Markolf Says Adios To Basketball

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel broke the story earlier today that Ian Markolf has left the Wisconsin men's basketball team, reducing the number of scholarship players on next year's roster to 12.

Markolf, an academic all-Big Ten honoree, will stay at UW as a student according to the program's official statement. At the very least, that seems like a compliment to the university and the relationships Markolf has already formed in his two years in Madison. I must admit that I'm little saddened that we will never get to see Markolf play somewhere where he was a better fit. Best of luck to him.

With Eau Claire's Evan Anderson set to join rising senior J.P. Gavinski on the team this year, the Badgers still have more than their share of aircraft carriers for the scout team and will be fine.

Calling Markolf's recruitment a surprise and his subsequent career an disappointment might be an understatement. The 7-foot Texan was a Howard Moore recruit that was apparently brought to the staff's attention by former Badger great Michael Finley when he played for the San Antonio Spurs. I cannot confirm, nor deny, rumors that no one on the staff ever saw Markolf play in person prior to his arrival on campus.

The timing of the announcement puts Wisconsin in an interesting position. It is tempting for Bo Ryan to use Markolf's vacated scholarship to fill an immediate need. Next season the team will have a great need for an experienced guard. That specific need (experience) would not be met by simply grabbing another incoming freshman however. Besides, with the exception of Vander Blue and then Cameron Wright, the Badgers basically got the guards they wanted from the 2010 class in Gasser and Dukan.

A junior college player would be more likely, though the right fit is even harder to find from that student-athlete pool. And only in rare circumstances would a transfer be eligible next season when the need for guard depth is greatest. So saving the scholarship for 2011 might make the most sense. Someone like W'quinton Smith would then be in line for a one-year scholarship in 2010-11, a la Tanner Bronson.

Theft Fallout = Roster Shakeup

Speculation became reality this afternoon for the Wisconsin men's basketball team, which officially has two fewer players as a result of the recent burglary scandal.

Wisconsin announced today that Jeremy Glover was kicked off the team, while Diamond Taylor opted to withdraw from the university entirely. Seeing as Glover was dismissed, you can be sure Taylor would have been booted too if he and his family had not opted to leave the school. Hopefully both players can start fresh elsewhere.

It's a terrible situation overall, but now everyone is looking forward to the immediate effect it has on the team's roster. More specifically, who will man the backcourt in a few years with Hughes and Bohannon entering their final seasons?

To be honest, this sets up nicely for Wisconsin, even though it will hurt in the short run and came at a terrible cost. As the news started to unfold, word trickled out that Port Washington senior guard Josh Gasser was cancelling one of his official visits, and sure enough, Bo Ryan immediately offered him the standard full ride as soon as Taylor vacated it. The Badgers are in good position among Gasser's final four school choices; getting a commitment from Gasser would also lessen the "must-have" need to sign a point guard in 2011.

Wisconsin could conceivably land the consensus top three state players in the Class of 2010 if Vander Blue recommits. If this unfortunate news brings a side effect of landing Blue, most Badger fans would probably accept the situation with open arms. Taylor and Glover were redshirt candidates this season anyway.

Playing time will be immediately available for a guy like Blue to make an impact as a freshman behind Jordan Taylor and Rob Wilson. Gasser is much needed because only two walk-ons project to back up Taylor starting next year. At this point it would be risky to count on getting a great replacement player in that class if the Badgers miss on either Blue or Gasser.

Luckily, the front court appears to be in good shape. Redshirt freshmen Jared Berggren and Ryan Evans are developing at a promising rate. Junior forwards Tim Jarmusz, Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil all figure enter 2010 with one or two years of starting experience already.

The frontcourt vs. backcourt depth shakes out pretty evenly by class in this way:
Guard class ('06) > big man class ('07) > guards ('08) > big men ('09)

A Big Step Backwards For Two Freshmen

The basketball season doesn't start for another two months, but the Badgers are already playing from behind.

