Trotter's Trends: How Duke's adjustments have it playing with confidence; building the All-Bench All-Stars

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard got the wheels turning with a poignant rant after the Badgers' 96-87 win over Rutgers on Saturday. It was Wisconsin's fourth Big Ten win in a row, signaling that the Badgers have come a long way from the UW club that suffered back-to-back losses to Nebraska and Villanova in mid-December to fall to 7-4.

"Everybody talks about transfer portal and who wins the transfer portal, national championship and NIL and all that stuff," Gard said, via the Wisconsin State Journal's Michael McCleary. "Nobody talks about a team improving during the season. Individual player development and team improvement is still vital. That's what we've always strived for. Can we get better as the season goes on?"

Wisconsin is the poster child of that mantra. It is getting better as the season progresses. Star guard John Blackwell has put his slump in the rearview mirror and joined Nick Boyd to give Wisconsin one of the fearsome 1-2 backcourts in the Big Ten. The Badgers built a roster that looked like it could be a top-10 offense if things gelled, but through the first 11 games, Wisconsin's offense rated 69th nationally. It was taking a ton of 3-pointers and not making enough (33% through 11 games). But in the last seven games, Wisconsin is shooting over 35% from 3-point range, over 60% on 2-pointers and has the No. 13 offense in the country, per Bart Torvik.

Wisconsin's quick-strike transition offense has more bite, and its dynamic guards can pressure the basket relentlessly because the supporting cast is making defenses pay with treys. 

Plus, Wisconsin is just playing with a bit more edge. Gard dubs it as developing a callus. Boyd isn't scared of anybody, and the rest of the Badgers are starting to adopt the swagger and stone-cold swagger of their PG1.

Wisconsin did not look like a tournament team in December. It looks like a tournament team now. 

So let's talk about the other teams that are improving after a dreary start or slumping after a strong burst from the gates. We can take constructive feedback in these parts, Mr. Gard!

Bracketology: How No. 2 seed Nebraska's rapid ascension compares to Indiana's run in College Football Playoff

David Cobb

Riser: Duke 

Duke is solving problems in real time. The search for a No. 2 scorer is over. Isaiah Evans has emerged as that guy, averaging over 20 points in Duke's 6-0 stretch. The sophomore wing is not just a shooter anymore. Evans is a legitimate scorer now, showing much-improved chemistry with Duke star Cameron Boozer and an extra jolt of confrontational drives. Evans has shot 33 free throws in the last six games.

Duke can check that box.

The defense has also refocused after a tongue-lashing from Jon Scheyer at halftime against Louisville on Jan. 6. The results back it up. The Blue Devils held Louisville to just 0.78 points per possession in the second half to spark a rally, and the Blue Devils have showcased much more defensive bite and attention to detail ever since. 

Duke forced 21 turnovers against SMU in an 82-75 victory.

It held Cal to just 0.87 points per possession in a 71-56 win. 

Thanks to a Herculean effort from freshman Dame Sarr, Duke blanketed Stanford star guard Ebuka Okorie and held the Cardinal to just 0.79 points per possession in Saturday's 80-50 romp. 

Maybe most importantly, Duke has taken real strides with its once-leaky transition defense, holding Stanford, Cal and SMU to just 20 transition possessions total. When Duke can get its halfcourt defense set, this unit can be as disruptive as any team out there.

Cameron Boozer's consistent dominance keeps Duke's floor high, but Evans' emergence as the No. 2 guy and a reengaged defense are essential tentpoles for Duke to reach the peak of its powers.

Faller: Georgetown 

Georgetown's 5-0 start -- including wins over healthy Maryland on the road and a good Clemson club -- is all but a distant memory. The Hoyas have sunk all the way to No. 101 on KenPom after Saturday's 64-62 loss to No. 2 UConn. 

Maybe the most damning thing about Georgetown basketball is that there isn't one or two things to fix. The leaks are coming from everywhere. 

When the defense is getting stops against DePaul, the offense is MIA and shoots 1-for 23 from the field in the second half. When the offense hums against Creighton, the defense can't close the game out in winning time. The point guard play is not good enough. The defense is not good enough.

The best offensive lineup can't get a stop, and the best defensive lineup can't generate a good shot, so Ed Cooley is playing whack-a-mole with his ever-changing rotation. Questioning these roster-building decisions is also fair. This team didn't look like a strong 3-point shooting team on paper in the spring, and that has reared its ugly head in the winter. Only two high-major teams (Arizona and Seton Hall) have made fewer triples than Georgetown. 

