• Marquette's Non-Conference Schedule Part V: Wisconsin


    Frank Kaminsky & Sam Dekker return for one final game at the Bradley Center




    Our fifth installment in the Marquette non-conference schedule previews focuses on the annual I-94 Rivalry game with the Wisconsin Badgers. More than any other team Marquette is scheduled to face this season, Wisconsin has legitimate national title aspirations & is one of the favorites as the season begins.

    Wisconsin



    The Coach: Bo Ryan’s thirteenth season at Wisconsin finally saw him reach the Final Four. He has compiled a 321-121 record at Wisconsin, never finishing below fourth in the conference. He has a 7-6 record against Marquette, including a 2-4 record at the Bradley Center.
    Expected Starters: G Traveon Jackson (Sr), G Josh Gasser (Sr), F Nigel Hayes (So), F Sam Dekker (Jr), C Frank Kaminsky (Sr)
    Key Returning Players: The Badgers return nearly everyone from last year’s roster, including Preseason AP All-American Kaminsky (13.9 ppg/6.3 rpg) & AP All-American honorable mention Dekker (12.4 ppg/6.1 rpg). Jackson (10.7 ppg/4.0 apg) & Gasser (8.8 ppg/4.0 rpg) have developed into reliable starters.
    Key Newcomers: Freshman forward Ethan Happ is the prototypical Bo Ryan big man. He’s a tough interior presence that can rebound, pass, & hit open shots out to the arc. He won’t get a lot of minutes this year, but he has many of the same qualities that have made players like Kaminsky, Jared Berggren, Jon Leuer, Keaton Nankivil, & Brian Butch so effective for Bucky.
    On The Court: A slow, methodical, efficient offense coupled with a brutal man-to-man defense has characterized the Badgers under Ryan. This year could be a little different. In Dekker & Hayes, the Badgers have two players that are high-level athletes with the ability to slash to the rim. Bo hasn’t had athletic talents like that since Alando Tucker left in 2007. Only four times have Bo’s teams been in the top-300 in the country in adjusted tempo. The first three times were the three years Bo had Tucker. The only other time was last year. Don’t be surprised to see these more athletic Badgers push the pace a little bit more.
    Season Projections: The Badgers return all but one player from a Final Four team, so anything less than a conference title & return to the Final Four would be a disappointment. Frank Kaminsky was quoted as saying “Next year should be the type of year where we roll the ball out and we know who’s gonna win – we just want to see by how much.” The Badgers are a veteran-laden team that has been tournament tested & should exude confidence. Like it or not, they will be one of the best teams in the country.




    What They’re Saying: I talked with Evan Flood, a writer that covers Wisconsin for 247 Sports. Here’s some of what he had to say:

    Who can replace what Ben Brust brought to the Badgers?
    I’m not sure anyone can. He will be missed more than people think. Aside from being a sharpshooter & a leader, Brust opened up the floor a lot for Wisconsin as defenders had to chase him around the perimeter. Wisconsin is still going to be a team that puts four or five shooters on the floor at all times, but they won’t have a guy that can run off screens & make the defense exert a lot of energy. Josh Gasser is the most like Brust, but he’s more of a catch & shoot guard than he is a player who runs off screens."

    What can trip up this Badger team?
    Wisconsin got overwhelmed inside by a number of teams last season, including Kentucky who knocked them out of the Final Four. That won’t be as big of a concern this season, but it’s still an issue. Vitto Brown & Duje Dukan need to be key contributors & give the Badgers minutes off the bench behind Kaminsky & Hayes. Wisconsin will be an experienced team, but they won’t be that deep. Wisconsin also has to get much better defensively. It was rare to see a Bo Ryan team as poor as they were at defending dribble penetration last season.

    Which lesser-known Badger is most likely to step up in a big way this year?
    That’s a tough one to answer, because Wisconsin was balanced last season & it’s hard to see the Badgers giving up that identity after losing just one starter. Everyone in the top seven is pretty well-known, so I’ll stray away from the obvious answer of Bronson Koenig & say Zak Showalter. After playing as a true freshman in 2011-12, Showalter redshirted last season & now should be in the rotation. He will definitely be a welcome addition defensively as a player that’s willing to do the dirty work."

    What are your expectations for 2014-15?
    Everyone assumes Wisconsin will be back in the Final Four in 2015. Obviously, the Badgers are one of the perennial favorites heading into the season, but things are far from sealed. Wisconsin now has to play with an X on their backs & it will be interesting to see if they can live up to the hype."