The Wisconsin Badgers have now featured true freshman center Aleksas Bieliauskas in the starting lineup, and the game against Marquette proved why. He was in the trenches, playing with effort, holding down the center position, and working in a way that freed his teammates up. After the game, he talked about why he's become a starter.
First, it should be noted that Greg Gard hasn't committed to Bieliauskas as a starter permanently, and there may still be starting lineups with Austin Rapp in it, as it was in the first seven games of the season. Gard said he likes having Bieliauskas in the starting lineup because it allows scoring off the bench from Rapp, allows Nolan Winter to play the 4 position, which is more natural for him, and brings gritty toughness the Badgers need.