The basketball careers of Wisconsin freshmen Diamond Taylor and Jeremy Glover are in serious jeopardy after being arrested on burglary charges early Sunday morning. The news has shocked the players' parents, the UW coaching staff and fans alike. From all accounts, both players come from solid family backgrounds. What a holiday weekend ...

It sounds like two young kids got drunk and made a couple of extremely poor decisions together, but the motive is still fuzzy at this time. The duo admitted to entering the Sellery Hall dorm rooms uninvited and taking several items. Madison's WKOW originally reported that the two were also suspected in a few burglaries on Langdon St.

Taylor and Glover have been suspended from practicing with the team until further notice. The students were believed to still be in Dane County Jail as of Monday night. Both have been cooperative.

Previous Bo Ryan players who have run afoul of the law have been on opposite ends of the spectrum and played out much different from each other: Kevin Gullikson's drinking issues in recent years were largely dealt with in-house while Marcettus McGee's 2002 sexual assault case led to the freshman immediately withdrawing from school. This weekend's burglaries fall somewhere in between those scandals, so it will be interesting to see how swiftly and harshly they are judged.

I am wishing both Taylor and Glover the best in learning from this situation and straightening up, but it doesn't look good for them right now. Looking forward to the very near future, Wisconsin may be under the gun to replenish its depth at guard earlier than expected, which could make next year's freshman class even more important than it was before.

Evaluating Wisconsin's Future Guard Depth

The announcement by Vander Blue yesterday that he is officially back on the market was the culmination of a tumultuous week for Badger fans. Though Blue's final destination will not be known for another six months probably, he disputed the implication that he was a poor student and that the Badger offense was undesirable to him. He simply felt like he rushed his verbal commitment a year ago.

As misinformation and clarifications circulated about the Blue situation, other announcements trickled in regarding that impact how Wisconsin's roster looks over the next few years. Late last week Wisconsin added two walk-ons for 2009 and offered a 2010 scholarship to Cameron Wright, a former Ohio State recruit.

Wright, a 6'5" guard from Cleveland, is considered Plan B with Blue looking elsewhere, but is planning on taking some official visits to different schools in August. Now that another another BCS school like Wisconsin has re-offered, I would expect the stigma of Wright's split from the Buckeyes to fade away. A few big-time programs (like Miami, VT and Notre Dame) are already sniffing around again, meaning Wright is in no way signed, sealed and delivered to Wisconsin.

Of the players not on scholarship, Jeremy Glover arrives as a preferred walk-on from the talent-rich Washington, D.C. area (Oakton, VA). As a preferred walk-on, Glover (6'3") will have the opportunity to earn a scholarship down the road, a la Kevin Gullikson. However, nothing is officially promised to a preferred walk-on.

With Glover, Mike Bruesewitz and Diamond Taylor filling the spots vacated by Gullikson, Joe Krabbenhoft and Marcus Landry, another 6'3" guard, Dan Fahey, will replace Morris Cain. Fahey hails from Chicago's prestigious St. Ignatius College Prep, where 2011 prospect Nnana Egwu also attends. Wisconsin also reportedly looked at New Berlin native Taylor Hall (6'7") of Bemidji State to fill that slot.

So Wisconsin is replacing three forwards from their rotation with one forward and two guards next year. The onus is on the sophomore and junior classes to really step up in the paint. A lot will be expected of Jon Leuer, Keaton Nankivil and Jared Berggren this season. The back court is in good hands with a solid four-man rotation, giving Diamond Taylor room to grow. The 2009-10 season will be the first one in five years that won't be missing a guard from any of the original recruiting classes.

Looking ahead to 2010, Bo Ryan appears to be going with a shotgun approach with his back court depth. Blue appeared to be that ace-in-the-hole type recruit who could have developed into the next great Badger guard. Many have referred to Bo's track record to suggest he will not wait around to court Blue -- even if Howard Moore is going to recruit him "harder than ever."

