BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — After winning their fifth straight game here Thursday night, there is a growing confidence and conviction among Wisconsin's players, notably Nigel Hayes and Vitto Brown, that they are "dressed for success'' to tackle a daunting February schedule.
Modeling throwback uniforms, the Badgers made a season-high 13 triples (five more than the previous high) in a 79-68 victory over Ohio State at the Kohl Center. They also put four players in double figures for the first time since the Dec. 23 Green Bay game, the first of the Greg Gard head coaching era.
"This group's chemistry and cohesiveness has grown immensely over the past seven or eight weeks,'' said Gard who upped his record to 7-4. "For them (the players) to be able to keep finding ways (to win), it comes through different players through different fashions.''
The uniforms were more than a fashion statement to Hayes and Brown. Much more.
The red jerseys with "Wisconsin'' in block lettering on the chest – and the pants with the Bucky Badger logo on the leg – date back to the 1976 season, the UW's first under Bill Cofield, the first African-American to serve as a head coach in either basketball or football in Big Ten history.
On March 17, 1976, St. Patrick's Day, Cofield hired a high school coach from Pennsylvania, luring him to Madison with a salary upgrade from $11,800 to $16,000. Ever since then, Bo Ryan has been indebted to the late Cofield and it was Ryan's idea to honor his contributions to the sport.
What better time to do that than Black History Month?Â
The original plan was for the Badgers to wear the special throwback adidas uniforms for only one game on Feb. 21 against Illinois. But Hayes had a better idea.
"I was like, 'Wait a second. I didn't know it was Black History Day – it's actually a month,'' he said. "So I tried my best to stress that and change that and get everyone on board to wear them all month and fortunately that was the case.''
By rule, the home team is dressed in white. Thus, the Badgers had to get the permission of every visiting team to wear their road red at the Kohl Center which they will do throughout February.
"It means a lot to us,'' said Brown. "Obviously, I wasn't around when coach Cofield was here. But just the fact that he was first (black head coach in the league) and it was right here at this university, that's pretty special.
"He (Cofield) paved the way for black coaches after him, for sure. And we thought it was deserving to commemorate something so big as that – not just for one game – but we should do it for the whole month.''
Each player also has the option to wear the adidas footwear celebrating Jesse Owens who won four gold medals in the sprints and long jump during the 1936 summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
"It's definitely good to celebrate,'' Hayes said of Wisconsin's commitment to Black History Month. "This is what Carter G. Woodson would have wanted for us.''
Woodson was the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. In 1926, he promoted Negro History Week, the precursor to Black History Month.
"Hopefully, "Hayes said, "we do our best to play well in them (the uniforms).''
The competition will definitely ratchet up with February road trips to Maryland, Michigan State, Iowa and Purdue, not to mention a date with rival Minnesota in the Barn, always a tricky game.
But, for now, the Badgers are 1-0 in their throwbacks due in large part to their perimeter shooting against the Buckeyes whose guards and wings collapsed in the middle to provide low post defensive support whenever the ball was in the hands of Hayes or Ethan Happ.
"We wanted to give as much support as we could down low, not doubling,'' explained Ohio State coach Thad Matta. "We weren't as quick as we probably needed to be to get back and we didn't help the helper. But give them (the Badgers) credit. They got rolling and it really became contagious.''
Brown supplied the early offensive spark by scoring seven points, including one triple, in Wisconsin's 11-0 run to open the game.
"I just wanted to be aggressive for the team,'' said Brown, a native of Bowling Green, Ohio, "and kind of punch them in the mouth first and I think we did a good job of that.
"I don't know if it got me more ready (playing against the Buckeyes) but I was definitely a little bit more pumped. We always love to beat Ohio State.''
In the first half, the Badgers took 18 shots from beyond the 3-point arc, four more than they had in any one game of the winning streak. Even though they made seven, Gard wasn't pleased.
"The message to the whole team was we need to touch the post more, we need to get to the free throw line,'' Gard said. "I didn't like shooting 18 3's in a half because sometimes they can dry up. Our forte is from the inside-out.''
Gard had a special message for Hayes, who was 0-for-4 from 3-point range in the half. He informed him, "You're one for seven (from the field) and you haven't taken a shot within 17 feet.'''
Hayes made no excuses.
"It was kind of me thinking too much,'' he said. "Usually when I do that, I don't perform well offensively. I was trying not to fall into the trap of shooting a lot of jump shots. They were playing back in the paint and not letting me catch the ball as close to the rim as I like.
"Instead of me just taking what the defense gives you, I was trying to force some little things. In the second half, I thought, 'If they're going to sag off on me, shoot it. If they come up on me, go around them.' Take it how I can get it. When I played like that, I did all right.''
Hayes eventually wore out the Buckeyes with his dogged persistence and scored 18 of his team-high 21 points after intermission. Â Freshman JaQuan Lyle led Ohio State with 27.
"He (Lyle) has the size (6-5, 210) where it's kind of a match-up nightmare if he's on his game,'' Brown said of his former AAU teammates, Lyle. "He definitely did a good job. But I think we did a good job stopping everyone else.''
Ohio State's leading scorer Marc Loving had just six points, while Jae'Sean Tate (9) and Keita Bates-Diop were also held under their scoring averages.
Besides Hayes' 21, the Badgers got 13 from Bronson Koenig and 12 each from Happ and Brown. They also got some timely 3-point hits from Jordan Hill (3 triples) and Alex Illikainen (2).
Despite the five-game winning streak, the Badgers have yet to play their best basketball. "We still have a long way to go,'' Brown agreed. "But we're definitely on the right path.''
Added Hayes, "I think we played pretty well against Michigan State and Indiana and in those games there were things that we could have done better. But we're going in the right direction.''
Hayes clearly won the post-game press conference.
"Going into this game,'' he told the assembled media corps, "our desiderata in order to beat them was making sure we got the ball inside.''
That word choice – desiderata i.e. things wanted or needed – was a gift to ESPN play-by-play announcer Rece Davis who had the TV broadcast along with former UConn coach Jim Calhoun.
"If I get doubled or put in a sticky situation, I can always count on my guys to help me out,'' Hayes later said. "Ethan bringing it to the cup like he does. Bronson with the 3s. Jordan with the 3s as well. Vitto with the mid-range shot.
"I'm not the only one (contributing) but I guess I'll take the lead singer in our rock band.''
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