Wanted: Power Forward

Despite Jon Leuer's broken wrist, at least Wisconsin beat Purdue, proving that national respect for the Badgers is warranted. But what if Leuer had gotten injured in the Michigan State game? People would have been jumping out of windows with that news. Leuer, the team's leading rebounder, was just about the only big body who showed up against the Spartans last week.

Even before Leuer got hurt, the power forward/center position was in need of improvement. One remedy for the unsightly rebounding situation in the Michigan State loss could have been a motivated Keaton Nankivil. Laying blame at any one player's feet is usually irresponsible, but Nankivil, one of my favorites, simply has to be called out. Wisconsin's other junior big man suffered through his worst performance of the year last against the Spartans and it didn't get any better against the Boilermakers beyond his highlight reel dunk sequence.

Wisconsin cannot survive the loss of Leuer without improvement from Nankivil. In East Lansing, Nankivil was routinely beaten for rebounds and got caught in defensive positions where he would recover just in time to bump into a Michigan State player. He didn't alter any shots or establish position; he would just slide in late to pick up cheap fouls that get called every time. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was trying to pick up fouls. As a result, Nankivil picked up three fouls, two points and one rebound in 15 minutes of play.

I was hoping a more dialed-in Nankivil would channel his performance from last year's Purdue game, but there he was on Saturday, playing even fewer minutes (10) after picking up two quick fouls five minutes into the game. At least one came when going after an offensive rebound, which is interesting if you look at Nankivil's stats ...

Through 16 games, Nankivil is averaging a little over 22 min/g. With the small samples sizes we have, there seems to be a small correlation between offensive rebounding and fouls committed:

Minutes		Games		ORebs		ORebs/Min		DRebs		DRebs/Min		Fouls		Fouls/Min
10-19		(5)		10		0.141		8		0.113		14		0.197
20-25		(5)		3		0.027		11		0.099		10		0.090
26-34		(6)		15		0.086		23		0.131		15		0.086

Here's two quick thoughts: One, Nankivil may come out too aggressive sometimes (imagine that!) in a desire to hit the offensive glass and needlessly picks up extra fouls, which lands him on the bench. Two, maybe by going after more offensive rebounds (and often succeeding), perhaps Keaton puts himself at a disadvantage when the opponent gets the defensive rebound and pushes the ball up court, translating into more times where he is in a poor position defensively ... playing "catch up" if you will.

Regardless of my thinly supported hypotheses, you want your best players on the court. So Nankivil must play smarter so he can get into a rhythm. He has arguably the sweetest stroke out of anyone on the team. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the back-to-the-basket game that Leuer does.

That is why the stage belongs to Jared Berggren. The redshirt frosh has not really experienced Big Ten basketball yet, but he needs to realize some of his potential in a hurry. If Berggren is ready to go, his minutes will skyrocket because he has the potential to be Wisconsin's best remaining weapon in the post. An inside presence will have to emerge or else opponents will be draping themselves all over the Badger guards.

Along with Berggren, two other young guys must step up. Like Nankivil, Ryan Evans needs to cut down on his fouls, but can bring a new dimension to the floor. Freshman Mike Bruesewitz needs to maintain the rebounding prowess he has flashed in limited minutes over a longer period of time.

Red & White Scrimmage

Without the hoopla of a midnight madness event, this year's public Red & White Scrimmage was a relaxing, albeit brief, first look at the team.
The running clock made for a quick, low-scoring affair that the White squad won, 45-36. I was surprised because it seems like the more talented team usually loses. The White, in this case, consisted of Hughes, Bohannon, Nankivil, Gavinski, Evans, Bruesewitz and Smith, which seemed like a better bet than the Red's collection of Leuer, Jarmusz, Taylor, Wilson, Markolf, Berggren, Valentyn and Fahey.

General thoughts: Treys were dropping for both sides to start the game. It was encouraging until everyone started gunning and the percentage plummeted. A few bad passes were scattered throughout as well. I only counted a small handful of fastbreaks in the whole game. Defenders seemed to be switching on ball screens more often than usual, rather than trying to fight through the pick.

