Sunday, November 13, 2011
Ted Porath- Badgers Start off Season With Blowout Win
The AP preseason No. 15 Badgers men’s basketball team took on the Kennesaw State Fighting Owls on Saturday in the first ever meeting between the two teams. After handling UW Stevens Point in their one and only exhibition game, 80-54, Wisconsin looked to continue their winning ways in their first regular season tussle of the year.
Continue their winning ways they did, playing soundly on both ends of the court and running the Owls out of the gym to the tune of an 85-31 drubbing.
Early in the game it was clear that that Saturday’s game was going to go their way, despite Spencer Dixon banking in the first shot of the ball game to put the Owls up 3-0. Any hopes Kennesaw State had of winning the game were dashed by a 16-0 run by Wisconsin that included two threes by junior Mike Bruesewitz that gave the team the early lead that they would not relinquish.
The Badgers defense, however, had a lot to do with this sound victory, playing great team defense and relegating Kennesaw State to contested jump shots most of the first half as the Owls shot a paltry 13 percent from the field, only making three of their first 23 shots and scoring only eight points in the process.
It was the exact opposite for the Badgers offense, as they came out firing on all cylinders. The Badgers shot 54 percent from the field in the first half, with a variety of Badgers combining to shoot seven out of 12 from behind the arc. The beat continued on into the second half as the Badgers ended the game shooting 15-25 from behind the arc and shooting 59 percent from the field.
The secret to the Badgers success on offense was making the unselfish extra passes that allowed Wisconsin players to constantly shoot and make open shots, especially three-pointers. This was evident as the Badgers had assists on 23 of their 30 made baskets.
The Badgers also dominated the battle of the boards, out-rebounding the Owls 41-20.
Leading the way for the Badgers offense were sophomore Josh Gasser and freshman Ben Brust, with each scoring 14 points.
Gasser, who also had four rebounds and four assists, was unconscious shooting the ball, never missing a shot as he went four for four from three and made both of his free throw attempts. Brust was a spark plug off the bench, playing well at both ends of the court. Brust was active on defense and stellar on offense hitting three after three, finishing five of 11 from the field and four for eight from downtown.
With this game being the blowout that it was, head coach Bo Ryan was able to sub-in a variety of players. Normally this type of substituting throws off a team’s chemistry and thus play becomes sloppy, but this was not the case as five different Wisconsin players scored in double figures and ten different Badgers were able to put up points in the box score.
“I thought all the gears were pretty much meshing no matter who was on the court,” Ryan said. “And that’s a good sign.”
This balanced scoring is definitely a great sign for a Wisconsin basketball team that, with the loss of Leuer, Nankivil and Jarmusz, had faced questions all off-season about who else besides preseason all-American Jordan Taylor was going to be able put the ball in the basket.
The Badgers’ next game will be on Wednesday night at the Kohl Center against the Colgate Raiders of the Patriot League, who won their first game of the year, defeating the Binghamton Bearcats of the American East, 78-74.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Josh Schur- Freshman Class Ready for New Challenge
Josh Schur-
Each year brings new promise for Wisconsin men’s basketball, and Badger freshmen certainly figure to play a role in fulfilling that promise. While there may not be any big name recruits, the incoming class certainly has a lot to offer.
The five freshmen each bring something different to the table, and the talent of the freshman class is certainly evident.
The five freshmen include guards George Marshall, Jordan Smith, and Traevon Jackson, forward Jared Uthoff, and big man Frank Kaminsky.
“They have different types of players across the board…” Sophomore guard Ben Brust said. “So it’s good that it’s pretty diverse and they all bring something different to the table.”
The Badgers seemingly get a little bit of everything out of the freshman, as not only the height, but also the strengths of the players cover nearly every aspect of Wisconsin basketball.
“I would have to go with my offense, especially my post offense,” Kaminksy said when asked about his main strengths.
While the former Benet Academy star was brought to Madison more for his offense, the speedy Marshall seems to be able to pick it up more on the defensive end.
“I take great pride in my defense,” Marshall said. “That’s definitely another one of my strengths.”