Until Blue signs a national LOI at Wisconsin or more likely, elsewhere, Wisconsin is at least amassing some depth at positions 1-3 for 2010:

Seniors - Tim Jarmusz (3)
Juniors - Jordan Taylor (1), Rob Wilson (2)
Sophomores - Ryan Evans (2-3), Diamond Taylor (2), Jeremy Glover (2), Mike Bruesewitz (3-4)
Freshman - ???

Wright would be another '2' if he signed. Depending on Diamond's ability to play a little point guard, another pure floor leader would be a great fit for the final 2010 scholarship. Blue was being recruited as a combo guard that could fill either role. Adding Wright would ensure some serious wing depth and odds are that the next great Badger guard can emerge from that group. Waiting on a point guard, however, puts a lot of pressure on the staff to find a player in the 2011 class who can start for Bo Ryan as a sophomore.

The assistants will be working hard to find the right fit for that last scholarship since Bo will be busy in June and July coaching Team USA for the World University Games in Serbia. For those wondering about the Swing offense's place in international competition, it sounds like Bo will be installing 'Swing Lite' into the players.

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Links:
- Just in case you were wondering, yes, Ohio State immediately offered J.D. Weatherspoon and no, he has not accepted it yet.
- Speaking of the Buckeyes, OSU will lose two scholarships next season due to its APR shortcomings.

Beanie Baby Badgers

Tuesday night's game against Purdue is one of Wisconsin's most important games in years. The momentum that has raised expectations over several seasons is on the verge of crumbling. The aura of invincibility surrounding the Kohl Center is fading. Onlookers are questioning the team's toughness. Beating the Boilermakers could restore the luster of the home court and make the statement that the Badgers will not ride silently into the sunset of this year's also-rans.

Then again, Wisconsin is in the kind of trouble that one game cannot fix. The last time the Badgers lost four games in a row was the final four games of the 2005-06 season, when UW went one-and-done in both the Big Ten and NCAA tournament. Despite RPIforecast.com projecting Wisconsin's final RPI to be in the top 40, the program is riding the worst Big Ten losing streak of the Bo Ryan-era.

The general consensus to start the year was that this was one of Bo's most talented teams from top to bottom. Wisconsin returned four experienced upperclassmen who contributed to back-to-back 30-win campaigns. So was everyone wrong about this team's talent? Does this bunch of players just not have the proverbial it?

One thing most people can agree upon is that Wisconsin has regressed defensively. The Badgers have an adjusted defensive efficiency rating much lower than in the previous two seasons, currently ranking 70th rather than in the top ten according to Ken Pomeroy's system. This places them in the middle of the pack in the improved Big Ten. In addition, bad positioning and perhaps a lack of inside size have led to UW committing far more fouls than usual, as John Gasaway's satire illustrates. In a related note, Wisconsin is shooting fewer free throws per field goal attempt and and scoring a lower percentage of its points from the charity stripe as well. The Badgers are taking the punishment, but not dishing out much themselves.

Once you accept these facts, it is easy to try connecting the dots from poor defense to less intensity, from lower intensity to a decrease in toughness. Even Bo questioned the hustle and toughness of his team this year. When faced with pressure, whether literal (UConn, Marquette, Purdue, Minnesota) or situational (Texas, Minnesota again, Iowa), Wisconsin's players shy away more often than they step up.

Take a look at the roster. Over the past two seasons, Wisconsin has bid adieu to one bonafide go-to player (Tucker), a streaky, fearless gunner (Kam), a tireless, lockdown perimeter defender (Flowers), a mobile, shotblocking presence capable of the occassional cheap shot (Stiemsma) and a fiery 7-foot former McDonald's All-American (Butch). Each of these players had a swagger about them. Several were true leaders and confident enough in their own abilities to take risks.