Since the only players I had not seen before were freshmen Bruesewitz and walk-on Dan Fahey, I did not watch anyone in particular. A few players -- Nankivil, Evans, Wilson, Berggren -- stood out anyway.

Seniors:
Trevon Hughes :: #3
Hughes had a couple assists and a couple turnovers, but looked totally in control as you might expect. What I really liked watching from Hughes was how he was crashing the boards. Pop swished a half-court shot on his first try to quickly end a post-game fan contest.

Jason Bohannon :: #12
Tried to get his midrange game going, with some success. Scored a quiet 10 points.

Juniors:
Keaton Nankivil :: #52
Nankivil performed well again this year and hopefully that confidence will carry over into the regular season. The Madison Memorial grad led all scorers with 13 points (5-of-8 FGs), including two 3-pointers. He got the White out to a good start early on, used his quickness to blow past Markolf for a reverse and did not hesitate to pop his jumper. Cleaned the glass decently; also noticed how low he made his center of gravity when guarding Leuer.

Jon Leuer :: #30
The big guy looks to be in great shape, but always seems to struggle in this showcase. This time, it was a 2-for-11 shooting performance. I think he should make his baseline turnaround jumper from 10 feet his go-to move. He did have a nifty pass to Fahey amongst the trees that resulted in a layup.

Tim Jarmusz :: #24
You know the story here: solid competitor, can stroke it from deep when he decides to shoot. Except this year he avoided dumb passes and the 3-pointer he nailed was right in Bruiser face with a quick release. I liked it.

J.P. Gavinski :: 44
Still just along for the ride. Got more minutes than Markolf, but showed me even less than last year.

Wquinton Smith :: #2
Another guy who looks more comfortable out there, but didn't do anything besides hit one 3-pointer.

Brett Valentyn :: #15
Only player who did not score. Showed some bounce on a warm-up dunk though!

Sophomores:
Jordan Taylor :: #11
I was a little disappointed in Taylor. His shot was off and he picked up a number of fouls, continuing last year's trend. Taylor was outplayed by the senior guards, thus the game's outcome.

Rob Wilson :: #33
Wilson's aggressiveness stood out in the game. I remember after making a 3-pointer, he then took Smith to the block and totally abused him for an easy lay in. His added weight will help him finish and absorb contact. True, he missed a lot of shots too, but he is what he is.

Ian Markolf :: #50
Markolf really does seem to be a decent athlete for such a giant. He showed real effort on his defensive positioning. I still hold out hope that he logs some meaningful minutes before he's done in Madison.

Freshmen:
Jared Berggren :: #40
Berggren was impressive in a couple ways. First, he knows how to put the ball in the hoop. He can score with a variety of moves in the paint. Secondly, we got confirmation that his footwork should be solid enough on the blocks to play defense for Bo Ryan. He was active in fronting the post. Needs work on going after rebounds from what I recall.

Ryan Evans :: #5
We learned the more about Evans than any other player, since he played so little in last year's scrimmage. Evans forced his way into the limelight with two second half dunks that were the high point of the night. The first was an alley oop from Hughes. A few seconds later, the second came a run out break where a bad outlet pass forced him to the far wing, allowing Leuer to catch up. No problem -- Evans flushed it over Jon's head with authority. Beyond that, he has the same nose for the ball that you see in Jarmusz, which resulted in a number of rebounds. His handle is still waaaay too sloppy, which might keep him from getting many minutes. Evans showed the potential to disrupt passing lanes and start a break off a turnover. Still, he forced too much offensively. His other highlight was making up for a moment of laziness in transition by hustling back on defense to block a Jarmusz jumper.

Mike Bruesewitz :: #31
Bruiser did not stand out too much, but then, I don't think that will ever be his role. He is a very smart player, twice using a reverse layup to keep bigger defenders at bay near the rim. Bruesewitz also blocked a fastbreak lay up by Wilson, though it might have been goaltending. But that play was a compliment to his hustle. He looked comfortable on the floor with everyone, willing to mix it up as we've all heard.

