Originally Posted by
Phantom Warrior
I'm not sure what to think about UW this year.
I do know that this will be, by far, the least experienced team Bo has had at UW with five frosh and a red-shirt frosh. It will also be the youngest at the other end as there is not a senior on the roster with any real experience. Gee, kind of like MU.
There is no question that Hayes and Koenig are solid D-1 players, but both will be thrust into different roles this year, leadership roles. Happ is supposedly talented, but he has not played a minute of D-1 ball. The other guys - Brown, Showalter, Hill, and Dearing - have shown little.
On top of that, the Big 10-14 seems to have some pretty solid teams. Overall, I think the conference is stronger than it normally is.
Finally, UW's conference schedule is tougher than it has been in quite awhile as they play many of the stronger teams twice.
Bo has a terrific track record; one certainly can not ignore that. But it does not take long to have a program slide. We had eight consecutive years in the Big Dance and were coming off two Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight. Then, boom!
The Badgers could end up in the top four in the conference, but I wouldn't bet my mortgage on that happening. I think UW will more likely end up in the middle of the conference, in the 6th through 8th range. Time will tell.