Lucas: Until his time comes

BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer

MADISON, Wis. – After transferring from Green Bay – where he was a 21-game starter and the leading scorer last season as a true freshman – Kamari McGee took only one shot in his four limited playing appearances prior to Saturday’s matchup at Marquette.

Getting that first basket in a Badger uniform must have felt like pulling teeth. Take that literally.

“For the last two or three weeks, I’ve been having a bad toothache,” admitted McGee, a sophomore point guard from Racine. “And it has just been affecting everything. I haven’t been talking as much as I normally do and I’ve just been super quiet because I was in so much pain.”

Last Friday, he had the tooth pulled. The team practiced in Madison before leaving for Milwaukee and McGee watched the tail-end of it after getting back from the dentist. “My face was all numb,” he said. “I could barely talk. My face was super fat, too. Everybody got a good laugh. Me, too.”

The following day, McGee had even more to smile about. The Badgers outlasted Marquette, 80-77, in a wildly entertaining overtime game at Fiserv Forum. To his credit, the seldom-used McGee was ready when called upon and had a 3-pointer and a layup in the first half, his first points at Wisconsin.

It wasn’t until afterwards when he saw an internet mention on the significance of his triple at 11:57 that it all sunk in. “It actually did mean a lot – seeing that (posted) and realizing, ‘Dang, that was my first basket,'” he said. “That made me feel more comfortable… that gave me a lot of confidence.

“After Saturday’s game, I feel like I’m getting back into a good groove. It took me a little while but I’m back in good spirits and my energy is back. I just feel good.” But he quickly added, “I’m not all about scoring. I know there are a lot of ways that I can affect the game without scoring.

“So, I wasn’t worried about scoring. But it did feel good to see the ball go through the hoop.”

So much so that he could have done a backflip after the Marquette win. Take that literally.

“I can flip but I haven’t flipped in a long time,” said the 6-foot, 180-pound McGee. “Growing up, my dad and my uncle taught me how to do flips. That was always my little party trick. It has been awhile. But I definitely could have done a backflip that day. My adrenaline was going. My heart was pumping.”

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