Dan Fahey :: #10
Slipped behind the defense to convert a great pass into a layup, but Fahey hardly played in the scrimmage.

Per Wisconsin's agreement with adidas, the team will wear updated uniforms this year. The baggier look is a net gain, in my opinion, mostly because of the sharp-looking dual piping down the side of both jersey and shorts. I was not a fan of the adidas stripes and motion W in the neck area, however, and I dislike the return of red (or white) patches on top of the shoulders.

Redshirting and Player Development

Forgive me if I merely gloss over the recent blowout of SIU-Edwardsville, which was hardly more than a glorified exhibition. Marcus Landry still looks like a beast. He set a personal best for the second game in a row, this time by virtue of his five blocked shots. That gives him eight on the young season, good enough for 72 career blocks (look out Stiemsma). And it was good to see Jon Leuer (19 pts, 8-10 FGs) come alive. It seems like whenever Jordan Taylor finds someone for an alley-oop, the recipient is headed for a banner day.

Since I was not able to watch all of the game, the most interesting tidbit of the night was Ian Markolf getting off the bench for the final two minutes. Jared Berggren was the only eligible Badger to not see the floor, so he remains the final freshmen left to cement his plans to redshirt or not. Was Bo Ryan trying to send a message to the lad in a game where even Morris Cain made two buckets? [box score]

At the very least, we got the answer to the question of whom Bo would turn to first in a pinch for a big body. It is obvious that Berggren would get more out of an extra year of physical seasoning than Markolf. Numerous references have been made to the simple zone defense that Berggren played in at his high school. And look at it this way if you must: if you know only one of the bigs will redshirt, don't you theoretically want your higher-rated recruit in the system for five years, rather than four?

On the flip side, just because a player rides the pine without redshirting (Markolf) does not mean the guy won't end up being a big contributor in a Wisconsin uniform. Last year was the first time in the last five seasons that the Badgers did not have a player using a redshirt. As a result, two post players played less than 4 min/g. Keaton Nankivil averaged a lowly 2.4 min/g in 19 appearances, while redshirt freshman J.P. Gavinski averaged 2.1 min/g in only seven games. The jury is still out on Gavinski but Nankivil is already starting for Wisconsin as a true sophomore.

Including Nankivil, I count three times in Bo's tenure that a scrub big man has gone from a non-factor to major contributor, regardless of redshirt status. The Greg Stiemsma Experience began with a disastrous 2.7 min/g average in 10 games his freshman year. Jason Chappell played a grand total of 11 minutes in eight games in 2002-03, took a medical redshirt the next season and again played 3.4 min/g in 14 appearances the following year. Both Stiemsma and Chappell were valuable pieces in their final campaigns.

This issue rarely raises its head with guards. Because every team is desperate for bigs, you don't find any walk-on big men. Eventually, some program will offer that behemoth a scholarship, so schools offer full rides to pivot projects "just in case" (see Gavinski, J.P.). Only once has a full scholarship guard started out with less than 4 min/g and seen his star rise. That was Kammron Taylor, who struggled through 2.3 min/g of PT in 18 games as a true freshman in 2003-04. Mickey Perry redshirted in 2005-06, but transferred out the next season when he was averaging 3.3 min/g in seven games played. Would he have played eventually? Most likely.*

The bottom line is that guards are naturally inclined to adapt more quickly to the college game. They are more coordinated on average, as many big men are still adjusting to their bodies from crazy growth spurts during their high school careers. Wisconsin is not getting any superstar one-and-done centers, so the staff grabs post players with potential and guards who are ready to play for the most part. And in the event that backcourt depth is needed, the program seems to have decent luck with walk-ons. Clayton Hanson should be an inspiration. Once a member of the dreaded 4 min/g and under club, the Reedsburg Rifle worked his way into 30 min/g his final two seasons, even earning a schollie as a senior, when he helped UW reach the Elite Eight.