From the solid post game of Kaminsky to the quick hands of Marshall, the Badgers definitely get contributions all across the board.
It is hard to pick out many similarities between the freshmen, but the difference in their individual play doesn’t seem to affect the chemistry with the team.
“Theyre all good guys, they welcomed me with open arms and its been a pretty easy process…” Marshall said. “I feel like I learn something everyday”
Fitting into a new system can be difficult for any new player, and the transition from high school to college is always a big leap. For these freshman though, the experienced veterans on the team have made the change much easier.
From senior guard Jordan Taylor, to junior forward Jared Berggren, the forwards and guards alike both have the leadership above them to succeed in the system right away.
“The leadership has been very good, Jared Berggren and Jordan Taylor are definitely the leaders out there and have been teaching me everything,” Kaminsky said. “I have been learning from them everyday. Mike Bruesewitz helps me out a lot too and the coaching staff is great.”
While history may show that freshmen playing time isn’t easy to come by at Wisconsin, the players realize that the work they put in everyday will eventually lead to chances to play down the road.
The start of the season is finally here, and the excitement for not only the upcoming season, but also the years down the road, is definitely at a high.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Badgers Start Off Season Right With Win Over Pointers
Capping off a busy day and night of Badger athletics in Madison, the UW men’s basketball team got their season off to a solid start with an 80-54 over Division 3 powerhouse UW-Stevens Point in the Badgers’ lone exhibition game of the season.
Junior forward Ryan Evans, thrust into the starting lineup following the departure of three seniors from last year’s front court, led the way with 16 points on 7 of 10 shooting in 23 minutes. Sophomore guard Ben Brust added 14 of his own, while junior forward Jared Berggren and sophomore guard Josh Gasser rounded out a group of four Badgers in double figures with 12 and 10 points respectively.
The scoring outburst by Berggren and Evans was particularly welcoming, with the front court completely revamped from last season.
“I didn’t notice anything I haven’t known for a while…” senior guard Jordan Taylor said. “They know what they’re capable of, they’re really good players and they’re just getting a chance to show it now.”
“We’ve known we can do this kind of stuff,” Evans said. “But with Jon and Keaton {Nankivil} leaving, we know we’ve got to step up a little more.”
After a season in which UW relied heavily upon the scoring of Jon Leuer and Taylor, Badger fans were treated to a much more spread out scoring attack as the Badgers managed to hit the 80-point mark despite Taylor only finishing with 8 points on 3/6 shooting. The senior guard made his presence well known throughout, however, as he finished the game with a game-high 7 assists to just one turnover.
“Jordan wasn’t looking to do anything but run the show,” Ryan said of Taylor. “If the shots were there then great…that’s when you know you’ve got a good point guard.”
The Pointers hung in the game through the first half, drawing within 10 after opening the second half with a score, but quickly fading as the Badgers size and strength began to take its toll. Senior guard Dan Tilema led the way for Stevens Point with 24 points on 8/17 shooting, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to keep pace as the Pointers faded from a 62% effort from the field in the first half to shoot just 32% in the second half.
“It seems like every time you play one of these games, there’s a guy who gets hot,” Ryan said. “You just can’t give him open looks and we did a much better job of that in the 2nd half.”
The Badgers were very aggressive on the defensive end throughout the game, forcing Stevens Point into committing 18 turnovers, a high tally for a Pointer program known throughout the division three world for its ability to take care of the ball.
While the positives were everywhere for UW, one area that will certainly get emphasis in the break down is the free throw shooting. A season after nearing setting an NCAA record for their proficiency at the line, the Badgers were just 6/12 from the charity stripe in the opener, a far cry from last season’s 81.4% season total.
“You remember its who is shooting them…” Ryan said. “Last year, the right guys got fouled, confident shooters. But yeah, its early.”
The Badgers now have another week to batten up the hatches before opening the regular season next Saturday against Kennesaw State. Tip off is at noon at the Kohl Center.
Junior forward Ryan Evans, thrust into the starting lineup following the departure of three seniors from last year’s front court, led the way with 16 points on 7 of 10 shooting in 23 minutes. Sophomore guard Ben Brust added 14 of his own, while junior forward Jared Berggren and sophomore guard Josh Gasser rounded out a group of four Badgers in double figures with 12 and 10 points respectively.
