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How? How do the Wisconsin Badgers possibly replace two first-round NBA Draft picks?
It was the question most asked on Thursday at Big Ten media days. Well, that and is Bo Ryan really retiring at season’s end or not, but that’s for another day and time.
On the court, Wisconsin losses three big time contributors in point guard Traevon Jackson, wing Sam Dekker and center Frank Kaminsky. The latter two are currently rookies with the Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets respectively.
There’s little doubt replacing them is no easy task. However, what the Badgers do have is a lot of players who are used to being the King of the Mountain and don’t know a thing about Dekker and Kaminsky as Badgers.
Wisconsin will flip the script from one of the most experienced teams in the Big Ten to one of the youngest, all while trying to live up to expectations of competing for a Big Ten championship and another deep run in the NCAA tournament.
The Associated Press released their preseason Top 25 on Thursday as media days were going on and the Badgers will start the season No. 19 in the country. However, this group has much more surprising things in store.
MADISON, WI – NOVEMBER 19: Kenneth Lowe #45 of the Green Bay Phoenix boxes out Vitto Brown #30 of the Wisconsin Badgers during the first half at Kohl Center on November 19, 2014 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
For upperclassmen like Bronson Koenig and Vitto Brown, this season may be just as shocking internally as it could be to the outside world. Part of that comes from the fact that UW has a lot of new faces and young players taking over at key positions up front.
“You have to be surprised by it,” said Brown of the strength this team has shown up front early in fall camp. “I mean we’re going to surprise ourselves really, because no one really knows what we can do until we do it. Like I said, we have to prove that to ourselves as well.”
The cornerstone of what needs to happen for the Badgers of 2015-16 succeed appears to be redshirt freshman Ethan Haap. On multiple occasions during Big Ten media day, both head coach Bo Ryan and the players in attendance mentioned his play as key to UW’s season.
Just how much so? As reporters pelted Ryan with questions about his “final season” and memories in the college coaching ranks, Ryan quipped that he’d rather be answering questions about Ethan Happ and his development or how Nigel Hayes is doing.
Haap was often reported as a dominate player in practice last season, even banging with and beating the national Player of the Year, Kaminsky, in practice. The good news is that the domination hasn’t stopped with Kaminsky gone.
“He [Ethan Happ] killed it in practice last year and he’s kind of doing that again this year,” said junior point guard Bronson Koenig. “He’s really crafty under the basket. He’s working on his shot. If he can get that down he can be a real threat. But, he’s real shifty, he utilizes pump fakes, shot fakes, really well and he can finish.”
Happ isn’t the only youthful piece to the puzzle up front for the Badgers in 2015-16. Fellow big man, Vitto Brown, joined the party at Big Ten media day on Thursday and he had some praise for other players up front.
Chief amongst those names was former 3-star recruit out of Maryland, Charlie Thomas.
“Definetly Charlie Thomas from Maryland. He’s a big guy…6-9, 250 (pounds), solid too. He’s got to work offensively, but he’s ahead of the game defensively.”
If there’s one thing we know about Bo Ryan, the quickest way to get yourself on the court is to play solid defense. With Vitto working to diversify his offensive skill set, Thomas and him could be an interesting pairing at the spot vacated by Kaminsky this upcoming season.
The elder statesman of the Badgers front court, Brown is starting to notice the mental side of the offensive game slowing down for him and it’s making him a more reliable player on that end. As he put it on Thursday, “no more hot potato for me.”
It was a clear reference to his hopefulness to get the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible on offense, often times passing up good scoring chances in the process. Nothing will drive Ryan more crazy than passing up the best shot in order to allow those with more confidence to maybe take a more difficult shot in the process.
As long as Brown can eliminate that part of his game, look for the big man with the silky voice to have a much silkier shot on the court in 2015-16.
One of the biggest question marks is how this team is going to replace what seems irreplaceable — Dekker’s athletic ability and varied game on the wing.
Brown mentioned that one incoming player, Khalil Iverson, could bring that type of athletic ability, albeit in a different package than Dekker did. That’s because the guy can jump out of the gym and play a very versatile game, but stands just 6 foot, 5 inches tall, compared to the 6 foot, 9 inches of Dekker.
Getting that kind of athletic and hard-nosed player on the wing is something that only makes the Badgers offense more dangerous. Stretching the floor, while also being able to create off the dribble is what gave UW the edge to get over the hump and make deep runs to the Final Four each of the last two seasons.
during the West Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on March 28, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
As Bo Ryan approaches what could be his final season, it is also a return to the one thing that keeps him going in the coaching profession — teaching. He has gone from managing the team and focusing on minor teaching moments to having to teach the fundamentals of the college game once again.
“So I’m in my element now,” said Ryan at Big Ten media day. “And this is (indiscernible) in this profession, to work with these young men, and it’s going well so far. We’re working hard and a lot more teaching going on this year rather than managing simply because of the youth.”
Perhaps it has rejuvenated a spirit that never really left, but could’ve been drained by coming oh-so-close to the pinnacle of the college basketball world.
Ryan may not be a spring chicken, but the youthfulness of the Wisconsin Badgers seems to have this team more focused and hungrier to work towards achieving the goals everyone wants.
Whether or not those goals are achieved are rooted in the work the program is putting in right now. If the words spoken at Big Ten media day are any indication, you can bet this team is at least going to be a fun ride along the way.
It just remains to be seen if the athletic ability of the young players can translate in to immediate success. Betting against Bo Ryan and the Badgers has never been a fun proposition for most, and why should that trend stop now?
The post Youth gives Badgers basketball chance to surprise even itself in 2015-16 appeared first on Madtown Badgers.
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