*Once again, the departure of DeAaron Williams was the more damaging loss in my opinion. He was definitely in the rotation, albeit the low end, as a redshirt sophomore (2005-06), playing 7.9 min/g.

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Paradise Jam Prep
The Badgers are in the Virgin Islands preparing for their first game in the Paradise Jam tournament against Iona. Wisconsin will play at 7:30 CT tonight and Sunday night, win or lose. You can watch poor quality streaming video right from the tourney's website or wait until Sunday (semifinals) and Monday (finals) which will be broadcast by Fox College Sports and Fox Sports Net respectively.

Only six people voted in the most recent poll for a possible Paradise Jam game being their most anticipated game of the regular season. For one thing, a match up with Connecticut in this tournament is far from guaranteed, given the strength of this year's field. Plus it is still early in the season. Maybe it also has to do with how hard it is to actually catch the games live. By the way, the Texas game at the Kohl Center on Dec. 23 took honors, with 42% of the poll's vote, edging out this year's Marquette game (38%).

I have to give another shout out to Landry, who took the time before the trip to counsel the team's youngest players on the importance of keeping focused on their grades even while taking a business trip to the beach. He knows from personal experience. As predicted, there has been no shortage of ink and copy devoted to Landry's story so far this season.

Second Annual Border Battle

Verona hosted the second annual Border Battle on Saturday between assorted boys basketball teams from Wisconsin and Minnesota, five from each state. Considering the close proximity to Madison, I made the trip. I was looking forward to seeing Wisconsin recruit Jared Berggren from Princeton (MN) in person for the first time and then observing the high-ranking clash that followed between Madison Memorial and Minnetonka.

Unfortunately, I arrived late enough to watch only from the latter part of the second quarter on. Princeton only scored a handful of buckets from that point forward as the Waupun Warriors rained 3s down on the Tigers. Berggren scored all of his points in the first half. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed with Berggren's supporting cast, who couldn't get him the ball in the right spot at all in the second half.

The big guy was looking extremely frustrated as the third quarter wore on and he sat out the fourth period entirely. Waupun was collapsing down on the 6'10" senior with two or three players at all times and no one relieved the pressure with accurate shooting. Sadly, this viewing experience was a letdown for me.

Conversely, Jeronne Maymon and his Madison Memorial teammates were quite impressive in getting their revenge on Minnetonka. The Skippers, a large Class 4A power in Minnesota, dispatched the Spartans in last year's inaugural Border Battle and were fresh off a 14-point win over Jordan Taylor and Benilde-St. Margaret's. Minnetonka features two Division I players of its own, but could not keep up with the frantic pace and pressure applied by Memorial.

Wisconsin is thought to be lukewarm on Maymon, a 6'6" junior, due to issues like academics, attitude, etc. But the kid can flat out ball. Maymon dominated Minnetonka, like a man among boys, posting 30 points and grabbing a "shload" of rebounds. I have seen Maymon play numerous times in the past three years and he reminds of LeBron James in a few ways. He is built muscularly beyond his years and at the same time, unbelievably quick to the hole in his execution. Put those together and you have the most devastating spin move in the state.

The athleticism puts him on another level at the high school level and I wish for the best if he cannot grab a scholarship from big-time college program. After watching him on Saturday, I admit part of me wanted his future to be with the Badgers. One Skipper's father, who will remain anonymous, was sitting next to me and embarrassing himself all game long by complaining to the referees. Even he admitted, "That (number) 40, he's eating our lunch."

With an absence of height on Memorial's roster this year, Maymon is playing inside more than ever. While that's not ideal for developing a college-level perimeter game, Maymon is getting his first stab at being a leader and go-to weapon.

Minnetonka's Anthony Tucker had about 19 points if I remember correctly (if you count a meaningless last second dunk). I was not too impressed with Tucker, but I guess he's good enough for Iowa. He displayed a great shooting stroke, but perhaps not enough aggressiveness or speed.