The scoring outburst by Berggren and Evans was particularly welcoming, with the front court completely revamped from last season.
“I didn’t notice anything I haven’t known for a while…” senior guard Jordan Taylor said. “They know what they’re capable of, they’re really good players and they’re just getting a chance to show it now.”
“We’ve known we can do this kind of stuff,” Evans said. “But with Jon and Keaton {Nankivil} leaving, we know we’ve got to step up a little more.”
After a season in which UW relied heavily upon the scoring of Jon Leuer and Taylor, Badger fans were treated to a much more spread out scoring attack as the Badgers managed to hit the 80-point mark despite Taylor only finishing with 8 points on 3/6 shooting. The senior guard made his presence well known throughout, however, as he finished the game with a game-high 7 assists to just one turnover.
“Jordan wasn’t looking to do anything but run the show,” Ryan said of Taylor. “If the shots were there then great…that’s when you know you’ve got a good point guard.”
The Pointers hung in the game through the first half, drawing within 10 after opening the second half with a score, but quickly fading as the Badgers size and strength began to take its toll. Senior guard Dan Tilema led the way for Stevens Point with 24 points on 8/17 shooting, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to keep pace as the Pointers faded from a 62% effort from the field in the first half to shoot just 32% in the second half.
“It seems like every time you play one of these games, there’s a guy who gets hot,” Ryan said. “You just can’t give him open looks and we did a much better job of that in the 2nd half.”
The Badgers were very aggressive on the defensive end throughout the game, forcing Stevens Point into committing 18 turnovers, a high tally for a Pointer program known throughout the division three world for its ability to take care of the ball.
While the positives were everywhere for UW, one area that will certainly get emphasis in the break down is the free throw shooting. A season after nearing setting an NCAA record for their proficiency at the line, the Badgers were just 6/12 from the charity stripe in the opener, a far cry from last season’s 81.4% season total.
“You remember its who is shooting them…” Ryan said. “Last year, the right guys got fouled, confident shooters. But yeah, its early.”
The Badgers now have another week to batten up the hatches before opening the regular season next Saturday against Kennesaw State. Tip off is at noon at the Kohl Center.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Josh Schur- Badgers Continue To Grind Away in Final Week of Preseason
Josh Schur-
It is obvious that the Wisconsin men’s basketball team is ready for the season to begin.
With their first exhibition game against UW- Stevens Point on November 5th approaching, the team is now in the process of putting some finishing touches on the usual style of play for Wisconsin basketball, hard nosed and fundamentally sound.
The battle for playing time is still fairly open as sophomore guard Ben Brust and freshman forward Jarrod Uthoff saw extended time today with the first team during practice and took advantage. Brust especially has been playing well, as he seems to have improved upon every aspect of his game. During the red-white scrimmage on Sunday, Brust had 22 points in a performance that clearly showed his improvement from last year, as well as his talent.
Along with Uthoff, fellow freshman Frank Kaminksy also played with the first team, and showed his versatility in the post as well as on the perimeter. After the scrimmage, the Badgers showed some of their strengths in their shooting and passing drills. As always, it was impressive to see nearly every Wisconsin big man making their long-range jump shots with ease, and this poses a threat for opposing defenses every game.
The interior passing of the Badgers was also on display during the scrimmage, and the drills at the end of practice showed how it is a point of emphasis in the Badger game plan.
As all practices end, the free-throw shooting was nearly perfect for the Badgers. This factor alone shows how this team should have the ability to close out games, and their style of play as a whole looked very solid today.
It is obvious that the Wisconsin men’s basketball team is ready for the season to begin.
With their first exhibition game against UW- Stevens Point on November 5th approaching, the team is now in the process of putting some finishing touches on the usual style of play for Wisconsin basketball, hard nosed and fundamentally sound.
The battle for playing time is still fairly open as sophomore guard Ben Brust and freshman forward Jarrod Uthoff saw extended time today with the first team during practice and took advantage. Brust especially has been playing well, as he seems to have improved upon every aspect of his game. During the red-white scrimmage on Sunday, Brust had 22 points in a performance that clearly showed his improvement from last year, as well as his talent.
