’t naïve. He understands the video isn’t flattering. 

Yet the Wisconsin sophomore guard insisted Tuesday he wasn’t trying to hit Marquette’s Joey Hauser in the groin area, which happened as Davison tried to get around a screen in overtime during UW’s 74-69 loss Saturday.

“Our (fathers) were roommates in college,” Davison said after practice Tuesday. “I’ve known him since I was about 1. I talked to him after the play. I said I didn’t try to do it. …And I texted him again afterward just to clear the air.”

Marquette held a 65-63 lead at the time and Davison followed guard Markus Howard through two screens.

Davison went under the first screen, set near the baseline by Sam Hauser. That was a tactical mistake. 

“I broke a rule,” Davison said. “We’re supposed to fight around screens and I shortcut the first one, which put me at a bad angle to get around the second one.”

Joey Hauser, preparing to set another screen on the wing, moved toward the baseline in an effort to cut off Davison. 

When Davison tried to get around Hauser, he extended his left arm and his hand hit Joey Hauser in the groin area. 

When the whistle blew, it appeared Joey Hauser thought the official was pointing at him to indicate he had fouled Davison. 

Davison appeared to think Hauser had moved while trying to set the screen.

“I tried to get around as fast as I could to keep up with Markus,” Davison said. “It’s bad that it looks that way. I was just trying to get over a screen and sometimes things happen.”

Davison was assessed a flagrant foul and Joey Hauser hit both free throws to give Marquette a 67-63 lead with 3 minutes 35 seconds remaining.

The Golden Eagles retained possession, but Sam Hauser missed a three-point attempt. 

Davison wasn’t brought to the interview room after the game, so Tuesday was the first chance reporters were given to ask him about the play. 

UW coach Greg Gard addressed the play after the game. 

“I know it wasn’t intentional because those guys know each other,” he said. “What happens in the heat of the moment in terms of coming that fast and trying to get around a screen that fast and chasing Howard….it is unfortunate that it happens. 

“We don’t teach that. It was the speed Brad was coming with. He was trying to stay with him and use Hauser as a catapult to try to get around and ended up hooking him or grabbing him or hitting him as he went flying by.”

Not surprisingly, Davison was criticized heavily on social media after the game. 

“Aleem (Ford) told me after the game, people are destroying Brad on Twitter,” UW guard D’Mitrik Trice said Tuesday. “They were saying: ‘Cheap shot. That’s bull.’

“Brad knows how it looked but it wasn’t intentional. You’re trying to wrap around and you end up hitting him there.

"A lot of people were giving him crap about that. And I wonder if people would give him crap if it was somebody else and not Brad. Because he gets a lot of stuff for taking charges.”