In case you missed it, Badger Centric took a fresh angle on what's been ailing the Badgers -- not enough bad shots from aggressive players. At the very least, an interesting thought. The current Wisconsin players appear uncomfortable stepping into the role of carrying a team on their back when needed. Balanced teams are great (see: 2007-08), but what you and I fear is a collection of highly-rated role players.

Having a team of skilled, "soft" players is not the only problem right now, but it cannot be swept under the rug. The toughest guy on the team is Joe Krabbenhoft, hands down. Krabby had an excellent game against Illinois, perhaps the only bright spot amidst terrible Wisconsin shooting. [box score] It is hard to spot any of his teammates playing similarly, however. I could make arguments for Tim Jarmusz and Kevin Gullikson possessing that intangible toughness and hustle, but neither is skilled enough to crack the rotation's top seven. That is a problem.

Jon Leuer is probably the most aggressive Badger offensively and you can see shades of that trait already in Rob Wilson. (Speaking of Wilson, Bo simply did not play the freshman enough against the Illini, which was inexcuseable in my mind. Wisconsin desperately needed his length and athleticism to slow down Demetri McCamey, as well as someone to shake things up on offense). In the starting five though, Trevon Hughes is the closest thing to a go-to guy and he's already been benched once this year. Marcus Landry and Keaton Nankivil are too laid back. Jason Bohannon is beyond laid back.

Collectively, Wisconsin has been forced out of its comfort zone. As a team and as individuals, the response has not been up to snuff.

Right now, I see a bunch of complimentary players. To turn the season around, Wisconsin needs to find some warriors.

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.

Late Bloomer Chooses Red Shirt

Ryan Evans is the first and possibly the only Badger freshman to announce that he will be taking a redshirt season in 2008-09. A smart decision by Evans if you ask me and this move surprises no one.

The announcement does not rule out any further redshirts from one of the big men. Ian Markolf certainly has a college-ready build, so would not necessarily need the year to bulk up. Conversely, bulking up would be about the only reason I can see for Jared Berggren to redshirt, as he is more skilled at this point. Ultimately, the player makes that decision for himself.

I hope to revisit the topic of redshirting big men very soon ...

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Turning to the NBA for a few 'graphs, Yi Jianlian is lighting it up from the outside with the New Jersey Nets this season. And he's shooting over real people, not just chairs! This is the type of thing you have come to expect if you are a Milwaukee Bucks fans (see Nowitzki, Dirk). The grass is always greener in another town for many former Bucks. Will Milwaukee be more patient with Joe Alexander? I hope so.

Regardless, Milwaukee is probably fine with Jianlian's development. Milwaukee's record is only 4-5 right now, but New Jersey is a smelly mess at 2-5. Michael Redd has a legit running mate in Richard Jefferson, with Bogut anchoring the lineup down low. While the team still has serious depth issues in the frontcourt, LRMaM has supplanted Charlie Villanueva in the starting lineup at least temporarily. Mbah a Moute has shown signs of being an excellent defender, something the Bucks have lacked for years. It will be interesting to see how the traditionally lackadaisical Villanueva responds.
In the backcourt, Ramon Sessions slowly easing his way into his rightful place atop the muddled point guard heap in Cream City. It is only a matter of time before his potential outweighs Luke Ridnour's "heady, veteran leadership."

Speaking of the Nets ... since popping off for a career-high 38 points the other night (shooting a ridiculous 20-of-24 on free throws), former Badger great Devin Harris has missed several games because of a twisted ankle. Tough sleddin' for the Nets without him. In Phoenix, Alando Tucker is still waiting to make his season debut. He had his left knee scoped last Tuesday, so he will miss 2-3 more weeks of action.

Wisconsin Survives and Adds Signees

Wisconsin 64, UW-Whitewater 47
In last night's final exhibition, Wisconsin overcame a frisky UW-Whitewater squad in the final 10 minutes to post a deceptive 64-47 victory. The Warhawks made the Badgers earn it.