Along with Uthoff, fellow freshman Frank Kaminksy also played with the first team, and showed his versatility in the post as well as on the perimeter. After the scrimmage, the Badgers showed some of their strengths in their shooting and passing drills. As always, it was impressive to see nearly every Wisconsin big man making their long-range jump shots with ease, and this poses a threat for opposing defenses every game.
The interior passing of the Badgers was also on display during the scrimmage, and the drills at the end of practice showed how it is a point of emphasis in the Badger game plan.
As all practices end, the free-throw shooting was nearly perfect for the Badgers. This factor alone shows how this team should have the ability to close out games, and their style of play as a whole looked very solid today.
Monday, October 31, 2011
UW Basketball Offers Badger Nation Reprieve From Football Disappointment
Badger football has taken us on a roller coaster ride this season. The arrival of Russell Wilson immediately brought with it the expectation not simply of a return trip to the Rose Bowl, but rather a first-time trip to the BCS Championship game. Even the most impartial of media types were talking as if the Big Ten title game was a foregone conclusion.
Well, two hail marys later these pundits are having to eat their words (myself included, although I did feel OSU would take down the Badgers after what happened in Madison last season). Wisconsin fans everywhere are having to be pulled off the ledge, dreading the thought of seeing their beloved Badgers close out the season on December 28th with Champs Sports Bowl patches on their jerseys.
Heck, remember the laughter that erupted when it was announced after the win over Indiana that the Badgers were now bowl eligible?
As if that mattered. Well, apparently it did.
Anyway, for those of you looking to get away from the disappointment that has occurred on the gridiron, Bo Ryan's squad can pretty confidently offer you a set of reasonable and excitement-worthy expectations that will almost surely be met come season's end.
National championship? Well, basketball is a whole different animal and a national title is a crapshoot even for the best teams in the nation. But Ryan has proven that the Badgers will have a shot each and every season, having qualified for the NCAA Tournament every year during his tenure in Madison.
Conference Championship? Again, they will definitely be in the hunt. With Ohio State returning sophomore forward Jared Sullinger and fellow sophomore Aaron Craft manning the point, the Buckeyes will enter the 2011-2012 season as the clear favorites to take home the Big Ten crown.
But you can be sure Ryan's crew will give the Buckeyes a run for their money. The Badgers knocked off a then-undefeated Buckeye team at the Kohl Center last season and will certainly have a shot to do the same come February 4th.
Ryan has never finished outside of the top 4 in the Big Ten. Ever. Not even Tom Izzo or Bob Knight, legends in the game, can claim that accomplishment. As long as Bo Ryan is manning the sidelines for the Badgers, you can be sure that UW will have a hand in the title race in the Big Ten.
This season, the Badgers also have a number of intriguing non-conference matchups. After last season's dismal home non-conference slate, this season includes trips to Madison by Marquette, UNLV, and always-dangerous Wofford, with the Badgers set to take a trip to Chapel Hill to face #1 UNC in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
So if you are beginning to tire of the angst brought on by the disappointment of the Badger football season, shift your focus over to the Kohl Center where a team ready to contend for a conference and maybe even a national title is just about ready to begin its season.
Well, two hail marys later these pundits are having to eat their words (myself included, although I did feel OSU would take down the Badgers after what happened in Madison last season). Wisconsin fans everywhere are having to be pulled off the ledge, dreading the thought of seeing their beloved Badgers close out the season on December 28th with Champs Sports Bowl patches on their jerseys.
Heck, remember the laughter that erupted when it was announced after the win over Indiana that the Badgers were now bowl eligible?
As if that mattered. Well, apparently it did.
Anyway, for those of you looking to get away from the disappointment that has occurred on the gridiron, Bo Ryan's squad can pretty confidently offer you a set of reasonable and excitement-worthy expectations that will almost surely be met come season's end.
National championship? Well, basketball is a whole different animal and a national title is a crapshoot even for the best teams in the nation. But Ryan has proven that the Badgers will have a shot each and every season, having qualified for the NCAA Tournament every year during his tenure in Madison.
