I have broken down the components that will make this season the greatest in the history of Wisconsin athletics.
1. Coaching:
Bo Ryan is as consistent as they come. He has taken his Badger squad to the NCAA tournament every year he has coached. This has been achieved with a lot of three star recruits and only one five star in Sam Dekker. He has a great assistant coaches next to him in Greg Gard and Lemont Paris, who both contribute in recruiting and in-game situations. Coming off of his first and well deserved Final Four appearance, Ryan hopes to make his mark in history, a National Championship! He deserves his first championship more than any other coach in college basketball, as his name deserves to be named in the same sentence as other great coaches like Coach K, Jim Boeheim, John Calipari, Bill Self, and Tom Izzo. I believe he can achieve this feat and bring the Big Ten a championship, something the conference hasn't achieved since Izzo did it back at the start of the new millennium.
STARTING FIVE:
2. Traevon Jackson:
The often criticized Badger, Jackson has proven to be the undisputed leader of the team. And now that Ben Brust has left, and Jackson has become a senior, his leadership has to take a step up. From his clutch late game shots, to his ample distribution and underestimated and gritty defense. I expect his amount of turnovers to decrease with his experience as a senior and his clutch play to continue. Traevon Jackson has a lot of pressure on him but he is bound to have an incredible season leading the Badgers to history.
3. Josh Gasser:
Defensive stalwart is a word often used to describe Josh Gasser, and that is a perfect description. Last year he matched up against the likes of Gary Harris, Nick Johnson, Joseph Young, and Nik Stauskas. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in the country and has a knack to come up with tough rebounds over taller and stronger players. Coming off of his torn ACL, it was reasonable that Gasser wasn't a huge contributor in the offense, but he will be depended upon to make a lot of baskets from behind the arc now that Brust, the all-time leading Badger in three pointers made, is gone.
4. Sam Dekker:
Dekker is a junior, but this may be his last season in a Wisconsin uniform. He is projected to be a chosen at an early slot in next years NBA Draft. A former five star recruit out of Sheboygan, Dekker has the physical attributes and skill set to be one of the most prolific scorers in the country. He will look to improve on his shot behind the arc and his defense this upcoming season. He was reportedly the best player at the LeBron James summer camp and has grown two inches to be 6-9 and has hit the weight room quite a bit this summer. He is the most talented player Bo Ryan has ever had to coach and I think he will repay the legendary coach by exceeding the already high expectations bearing down on him.
5. Nigel Hayes/Bronson Koenig:
The recent growth of Sam Dekker makes me wonder if Bo Ryan will continue to use three guards in the the lineup switching the graduated Brust with up and coming star Bronson Koenig. I am starting to think that they will start the season with Nigel Hayes, and if he has trouble playing against faster teams, Koenig will come in. Hayes has a spectacular approach on defense and his spot up jumper perfectly complements his in the paint scoring. Koenig is the prototypical Badger, a small, scrawny, and scrappy white guy who is a magnificent three point shooter and scrambles for tough rebounds over taller players. This will be more of match ups with Hayes starting against bigger and stronger teams, while Koenig will play against faster, three-point oriented teams.
6. Frank Kaminsky:
The production and success of Frank Kaminsky was in the least bit expected. His amazing run of efficiency both inside and outside of the three point line. His defense was great, often blocking out rebounding more athletic bigs. He has high expectations coming into this season, as he will have a target on his back, something he didn't experience last season. He is considered a high draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft, a National Player of the Year candidate, and will lead a team of Badgers to unparalleled expectations in the history of Badgers basketball. Kaminsky's leadership and run of success will be a very big part of the Badgers title hopes this upcoming season.
7. Bench:
The main players off the bench this season will consist of four players, much like last season. Whoever isn't starting between Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig will be the sixth man and a contender for the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Award, the award that Hayes won last season. Second off the bench will be forward and Badger mainstay Duje Dukan, who provides gritty and defense and rebounding while also adding a sweet touch on a three ball while on offense. Backing up Kaminsky and potentially Nigel Hayes will be sophomore Vitto Brown, who showed some promise on defense but to much on offense. Look for Brown to get more minutes while Ryan and the other coaches work on his offensive progress. The guards of the future for the Badgers is Bronson Koenig and the next player off the bench, Jordan Hill. Once Jackson and Gasser are gone, Ryan will depend on these scrappy guards. Hill brings a lot of speed and vision to the floor and looks to work on his shooting and defense this upcoming season.
8. Humility/Humbleness:
One is not to question Ryan's everlasting humility. The question is, how are the Badgers going to act after a Final Four season. Every game of the year, they will be the one's who has a target on their back and will have to become prone to huge upsets. The Badgers are used to being the ones upsetting the big stars. To take not only Coach Ryan, but the loyal fans of Wisconsin, to the promise land, it will take humbleness, teamwork, and selflessness. I believe that these scrappy Badgers have what it takes to take the next step, and make their marks in history.
Head Coach Bo Ryan
PG Traevon Jackson
SG Josh Gasser
F Sam Dekker
C Frank Kaminsky
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