Trevon Hughes, at least in one regard, is no different than many of the young point guards Bo Ryan has coached.

"I've watched some point guards over the years. ... and some of the guys when they're younger they just get away from a comfort zone," the University of Wisconsin men 's basketball coach said when asked about Hughes following the Badgers' 81-76 loss to Marquette on Saturday. "He just has got to learn to understand some things.

"That game wasn't his fault at all, as one person, but that's a part of it. And I think as he learns to settle into this kind of competition and this kind of pressure, that he's going to show that he's a much better player. Because you know, you have to learn from these type of situations and if you don't then it's going to be a struggle forever. But I've watched a lot of guards go do just the same things. Matter of fact, guards have done it against us, and they'll turn around the next time and have a great game or improve and get better over the years, and that's how you have to judge these guys."

Eight games into his sophomore season, his first as the Badgers' starting point guard, Hughes is going through some of those commonplace ups-and-downs.

"He's got good discipline, he's tough-minded, he can take the heat and that's what you want in any player, but certainly in a point guard," UW assistant coach Gary Close said of Hughes.

Hughes' most productive performances were turned in over the first four games of the season (25 points, five assists and six steals in the season-opener against Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, 21 points against Savannah State, 15 points, four assists against Florida A&M and 18 points and three assists against Colorado). But as the level of competition -- and the quality of opposing point guards -- has increased, Hughes has found that kind of consistent success tougher to come by.

Matched against Georgia senior Sundiata Gaines, Hughes struggled during the first half of UW's game against the Bulldogs (2-for-11 shooting, four turnovers), before rebounding with a strong second half that sparked UW's 68-49 comeback victory.

On the road against Duke, and opposite Blue Devils junior Greg Paulus, Hughes picked up a pair of first-half fouls, and finished 4-for-13 from the field with three turnovers in an 82-58 loss.

Hughes said Saturday's loss to the Golden Eagles at the Kohl Center "bothered me a lot because I wanted to show that I've learned over the (last) couple games, and actually I showed that I didn't." Matched against Marquette junior Dominic James, Hughes finished 4-for-15 from the field (1-for-6 on 3-pointers), 7-for-13 from the free throw line (all in the second half) and committed four turnovers.

"Let's just say we had a press conference after each test I gave in high school, and you were to ask me, 'Well do you think Trevon getting a D in that test, do you think that will teach him a lesson for the next time?' " Ryan said during his Monday news conference. "Wait until the next test, and then I can get a grade and then I'll be able to give an answer. ... But I can't give you those answers until we get on the court again."

That happens to be tonight, when the Badgers (6-2) travel to Milwaukee to face UW-Milwaukee (3-6) in a non-conference game at U.S. Cellular Arena.

The first item Hughes has designated for on-court improvement is bettering his assist-to-turnover ratio. He has 25 assists and 22 turnovers on the season, but 13 turnovers versus 12 assists over the last four games.

"More patience instead of forcing things, forcing the issue," Hughes said of the solution. "I've got to be more careful with the ball. If (Ryan is) going to trust me, I have to show him I can handle the team."

Hughes' shooting percentage has also dipped over the last four games. He shot 50 percent or better from the field in each of the first four games of the season, but has shot 31.6, 30.8, 40 and 26.7 percent from the floor over the last four games, something he said was due in part to his shot selection.

"Just like my assists, it's me (needed to be) patient," Hughes said.

Confidence, however, is not something that needs to be addressed.

"No. Because I know this is my growing pains right now," Hughes said. "If I'm going to be the point guard and I'm going to be out there, I've got to learn everything -- I've got to learn how to control the tempo, I've got to learn how to get my teammates open shots and take care of the ball.

"Hopefully I can learn from these (eight) games we've played, and get better from it."