Janese Banks has never been one to dodge a question.

The University of Wisconsin guard and co-captain handles most interviews the way she plays on the basketball court: With a no-nonsense style.

So Banks wasn't about to just drop a clich� or avoid the question when asked for an assessment of her play early on, even though it was obvious it wasn't her favorite topic.

"Not really the greatest, I can tell you that," Banks said. "And it definitely needs to be better. I expect more from myself and I know my teammates do also."

No, Banks' senior season hasn't started the way she or anyone involved with the team envisioned it.

A starter since her arrival on campus, Banks has given the Badgers a second scoring option behind classmate Jolene Anderson in each of her first three seasons. The Indianapolis native has a career scoring average of 12.8 points per game, and she averaged 14.6 per game last season.

And while Banks is still averaging double figures in scoring at 11.8 per game, the manner in which she's doing it is a little worrisome.

She was shooting just 33.3 percent from the field — and 23.1 percent (3-for-13) from behind the 3-point line — before Friday night's 84-60 loss to Virginia. Banks also hadn't been getting to the free throw line as much — she led UW in free throws made and attempted in each of her first three seasons.

The Badgers (2-3) hope her 14-point, six-rebound performance on five of 10 shooting against the Cavaliers is a sign of things to come heading into today's non-conference game against Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne (2-2) at the Kohl Center.

Banks, who led UW and ranked second in the Big Ten Conference in offensive rebounding last year at 3.2 per game, hadn't been as effective on the glass early on, either.

But she's grabbed four offensive rebounds in each of the Badgers' last two games after totaling just three in the first three games.

"The thing I encourage Janese to do is continue to play to (her) strengths," UW coach Lisa Stone said. "Janese is a great offensive rebounder, she's a great defender and then she's a great 3-point shooter."

Banks has endured rough patches in those other two areas this season as well.

She usually guards opponents' best players, but struggled defensively against Marquette's Krystal Ellis, who poured in 31 points. And Banks hit only three of her first 13 3-point attempts before going 2-for-3 against Virginia.

So what has been the problem?

"Just not being in attack mode the whole time (like) I need to be," said Banks, who was bothered by pain in her right leg earlier in the season, but said it was "nothing too major."

"Just, I need to be in attack mode with passing, cutting, slashing, rebounding, defending."