Doing things the WRIGHT way

A role reversal happened Saturday at Assembly Hall. Bracey Wright the shooter went into his phone booth and came back as Bracey Wright the aggressor.\nThe junior, notorious for his three-point persistency, instead attacked the basket more often. The result: 30 points on 11 of 22 shooting while putting the Hoosiers on his back in his own Superman performance in IU's 74-61 victory against Wisconsin.\nWright, who only hit one three-pointer, scored 10 two-point baskets as well as seven of 10 from the foul line -- with many free throw chances coming after being fouled upon attacking the rim.\nThe Colony, Texas native said the Badgers really tried to guard him closely to make him put the ball on the floor.\n"My first step, I was half way by the guy and all I had to do was read his help and I think I did a good job of that," Wright said. "Anytime a defender gets up to close to me, he's going to end up fouling me once I make my move."\nWright had 14 points at halftime, but his second half performance showed he wouldn't let the Hoosiers be denied. He scored on the first possession of the second- half on a 15-footer to get IU started. His scoring maintained the Hoosiers big lead throughout the second half.\nAnd with four minutes to go and Wisconsin trailing by 11 and threatening to cut the lead to single digits, Wright went around two Badger defenders on his way to a reverse lay-up while subsequently putting the Badgers comeback hopes to rest.\nThe Badgers' version of kryptonite wouldn't work tonight in slowing down Wright.\n"Tonight, I thought Bracey was really aggressive," said IU coach Mike Davis. "Bracey made plays. Bracey took 22 shots and the last game he took seven."\nThat last game, a 73-52 loss to Northwestern, saw Wright hit only two of seven shots while being zero for four from three-point range, scoring only seven points. Saturday's performance also snapped a rough stretch for Wright against the Badgers, a forgettable two-games where Wright scored only 15 points on six of 31 shooting combined in the blowout losses.\nHis adversary in those two losses was Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan. Ryan's teams, notorious for their defense, came into the game second in the Big Ten in scoring defense.\n"Once he got it going tonight, we had to crowd him a little bit," Ryan said. "Then, he attacked. We didn't do a real good job of keeping him from getting to the rim. And his confidence just grew."\nWright got the best of Ryan's defensive schemes. It all started on his way to the basket in his role as the aggressor -- a role crucial for the entire Hoosier team when Wisconsin tried to get back in the game.\n"We really just tried to attack them and continue to be the aggressor," Wright said.\n-- Contact Staff Writer John \nRodgers at jprodger@indiana.edu.