Speaking of smooth shooting, sophomore Vander Blue also started the game hot for the Spartans. He has great hops and can get a shot from anywhere on the court. After struggling in the middle quarters, Blue stopped fading away on his jumpers and finished with 16 points. He is already receiving plenty of attention from D-I coaches himself, as a 6'3"guard in a program famous for generating college basketball talent.

On the Stove Top: More Recruiting

Sounds like Wisconsin is one of the first schools going hard after Chicago Marshall's Darius Smith, a 2009 point guard prospect:

"Right now, I'm hearing from Louisville and Wisconsin," Smith said. "Actually I'm hearing from Wisconsin a lot. My list has a lot of schools on it, though. Illinois has come by the school, too."

Lots of recruiting info has been simply simmering, but now that we have entered July, the AAU circuit should spice the place up a bit.

UW's favorite 2008 duo (Jordan Taylor and Jared Berggren) should be toiling again for Howard Pulley, after playing well for their high school squads at the Badger Team Camp here in Madison late last month. Royce White and Rodney Williams, Jr. helped the remainder of the Howard Pulley roster win the camp's Gold Division championship with a 6-1 record.

Berggren continues to prove me wrong as he piles up accolades and kudos this summer. Along with White, Williams and Taylor, Berggren has been invited to participate in Nike's LeBron James Top 100 Camp this weekend in Cleveland. How funny is it to rank these high schoolers so early? In the case of Berggren, Wisconsin first latched on to him when he was raw and literally a pale bean pole. Now after some seasoning and growing into his frame, some already consider the kid the cream of UW's 2008 recruiting class. (You should be able to access a short video on Berggren on the right-hand side of Wisconsin's basketball page at Rivals.com)

And speaking of those young Minnesotans and somewhat meaningless rankings, I should also mention that White and Williams highlight a number of potential Badgers on the newly released 2009 Top 75 rankings at Rivals.com. Both players impressed at the Nike Hoop Jamboree as well.

One thing we do know now more than ever is that all of these guys are for real. White has shot up to #18 on the list, while Racine's Jamil Wilson can be found at #29. Now that is depth. The 2009 class should be a gem for Wisconsin.

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Whether or not it was a good move remains to be seen, Yahoo agreed purchase the sports recruiting powerhouse Rivals.com for a reported $100 million. [official press release]

What does it all mean? By moving from a partnership with Yahoo into an actual member of the family, Rivals should have more resources at their disposal to pump even more traffic their direction. If Yahoo ventures further into the social networking game, rumor has it user-generated content may become a staple of the high school sports information network. As troubling a thought as that is, Yahoo's presence lends itself to an explosion of content, which could definitely benefit a guy like me, who is too cheap to purchase an actual subscription to Rivals. Alas, the good stuff is always going to cost ya ...

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The Badgers have benefited from being an early bird with certain basketball recruits like Taylor and Berggren, but Wisconsin's competitors can also profit in the same fashion at times. In the case of Oak Park's highly-touted '08 SG Iman Shumpert, UW's offer in early May was too little too late. That spells the end of Shumpert's tenure on the 2008 target list, joining Chicago PF Josh Crittle in exile. According to Illinois Prep Bulls-eye, our Jesuit neighbors to the east have the inside track among the five schools on Crittle's short list. C'mon Duck, I remain nervous about the ripe Chicagoland area ...

A pair of prep ballers from Chicago's Mean Streets AAU team, Michael Dunigan and Matthew Humphrey, have both trimmed their lists to exclude the Badgers. I think Wisconsin could really use a banger like Dunigan, but Humphrey was already known to be a bad fit for Bo Ryan's program.

Lastly, Jody Demling blogs that 2008 big man Ian Markolf, a legit center prospect, visited Kentucky last week. Supposedly Wisconsin is still in the running. I'd rather get an athletic forward, but you can't teach height. And from what I hear ...