After back-to-back trips to the Final Four, it appears to be the end of an era for the Wisconsin basketball program. During the summer, Bo Ryan announced his 15th season at UW would be his last though that remains somewhat uncertain as Ryan has backpedaled a bit in the past couple months. Under Ryan’s leadership, the Badgers have accomplished an incredible feat by never finishing lower than fourth place in the Big Ten. That streak is in jeopardy this season though as Wisconsin loses four starters from last year’s National Runner-Up squad.
WISCONSIN BADGERS
Last Season: T-4th, 12-6 in Big 10, 23-12 overall
Predicted Big Ten Finish: 4th
Projected Depth Chart
F/C: Vitto Brown (Jr)/Charlie Thomas (Fr)/
PF: Ethan Happ (r-Fr)/Alex Illikainen (Fr)/Andy van Vliet (Fr)
SF: Nigel Hayes (So)/Riley Dearing (So)/Khalil Iverson (Fr)
SG: Zak Showalter (Jr)/Brevin Pritzl (Fr)/T.J. Schlundt (rFr)
PG: Bronson Koenig (Jr)/Jordan Hill (Jr)
Gone: C-Frank Kaminsky, SF-Sam Dekker, PG-Traevon Jackson, SG-Josh Gasser, F-Duje Dukan
Strengths:
In losing five of their top seven scorers from a year ago, the Badgers will rely heavily on the junior duo of Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koeing. Hayes was the consummate role player the past two seasons, often deferring to guys like Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker. Now is Hayes’ time to emerge as Wisconsin’s go-to option. He should see more time playing the small forward position which will cause matchup nightmares for opponents since he is strong and physical on the block but also shot just below 40% from downtown last season.
Koenig stepped into the starting lineup midway through last season when Traevon Jackson went down with injury and the Badgers did not skip a beat. The junior is a poised point guard who eclipsed 40% three-point shooting last season. He will need to step into an even larger role this season for Wisconsin to once again finish in the top four of the conference standings.
“That experience I got last year when Trae got hurt really boosted my confidence a lot to kind of lead the team,” Koenig said at Big Ten Media Day. “I’m working on becoming more of a vocal leader especially with the inexperience we have. I’m trying to rally our guys and show them the ropes a little bit more.”
Question Marks:
Seldom used Zach Showalter is the lone returning wing player for Wisconsin. He was primarily used as an energy role player off the bench and should assume Josh Gasser’s spot as the Badgers’ glue guy. Due to the lack of experience on the wing, Hayes will shift to the three but who else fills the minutes left behind by Dekker, Josh Gasser, and Duje Dukan? Riley Derring is only non-freshman of that group and will compete for minutes with top 100 recruit, Brevin Pritzl who can stroke it from deep, and the ultra-athletic, Khalil Iverson. Combo guard Jodan Hill should fit into the rotation somewhere as well.
It will also take a collective effort to even try to replace National Player of the Year, Kaminsky. Vitto Brown was used in short spurts to bring energy off the bench and should start in the middle. Redshirt freshman Ethan Happ is expected to start and brings an inside/outside threat to the floor which is typical of Badger big men. After that, a trio of freshmen battle for playing time. Alex Illikainen is another face-up type four while Thomas adds a physical dimension. Belgian Andy van Vliet was a late signee and is another versatile big man, but his lack of strength and transitioning to the American style of basketball might make it difficult for him to find immediate playing time.
Player to Watch:
Hayes is one of most likeable players in college basketball due to his outgoing personality and comedic value at press conference, but he is also a joy to watch on the floor. Hayes made a significant leap during his sophomore season, really diversifying his offensive game and even more is expected this season. “I don’t think there’s a cap on Nigel Hayes,” Bo Ryan told me at Big Ten Media Day. “He’s better at getting to the rim. I think he’s going to shoot more free throws.” He should shoot more three-pointers as well as he shifts to more of a wing position.
X-Factor:
Due to the plethora of size on the Badgers’ roster a year ago, Happ chose to redshirt and really work on improving his all-around game and getting stronger physically. The reviews have been extremely encouraging during the pre-season and he appears to be the most likely of the newcomers to make the biggest impact as a third banana to Hayes and Koenig.
Looking Ahead to 2016-17:
The biggest question is if Ryan returns and if he doesn’t, who replaces him? Associate Head Coach, Greg Gard received a vote of confidence from Ryan during the press conference of his retirement announcement. Gard is more than ready for a head coaching job and would provide a smooth transition. By no means would he be a sexy hire, but he knows his X’s and O’s and the Wisconsin program as well as anyone.
As for the guys on the floor, unless Nigel Hayes exits a year early for the NBA, Wisconsin should return everybody from their roster and be a major factor in the Big Ten.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/20 vs. Georgetown (2K Classic at MSG)
11/22 vs. Duke/VCU (2K Classic at MSG)
11/29 at Oklahoma
12/2 at Syracuse (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
12/12 vs. Marquette
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Milwaukee to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag), and finished with the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft (nearly a three-peat.) You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.