Keaton Nankivil got the start again, with Jon Leuer first off the bench. The ensuing substitutions went like this: Tim Jarmusz second, then Jordan Taylor ... *long stretch of no subs* ... Rob Wilson, Kevin Gullikson ... and finally Ryan Evans got in during the last minute. There is a solid 8-man rotation being set here, with Wilson, Gullikson and one of the bigs (hopefully) getting playing time as the situation dictates.

I am almost 100% sure that Ian Markolf will redshirt, but not as certain about Evans. He could use one since Wilson and Jarmusz seem equipped to get the extra PT on the wing. Based on some of Bo Ryan's comments after the game, I am hoping that Jared Berggren sees some action this year. Bo mentioned that as far as freshman go, "Jared is not that far behind," which seemed like one of Bo's typical sly, half-compliments. Redshirts must be determined by Sunday's opener.

Looking at the statistics, it was hard to tell why Wisconsin had such trouble with Whitewater. The Badgers dominated the rebounding department in the second half, which is usually how such games go. The 12 turnovers was a bit too high for an exhibition game and that total including four traveling violations. Ick. Taylor struggled early with three TOs, but settled down. Leuer had four TOs as well and was seemingly benched after his last one.

Besides the turnovers, I noticed that Trevon Hughes still does not appear to be 100 percent healthy. A glaring weakness last night was the ability to penetrate the defense, which Hughes usually provides. Only Jason Bohannon accomplished this with much effectiveness. Conversely, however, J-Bo had trouble sticking with his man on defense. It was not all his fault, though, as the team defense left a lot to be desired at certain points. I think it goes without saying that this team will not be as tough defensively as last year's edition. Bohannon logged a ton of minutes because Hughes sat with some questionable foul trouble. J-Bo's mark, Warhawk guard Miles McKay, sprung for a game-high 16 points. Bohannon eventually fouled out, though he was also on the raw end of some calls in terribly over-officiated game -- thanks Ed Hightower!

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Wisconsin adds two on signing day
Today Mike Bruesewitz and Diamond Taylor signed national Letters of Intent to play for Wisconsin. Now that both are officially in the fold, Bo Ryan is finally allowed to comment on each of these players from the Class of 2009.

Rivals.com tabbed Bruesewitz as the Big Ten's top incoming power forward for next season. While not on many people's radar when he verballed, Badger fans have warmed to the idea of having a successor to Krabbenhoft running around the court. It sounds like Bruiser's game is a perfect match for the swing offense. Bo on Bruesewitz:

"While always possessing a competitive fire and desire to win, he has recently made huge strides in his perimeter game out to the 3-point line. His improving perimeter ability combined with his post skills and work ethic make him a more complete player that will allow him to continue to excel when he gets to Madison."

The staff clearly views Diamond Taylor as a combo guard. Bo on Taylor:

"It has been neat to watch Diamond develop from a camper who attended our basketball camps when he was first entering high school to the great young man he is today. His versatility and knowledge of the game will allow him to play multiple perimeter positions at our level."

First Taste of the 2008-09 Badgers

Seventeen players. One set of eyes.

Those would be my eyes. At the annual Red/White Scrimmage, I wanted to keep an eye on all the players, attuned to both their ability on the court and their demeanor on the sidelines or in between plays. Easier said than done, however.

After attending the event last year, I knew ahead of time to temper my enthusiasm. With so many relatively new players though, I was holding out hope that at least of few of the newbies would bring a lot of energy to the scrimmage. In that sense, I was not disappointed. In a 72-67 win by the Red, there were some lulls in the action but enough to get excited about.

Seeing the team breakdown at the tip, I did not expect a win by the Red team (more on that below). The White team consisted of Landry, Krabbenhoft, Hughes, Gullikson, Jarmusz, Gavinski, Wilson, Evans, Markolf. Perhaps I am naive. The Red squad included Smith, Bohannon, Cain, Leuer, Nankivil, Berggren, Taylor and Valentyn.