Conference Championship? Again, they will definitely be in the hunt. With Ohio State returning sophomore forward Jared Sullinger and fellow sophomore Aaron Craft manning the point, the Buckeyes will enter the 2011-2012 season as the clear favorites to take home the Big Ten crown.
But you can be sure Ryan's crew will give the Buckeyes a run for their money. The Badgers knocked off a then-undefeated Buckeye team at the Kohl Center last season and will certainly have a shot to do the same come February 4th.
Ryan has never finished outside of the top 4 in the Big Ten. Ever. Not even Tom Izzo or Bob Knight, legends in the game, can claim that accomplishment. As long as Bo Ryan is manning the sidelines for the Badgers, you can be sure that UW will have a hand in the title race in the Big Ten.
This season, the Badgers also have a number of intriguing non-conference matchups. After last season's dismal home non-conference slate, this season includes trips to Madison by Marquette, UNLV, and always-dangerous Wofford, with the Badgers set to take a trip to Chapel Hill to face #1 UNC in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
So if you are beginning to tire of the angst brought on by the disappointment of the Badger football season, shift your focus over to the Kohl Center where a team ready to contend for a conference and maybe even a national title is just about ready to begin its season.
New Look Badgers Debut in Red-White Scrimmage
Having lost an entire front court to graduation, UW fans expected change heading into the 2011-2012 men’s basketball season, but had no clue what that change would be. Sunday Badger nation got their first look at the new product, as Wisconsin debuted a team with much more emphasis on depth and physicality than on star players and big time scorers.
Perhaps the biggest story to come out of the Red Team’s 72-56 victory was the leading scorer, a point guard not named Jordan Taylor but rather Ben Brust, the sophomore who spent last season as the point guard for UW’s scout team.
“His decision making as a point guard wasn’t as good as it is now…” UW head coach Bo Ryan said after the game. “He’s quick, we always knew that. He’s even quicker now.”
The Hawthorn Woods, Illinois native finished Sunday’s scrimmage with a game-high 22 points while also adding four assists and three rebounds in the Red team victory.
“Its nothing that we haven’t seen before,” Taylor said of Brust’s scoring. “Its just something new to the fans. Its no surprise to us.”
With the guard positions taken by Taylor and fellow sophomore Josh Gasser, Brust is looking to take hold of that third guard spot, a role the Badgers need to fill in order to have the kind of depth necessary to endure the brutal Big Ten season.
“I want that,” Brust said of taking on the third guard role. “I want to be out with the guys helping the team and winning games.”
Taylor showed flashes of last year’s brilliance, but was clearly suffering from some rust after having surgery in the off-season, finishing the game with 16 points to lead the White side.
With both returning starters filling the guard spots, much of the attention heading into Sunday’s scrimmage centered around the new-look front court, comprised largely of players with plenty of experience in a Badger uniform, but little experience in a starting role.
Juniors Mike Bruesewitz and Jared Berggren certainly showed their capability of scoring, each posting 18 points for the red side, many of those coming on the interior. Junior Ryan Evans also got into the scoring act, putting up a double-digit effort for the White squad and creating several open looks from mid range, something he has thrived on thus far in his Badger career.
If Badger fans are looking for one player to replace the scoring of Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil, they will never find one. But with the depth this year’s team seems to have, it doesn’t appear that the scoring will be lost.
In addition to additional depth, especially in the frontcourt, the Badgers will likely be a more dynamic team on the offensive end, a welcome sight for fans who are beginning to tire of the slow paced Wisconsin offense of recent years.
The Badgers now set their sights on the beginning of the season, with an exhibition game against UW-Stevens Point coming up on Saturday night.
Badger nation’s BCS hopes may have been dashed, but there is plenty of reason to get excited about UW basketball.
Perhaps the biggest story to come out of the Red Team’s 72-56 victory was the leading scorer, a point guard not named Jordan Taylor but rather Ben Brust, the sophomore who spent last season as the point guard for UW’s scout team.
“His decision making as a point guard wasn’t as good as it is now…” UW head coach Bo Ryan said after the game. “He’s quick, we always knew that. He’s even quicker now.”