Cooley hasn't helped himself either. Chucking an empty water bottle into the stands where it hit a child after a brutal last-second loss to Xavier can't happen, and then Saturday's doozy of a quote made the rounds.

"There's a lot worse happening than Georgetown losing a basketball game," Cooley said. "Around the world, around our city, around our community. You know what we are? We're blessed. We're blessed to be 9-9, we're blessed to be 1-6 in the league. It could be a lot worse."

Georgetown showed glimpses of a tough, nasty unit in November that could use grit and athleticism to rise above some of the shaky teams in the middle of the Big East. Instead of building on that version of Georgetown basketball, the Hoyas have regressed to the basement of the worst high-major league in college basketball.

First Team All-Bench selections

Let's show some love to the best backups at each position. To make the cut, one must have four or fewer starts on their resume this year.

Point guard: Chance Mallory, Virginia

Key numbers: 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 36% from 3-point range in 24.5 minutes

The scout: Mallory instantly changes the tenor of the game for Virginia. His blazing speed and hounding pressure defense has provided a jolt for UVa all season long. Mallory has 23 assists and just six turnovers in six ACC games, and he's a pest in all the best ways. Mallory's top similarity score on KenPom is former Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler. It's eerily fitting. 

Shooting guard: Meleek Thomas, Arkansas

Key numbers: 15.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 39% from 3-point range in 26.8 minutes

The scout: Bucket. Driller. Assassin. All the adjectives apply to the best sixth man in the SEC.

Wing: Kellen Thames, Saint Louis

Key numbers: 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.8 steals in 17.5 minutes

The scout: Thames is reaping the rewards of simplifying his game. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound wing is a voracious defender who will pick your pocket and take it the other way for a jam. He's thrived as a cutter and driver in this gorgeous Saint Louis offense, and he ranks second in the Atlantic 10 in steal percentage.

Forward: Tobe Awaka, Arizona

Key numbers: 10.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists in 20.8 minutes

The scout: Awaka is leading the country in offensive rebound percentage at 6-8. He is ludicrous. The power, violence and relentlessness he plays with is exceptional.

Center: Zvonimir Ivisic, Illinois

Key numbers: 8.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 37% from 3-point range in 17.0 minutes

The scout: Illinois' offense does not have to change much when Zvonimir Ivisic checks in for his twin brother, Tomi. Ivisic ranks third in the country with a soaring 14.8 block percentage. It's the highest block percentage an Illinois player has ever posted since KenPom began tracking the stat ahead of the 2001-02 season. He very well could be the best shot-blocker in Illinois basketball history. Ivisic has also bought all the way in on attacking the offensive glass to go along with his pretty 3-point stroke. The 7-2 center is playing winning basketball for the first time in his career.

Second Team All-Bench selections

G Dior Johnson, Tarleton State: Johnson doesn't start for Tarleton State, so he's not allowed to start for this hypothetical team, either. But man, can the well-traveled Johnson get buckets. He gave Baylor a 42-burger earlier this season and is averaging over 24 points a game with some of the wildest substitution patterns out there.

Wing Billy Richmond, Arkansas: Richmond's relentless motor is his superpower. The supercharged wing rarely takes a play off and can impact the game on both ends with his hustle and power. He is an NBA athlete who is a jumper away from playing in the league.

Wing Garrett Johnson, George Washington: Johnson has an insane story. He had to recover from a torn ACL. He had to endure chemotherapy to remove a benign tumor in his hip that could have put him into a wheelchair for years. And he just keeps getting back up. Johnson is having an excellent year, averaging over 13 points and four rebounds a game off the bench for a 12-7 George Washington club with excellent shooting splits. It's an awesome comeback story for an awesome player.

F Roman Domon, Murray State: Murray State sits atop the Missouri Valley with one of the deepest rotations in college basketball. Domon, a 6-9, 225-pound French forward, is one of the elite sixth men in college basketball. He stuffs the stat sheet, averaging 12.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists and 0.9 blocks. He's big, fluid and can score inside and out. 

Murray State travels to Drake on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. 

C Najai Hines, Seton Hall: Hines, dubbed 'Baby Shaq,' is a complete manchild for Seton Hall. The 6-10, 265-pound center had 11 points and 16 rebounds against Butler on Saturday. He leads all of college basketball in block percentage.

Bonus brainfart: Nebraska's Braden Frager deserves a mention. Any list of the best bench ballers without Frager is incomplete! The redshirt-freshman has been one of Nebraska's best "create something out of nothing" scorers and is helping carry the undefeated Huskers. He's got so much swagger and a silky jumper.