I was impressed by the long-distance shooting by both sides in the first half. Some players forced shots as the game developed, but overall I would say 3-point shooting was over 40% for the scrimmage.

Before I delve into the player-by-player breakdown of the night, I had a few "badges" I knew that I wanted to hand out, including:

Most impressive: Keaton Nankivil
Most disappointing: Jon Leuer
Best moment: J.P. Gavinski blocking Jon Leuer's dunk attempt
Worst moment: By default, I'm going with the very end of the game when Nankivil could have capped off a Red victory with a fast break flush, but bobbled the ball, leading to a loose ball melee.
Most aggressive: Nankivil
Best defender: This is a biased opinion because I watched Jordan Taylor for most of the night, but he stuck with Trevon Hughes almost every step of the way.
Likely to redshirt: Tough call ... I really think Ian Markolf should take one, though Ryan Evans would not surprise me.

Seniors:
Marcus Landry :: #1
Compared to last year's scrimmage, Landry was much more active, which is great. He has good chemistry with the guards in the open floor. Getting Marcus out to a fast start this year would be a huge boost. Landry really runs the floor well for a "post" player, though he cannot be taller than 6'6". Quick decisions and overall aggressiveness were encouraging. Had a sneaky 20 points.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Converted a steal into a fast-break dunk to start the second half.

Morris Cain :: #21
In light of Flowers' absence, I though Cain would get minutes last season, but I was wrong. I will not be misled again. Cain did not do anything to stick out in my mind, except for getting a little chippy with Tim Jarmusz. He's the only current Badger who is left-handed.

Kevin Gullikson :: #43
Gully looked legitmately quicker, as we have heard. It did not translate into much during the competition, but he looked okay.

Joe Krabbenhoft :: #45
The things I noticed most about Krabby were not really basketball-related. We have heard about him taking Jordan Taylor with him to an elementary school, but he even slapped Taylor five on a missed free throw -- from the opposite team -- and wears the same shoes as Jordan. It's great to see a senior bond with a freshman that way.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: You know what you are getting with Krabby, but Joe did follow up his 3-point Shootout title with two treys. Ugly, but effective ...

Juniors:
Trevon Hughes :: #3
I am still concerned with his shot selection at times. I think Pop notched two airballs on the night. There was a point where Taylor was shaken up and Hughes smelled blood. He attacked by draining a 3-pointer and driving to the hole mercilessly, which I liked. On a positive note, I did not see turnovers from Trevon.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: One behind-the-back pass on a delayed break, that was not converted unfortunately.

Jason Bohannon :: #12
Got into a shooter's rhythm at least once during the night and drained several jumpers, finishing with about 13 points. Got picked off trying to split the D in a clock-winding-down situation. good facilitator as the lone scholarship upperclassman on the the winning team. That should tell you something. He did have trouble sticking with some of the wing players on the White team, which is actually a good sign for Wisconsin as a whole.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: I don't remember the occasion, but he had at least one sick feed inside for an easy hoop.

Sophomores:
Wquinton Smith :: #2
Quick, but very tentative with the ball. Walk-on for a reason.

Brett Valentyn :: #15
This guy is really a nice player. But he's a step or two slow.

Tim Jarmusz :: #24
Made a couple of the worst turnovers of the night ... and he knew it. Not afraid to get physical as his episode with Cain proved. Nailed a trey as expected, but did not do much else.

Jon Leuer :: #30
As mentioned, Leuer had a tough night. At one point, he was shooting 2-for-13 and 0-1 on free throws. He is tall and long enough to get boards underneath, but had trouble finishing once he grabbed the rock. Leuer still looked fairly aggressive, but I think he has been a bit overhyped. Of course, that is judging just two practices basically. Leuer exhibited a soft touch from the paint. He misfired on several attempts from long range though. He is nowhere near ready on defense, but I still like his potential on offense.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: See Gavinski.