The Hawthorn Woods, Illinois native finished Sunday’s scrimmage with a game-high 22 points while also adding four assists and three rebounds in the Red team victory.
“Its nothing that we haven’t seen before,” Taylor said of Brust’s scoring. “Its just something new to the fans. Its no surprise to us.”
With the guard positions taken by Taylor and fellow sophomore Josh Gasser, Brust is looking to take hold of that third guard spot, a role the Badgers need to fill in order to have the kind of depth necessary to endure the brutal Big Ten season.
“I want that,” Brust said of taking on the third guard role. “I want to be out with the guys helping the team and winning games.”
Taylor showed flashes of last year’s brilliance, but was clearly suffering from some rust after having surgery in the off-season, finishing the game with 16 points to lead the White side.
With both returning starters filling the guard spots, much of the attention heading into Sunday’s scrimmage centered around the new-look front court, comprised largely of players with plenty of experience in a Badger uniform, but little experience in a starting role.
Juniors Mike Bruesewitz and Jared Berggren certainly showed their capability of scoring, each posting 18 points for the red side, many of those coming on the interior. Junior Ryan Evans also got into the scoring act, putting up a double-digit effort for the White squad and creating several open looks from mid range, something he has thrived on thus far in his Badger career.
If Badger fans are looking for one player to replace the scoring of Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil, they will never find one. But with the depth this year’s team seems to have, it doesn’t appear that the scoring will be lost.
In addition to additional depth, especially in the frontcourt, the Badgers will likely be a more dynamic team on the offensive end, a welcome sight for fans who are beginning to tire of the slow paced Wisconsin offense of recent years.
The Badgers now set their sights on the beginning of the season, with an exhibition game against UW-Stevens Point coming up on Saturday night.
Badger nation’s BCS hopes may have been dashed, but there is plenty of reason to get excited about UW basketball.
Badger Basketball More Experienced Than They Look
Wisconsin Basketball: Same Team, Different Year.
That statement seems to ring true nearly every year that UW head coach Bo Ryan’s team hits the floor. However, this season the Badgers must replace two all-Big Ten performers in the frontcourt in Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil, who together were responsible for over 41% of last year’s scoring.
But although Wisconsin only returns two starters from last year’s Sweet 16 team, the Badgers are not as young as many have made them out to be.
“We’re pretty experienced,” senior guard Rob Wilson said at the team’s media day on Monday. “A lot of guys played in the games somewhere down in their careers. Besides the freshman being the youngsters, we have a lot of guys who’ve gotten playing time.”
UW returns both starters in the backcourt, with Wilson and Ben Brust also coming into the year with game experience at the guard positions. Senior guard Jordan Taylor will enter the season as a candidate for national player of the year and sophomore Josh Gasser comes off of a freshman season that saw him average nearly six points and four rebounds per game over the course of 34 games, tying the UW record for games played by a freshman.
“{We have} really high expectations this year…” Taylor said. “We have a lot of experience in the backcourt and everybody’s been working hard.”
With the backcourt for the most part settled, the focus turns toward a frontcourt that will feature three new starters. Despite the turnover, the Badgers have a trio of juniors with plenty of big-time game experience in Mike Bruesewitz, Jared Berggren, and Ryan Evans. Together, the three started 14 games last season and combined for nearly 10 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, numbers that they feel will continue to trend upward as this season rolls on.
“I guess it’s the Wisconsin way, upperclassmen lead the way…” Bruesewitz said. “When its your turn to step up, you’ve got to embrace that role.”
In addition to the names Badger fans are familiar with, UW adds to its arsenal redshirt freshman Evan Anderson. The 6 foot-10 inch Stanley, Wisconsin native has already impressed his teammates in early practices and will bring a new dimension of strength to the Badger front line.
“That’s what I hope to do this year, just to be a strong guy in the middle,” Anderson said. “And not let guys like {Ohio State sophomore forward} Jared Sullinger and some of those other guys get so many easy baskets.”
Anderson and the rest of the big men are hoping to improve on an interior defense that at times was a glaring weakness on an otherwise impressive defensive effort by the Badgers over the course of last season.
