Florida A&M-Wisconsin Preview (Dec 23, 2016)
Sophomore forward Ethan Happ is making a major impact for No. 14 Wisconsin during its winning streak.
The Badgers (9-2) will aim for a seventh consecutive victory when they close the nonconference portion of their schedule with a game against Florida A&M on Friday at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
In his second year as a starter, Happ is the team's rebounding leader with an average of 9.6 boards per game. He is third on the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game, behind senior guard Bronson Koenig (15.2 ppg) and senior forward Nigel Hayes (14.2 ppg).
Happ's presence and comfort in the paint is obvious this season, particularly with one of his favorite shots, the reverse layup.
The home crowd enthusiastically cheered when Happ made his first collegiate basket outside the paint, in 228 tries, during the Badgers' 73-58 win against Green Bay on Dec. 14.
"It gave me a little bit of a chill feeling," Happ said of the recognition. "But I want to get to the point they don't have to do that every time that I make that shot. Hopefully down the road, that's just a normal clap."
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said Happ is at his best when attacking the backboard and making plays inside the paint. But Gard has taken notice of the post player's evolving ability to get teammates more involved on offense.
That effort and patience were on display as Happ dished out six assists to go with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the Green Bay win. Happ totaled three turnovers and 11 assists in Wisconsin's past three games.
"He was really checking the back side to see who we had running to the rim, who was left open," Gard said. "He didn't rush it. He let it unfold, watched it take place, saw who was open and who wasn't, and then if it was time to make a move, make a move. If not, he was able to find people. It's obviously a step in the right direction."
Florida A&M (2-10) has a dynamic post player of its own, junior forward Desmond Williams. He was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference co-player of the week for scoring 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting in a 75-73 loss to Jacksonville on Saturday. He also had four rebounds and four blocks in the setback.
Williams added 20 points Thursday as the Rattlers lost their ninth game in a row, falling 83-63 to Samford in Birmingham, Ala.
A junior college transfer from Alabama Southern Community College, Williams paces the team with averages of 16.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game during his first season at Florida A&M.
Rattlers coach Byron Samuels said Williams can play three or four different positions and is bringing maturity and versatility to the Rattlers.
"He has the ability to drive to the rim and make shots from 3-point range," Samuels said. "He's a solid rebounder whose versatility has made him valuable to our team."
The Florida A&M roster features six junior college transfers and three freshmen. The Rattlers became eligible to participate in the MEAC Conference tournament and NCAA Tournament this season when their poor Academic Performance Rating ban was lifted in April 2016.
Junior guard Marcus Barham, another junior college transfer, averages 11.8 points per game. The Rattlers are without the services of junior guard Craig Bowman, a two-year starter at point guard, who received an indefinite suspension, with no details from the coach or program. Bowman was averaging 13.2 points through five games.
Florida A&M has failed to close out games, and Samuels said he expects the Rattlers to improve execution in all facets of its games. The Rattlers started strong against Jacksonville and held a 17-point first-half lead but squandered it in the second half.
"Several times we've been in position to win games, but not making the routine, fundamental plays -- missed layups, missed free throws, not rebounding more -- have led to missed opportunities," Samuels said.
