Badgers Film Room: Steven Crowl on the verge of a breakout
After an up-and-down sophomore season, Steven Crowl has added weight and is ready to play a much more significant role in year three.
Madison, Wis. - Be the windshield, not the bug. That's been Greg Gard's message to Steven Crowl since he first stepped foot in Madison.
As a sophomore, Badgers center Steven Crowl was asked to make the jump from lightly used big man - to starter in only his second year with the program.
In 33 games, the 7-footer averaged a respectable 8.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 49.6% shooting from the field.
The Minnesota native's play on the court was a tad uneven. Fans caught glimpses of Crowl's raw talent and upside while also watching him fade and become a relative non-factor on other nights.
I chalk the inconsistent play up to the high-usage players deployed around him, his lack of size, and it being his first season playing a significant role.
Crowl has all the tools you'd want from a big man in Coach Gard's offense. Last season, he averaged 1.021 PPP on offense, placing him in the 86th percentile in all of college basketball – which is pretty damn impressive for a second-year player who has plenty of room to grow.
Despite being undersized, the sophomore wasn't afraid to fight for position and battle against some of the Big Ten's most dominant big men. It may not have always resulted in a win, but the effort was there - which is important.
His strength down on the low block is held him back last season. Which is why adding weight and getting stronger were two serious points of contention for Crowl during the offseason.
"I bulked up and got stronger," Crowl said. "Just being able to box out, post up and hold my own a little bit more... I learned last year how physical the Big Ten is. You have to be physical, or you're going to get your butt kicked."
Film Room:
Offensively, the former three-star recruit showed some promising signs of improvement after being challenged by his teammates to play more aggressively.
We saw a player who asserted himself to establish position, won matchups with footwork, and finish over the top of defenders using his soft touch around the rim when given consistent post touches.
Per Synergy, Crowl averaged 0.844 PPP on post-ups, which placed him in the 53rd percentile in all of college basketball despite playing undersized in the nation’s most physical basketball conference.