Although Wisconsin was 4th among all Division 1 teams in scoring defense, giving up just 58.6 points per game, they struggled to contain big men including Butler senior Matt Howard, whose twenty point effort in the NCAA Sweet 16 doused the Badgers’ hopes of a run at the Final Four.
In addition, this new front court brings a far greater interior presence on the offensive end than the Nankivil-Leuer tandem did last season.
“Jon and Keaton are such good shooters from the perimeter that we needed to get the ball on the outside. Its a tough matchup for a lot of bigs to cover them on the perimeter” Gasser said Monday. “This year, with Jared Berggren, he’s a good post scorer. And then Evan Anderson, he’s such a brute down low. Its pretty hard to stop him one-on-one.”
While UW is now more than a week into their preseason practice schedule, game action still lies nearly two weeks away with the regular season one more week down the road. In the meantime, the Badgers continue to slowly make progress, progress they hope will put them in a position to once again contend for a Big Ten title.
That statement seems to ring true nearly every year that UW head coach Bo Ryan’s team hits the floor. However, this season the Badgers must replace two all-Big Ten performers in the frontcourt in Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil, who together were responsible for over 41% of last year’s scoring.
But although Wisconsin only returns two starters from last year’s Sweet 16 team, the Badgers are not as young as many have made them out to be.
“We’re pretty experienced,” senior guard Rob Wilson said at the team’s media day on Monday. “A lot of guys played in the games somewhere down in their careers. Besides the freshman being the youngsters, we have a lot of guys who’ve gotten playing time.”
UW returns both starters in the backcourt, with Wilson and Ben Brust also coming into the year with game experience at the guard positions. Senior guard Jordan Taylor will enter the season as a candidate for national player of the year and sophomore Josh Gasser comes off of a freshman season that saw him average nearly six points and four rebounds per game over the course of 34 games, tying the UW record for games played by a freshman.
“{We have} really high expectations this year…” Taylor said. “We have a lot of experience in the backcourt and everybody’s been working hard.”
With the backcourt for the most part settled, the focus turns toward a frontcourt that will feature three new starters. Despite the turnover, the Badgers have a trio of juniors with plenty of big-time game experience in Mike Bruesewitz, Jared Berggren, and Ryan Evans. Together, the three started 14 games last season and combined for nearly 10 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, numbers that they feel will continue to trend upward as this season rolls on.
“I guess it’s the Wisconsin way, upperclassmen lead the way…” Bruesewitz said. “When its your turn to step up, you’ve got to embrace that role.”
In addition to the names Badger fans are familiar with, UW adds to its arsenal redshirt freshman Evan Anderson. The 6 foot-10 inch Stanley, Wisconsin native has already impressed his teammates in early practices and will bring a new dimension of strength to the Badger front line.
“That’s what I hope to do this year, just to be a strong guy in the middle,” Anderson said. “And not let guys like {Ohio State sophomore forward} Jared Sullinger and some of those other guys get so many easy baskets.”
Anderson and the rest of the big men are hoping to improve on an interior defense that at times was a glaring weakness on an otherwise impressive defensive effort by the Badgers over the course of last season.
Although Wisconsin was 4th among all Division 1 teams in scoring defense, giving up just 58.6 points per game, they struggled to contain big men including Butler senior Matt Howard, whose twenty point effort in the NCAA Sweet 16 doused the Badgers’ hopes of a run at the Final Four.
In addition, this new front court brings a far greater interior presence on the offensive end than the Nankivil-Leuer tandem did last season.
“Jon and Keaton are such good shooters from the perimeter that we needed to get the ball on the outside. Its a tough matchup for a lot of bigs to cover them on the perimeter” Gasser said Monday. “This year, with Jared Berggren, he’s a good post scorer. And then Evan Anderson, he’s such a brute down low. Its pretty hard to stop him one-on-one.”
While UW is now more than a week into their preseason practice schedule, game action still lies nearly two weeks away with the regular season one more week down the road. In the meantime, the Badgers continue to slowly make progress, progress they hope will put them in a position to once again contend for a Big Ten title.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)