J.P. Gavinski :: #44
I cannot see Jared Berggren getting minutes over Gavinski this season. That's not to say I'm sold out for J.P, but he looked more comortable out there. He lacks quickness, but has two years now under his belt. Capable of banging home the 17-footer.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Best moment of the night was when Leuer streaked down the lane and went up for an insane dunk from 3-4 feet inside the free throw line. J.P. rose up at the last second and totally denied the jam. Then he had the nerve to talk junk to Leuer, to which Jon responded by shoving J.P. out of his way. Stats credit Gavinski with a couple blocks, though he appeared to deserve credit for some of the blocked shots from the messy scrums.

Keaton Nankivil :: #52
Star of the show. Right off the bat he drilled a 15-footer and then went to work inside. Even made Landry look foolish on D by getting position and exploding to the rim. I have always been a Nankivil fan (even a "homer" after last year's scrimmage) but tonight he looked more confident than ever. When Bo Ryan alluded to some of the youngsters making a name for themselves in practice, now we know who. Keaton and Jordan are not afraid to challenge the juniors and seniors. They are the reason the Red team won tonight.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Nearly everything, no joke. He converted three-point plays with a soft touch, he pivoted around the senior into monster dunks, he played solid defense ... but the icing on the cake was when he caught a pass gliding to the hoop from the left side and Gullikson chopped at his arm. Nankivil was not deterred and threw down a two-handed slam that would have been an "and-1" in the NBA. Also notched a big-time rejection of someone's shot attempt in the first half.

Freshmen:
Ryan Evans :: #5
Played the least; that does not necessarily mean a redshirt though. I noticed one nice move to the basket, but mostly a lot of pine time.

Jordan Taylor :: #11
Rock solid. Very impressive to see a freshman hold his own out there. Gave Hughes fits at times. Taylor is clearly not capable of scoring in the same way Hughes is, but knows how to post up in the swing offense. His defense was formidable and he played through what might have been a rolled ankle, that caused him to get burned a couple times. Notably, he recognized speed mismatches, burning J-Bo once and trying to take advantage of Krabbenhoft at another point (though nothing came of it).
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Taylor zipped a pass through traffic to a cutting Morris Cain to get an easy backdoor hoop. JT also locked up the game with a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left.

Rob Wilson :: #33
Showed a bit of defensive intensity. Did not get a lot of PT, perhaps due to the White team having nine players. Got to the hoop once from the wing for a nice easy basket.

Jared Berggren :: #40
Berggren did not appear to play with a ton of confidence, but he was able to run the floor effectively for a big man and finish some plays. I honestly do not expect him to play much this year, with Gully and J.P. ahead of him. But what do I know ...
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Used his quickness to get a baby hook over Gavinski in the second half. Looked like a go-to move towards the baseline that he has had for ages.

Ian Markolf :: #50
I'm seeing red. This classic big man appeared classicly gassed after one first-half stretch. Markolf made a couple buckets, but does not elevate at all. Dominated the Gatorade bottle during stoppages.

If you needed a reminder as to how competitive these guys are, look no further. From Hughes-Taylor and Nankivil-Landry to Gavinski-Leuer and Cain-Jarmusz, the new breed of Badgers showed a feistiness that can only mean good things for the future of Wisconsin basketball. Overall, I was much more impressed with this year's scrimmage than 2007's.

Of course, back-to-back 30-win seasons will bring out the optimist in anyone.

Wisconsin Basketball Roster Origins Map

In a previous post I took up the task of mapping the states of origin for all the scholarship players currently on the Badger roster. The maps are a nice, quick way to view the composition of the team and I hope to keep up with a map for each new season (and maybe even previous ones).

Google Maps, however, gives you the ability to create interactive maps that are far more fluid and detailed. So I present to you the Wisconsin Basketball Roster origins map:


View Larger Map

Either a permanent link to the map or a smaller, embedded version of the map will be available in the sidebar in the recruiting section from now on, although I haven't decided which will work better yet (the embedded map may cause longer page-loading times). If you have suggestions regarding any of the recent maps, don't hesitate to add it via the Comments.

: : :

Removed the following prospects from the recruiting sidebar:
: : : Class of 2008
SF Isiah Nunn, Moline IL
F L.A. Pomlee, Davenport IA
: : : Class of 2009
SG Jacob Jenkins, Louisville KY
PG Chris Colvin, Chicago IL
PG Nick Russell, Arlington TX
F Jeronne Maymon, Madison WI
PG Johnnie Lacy, Milwaukee WI
PG Darius Smith, Chicago IL

Final Four: Mapping The Rosters

A classic championship game between Kansas and Memphis brought the 2007-08 season to a close in proper fashion last night. The Jayhawks' 75-68 win came in the seventh overtime game in NCAA championship game history. [box score]

When you look back at this tournament a few years from now, Wisconsin's exit will not appear as poor as it seemed at the time. When Davidson hung with the eventual national champion until the final shot, the whole Midwest Region got a boost. If you can't win, you hope the team that beats you was the best in the country. In UW's case, this was close enough. From one angle, you could make an argument--albeit a shaky one--that Wisconsin lost to the second-best team in the tournament this year.

In days leading up to the title game, I started thinking back to a recent New York Times piece on the composition of Wisconsin's roster (thanks to Jon Linder for pointing it out). The map got me thinking both about the direction UW's program is headed and also about what it takes to build a truly elite, NCAA Championship-level squad these days.

Wisconsin has concentrated traditionally on snagging the best players from the state and filling in needed pieces from its midwestern neighbors. Bo Ryan has placed a premium on finding players who will best fit his swing offense and embrace the team concept. It's easy to fill a roster with that kind of players when your legendary head coach has inspired half of the high school coaches in the state to run his system.

I have constructed some player origin maps to show how this type of roster-building strategy appears spatially. Almost every program is going to fill extra roster spots with walk-ons from around the state, so I concentrated on mapping the scholarship athletes. Though we have been able to cherry-pick some talent from Minnesota lately, the 2007-08 roster was still heavily local:

Now look at Monday night's title game match-up. See where Kansas and Memphis are pulling players from? All over. Compare these maps and apparent strategies with Wisconsin's more regional map:

Both school's rosters featured scholarship players from 10 different states this season. Kansas has natural ties to the heartland, but nearly every corner of the country is represented. Memphis' turf seems restricted only to anything east of the Mississippi River. These are two of the nation's premier programs which can basically pick and choose the recruits they want. Similarly, top-flight prospects desire to play for these schools, no matter where they grew up.

The question is, will Bo Ryan change his recruiting. Does he agree with the pessimists that decry a lack of athleticism on his team and feel the need to look outside Wisconsin's borders to find it? More likely is that (1)the recent classes of high school seniors in Wisconsin have been less talented than usual and (2)the Badgers continue to raise their profile nationally in the minds of prep hoop stars.

This fall, five new freshmen will join the Badgers, none of which will be from Wisconsin. The departing senior class this spring consists of four in-state contributors (3 scholarship, 1 walk-on). In just one year, Wisconsin has added three new states to it's recruiting footprint* to up the total to eight. As I mentioned before, this is probably more of a drastic blip than an official trend. If the team keeps winning 30 games a year, though, the opportunities to pick and choose become even greater and more frequent.

*This map assumes 2008 recruit Ryan Evans will occupy Kevin Gullikson's 2008-09 scholarship.

Round 5 (& 6) data

With all the Big Ten teams long-gone and no other 3-seeds left to compare to Wisconsin's run, there is nothing left to track but my pathetic bracket. When North Carolina and UCLA were both eliminated at the Final Four, the debacle was complete.

My picks: 37/63 (58.7%) Round 5 (& 6): 0-3