JS Online Blog on Wisconsin Badgers

[NersEllenson]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/badgers/uw-players-compete-for-open-positions-132504533.html?page=1

UW getting some coverage from Journal Sentinel - no surprise there - sounds like they are expecting good things out of their freshman Jared Ulthoff.  From the YouTube footage I saw...this seems shocking.

I did get a great laugh reading this comment submitted by a UW fan below the article.  Seriously??!!  Wow.  To me this is Bo's weakest WI team in awhile...thoughts?

"There is so much talent on this team it scares the heck out of me! And add Decker next year [another true fr. starter], i just might live long enough to see a Bucky as National Champs.

But i do expect Evans, Wilson to really step up this year. Its possible we might see more small ball this year too we have a ton of talent at the 2/3 spots, with Utolff and Evans at the 4 spot."

[GGGG]

Most Badger fans I know, and I mean the realistic ones, think they're way overrated in the polls this pre-season.  Evans and Wilson have been disappointing since they have been there.  However, they have some young talent (with no experience) in Brust, Dukan and possibly Anderson.  And they are very optimistic about the the Dekker-lead class next year, and the Koenig-class the year after.  There is reason for optimism.

[Boone]

So much talent?! Jordan Taylor's the talent and he's gone after this season. This year is Bucky's window.

[NersEllenson]

Most Badger fans I know, and I mean the realistic ones, think they're way overrated in the polls this pre-season.  Evans and Wilson have been disappointing since they have been there.  However, they have some young talent (with no experience) in Brust, Dukan and possibly Anderson.  And they are very optimistic about the the Dekker-lead class next year, and the Koenig-class the year after.  There is reason for optimism.

Yes - I've heard Dekker is the REAL DEAL...and obviously Koenig is highly regarded.  Should be fun to watch Steve Taylor and Dekker battle - as I believe they both are inside/out combo 3/4's.

I doubt though, that their Anderson kid ever becomes much more than a guy like Stiemsma....perhaps not even that good.

[tower912]

Brust, Gasser, and Taylor should form a solid backcourt.   Replacing 3 starters up front is the challenge.   They have lots of pieces, but no experience.  Maybe Uthoff has gotten better, but I remember watching his youtube video back 2 back with Juan's and wondering if they were filmed at the same speed.    Or if the rims were the same height.    I think this year is the Jordan Taylor show, which, thanks to the Kohl, should be good for 25 wins and a top 3 B1G finish.     And then another flameout in the tourney.  

[TedBaxter]

Yes - I've heard Dekker is the REAL DEAL...and obviously Koenig is highly regarded.  Should be fun to watch Steve Taylor and Dekker battle - as I believe they both are inside/out combo 3/4's.

Decker would be a tough matchup for Taylor as Decker is more of a 3 and may even play some 2 at times. 

[NersEllenson]

Decker would be a tough matchup for Taylor as Decker is more of a 3 and may even play some 2 at times. 

Thanks for clarification....well then the good news I guess will be that Jamil Wilson and or Vander can defend him for at least his freshman and sophomore years.  I like our chances of neutralizing him with Vander and Jamil - guys who will have had 2 and 3 years of experience at high D-1 ball...

[tower912]

So, Dekker is more of a non-traditional switchable?

[GGGG]

Yes - I've heard Dekker is the REAL DEAL...and obviously Koenig is highly regarded.  Should be fun to watch Steve Taylor and Dekker battle - as I believe they both are inside/out combo 3/4's.

I doubt though, that their Anderson kid ever becomes much more than a guy like Stiemsma....perhaps not even that good.

I tend to agree with your point about their Anderson kid, but he's 6'10" and has spent a redshirt year.  They have some cautious optimism about him...as would I.  Steimsma would have been so much better had he not gotten injured his senior year in high school.  He lost a ton of quickness that pretty much plagued him for the rest of his career.

[Lennys Tap]

The Wisconsin frontcourt player that impressed me down the stretch last year was Brusewicz (sp?). I think he effectively replaces Leuer, who looked like an All American early but faded badly down the stretch.

[MUMac]

The Wisconsin frontcourt player that impressed me down the stretch last year was Brusewicz (sp?). I think he effectively replaces Leuer, who looked like an All American early but faded badly down the stretch.

He benefited greatly by having Leuer and Nankivil.  It will be interesting to see how Gasser and Bruesewitz fare without those two (plus Jarmuz).  I think they will struggle early, as the defense shifts more to them.  Evans, Wilson and Berggren will need to step up their games to take some of the heat off.  I don't see Anderson as much of a factor, especially in the swing.

[cheebs09]

I agree MUMac. From my  memory a lot of Gasser's and Bruesewitz 3 pointers were off of swing passes around the top when people collapsed on the two big guys or Taylor driving. I also feel that they had a lot of garbage points on putbacks. Also, Nankivil and Leuer didn't have the types of years they had hoped (both were very good, but Taylor was by far the star), but teams still had to gameplan for them and that may be why they struggled a little bit. I just think that the loss of Leuer and Nankivil may be tougher to overcome because they were a big part of the gameplan and very good for the swing. I'm usually wrong though and the Badgers are right at the top of the Big Ten.

[furrious9]

Played against Utoff and Wilson at the SERF over here in Madison.  Granted its pick up basketball, but I cannot see either doing very much AT ALL. Wilson especially. Again, its pick up basketball against normal college students, but he has a terrible rap with my friends and i for being the laziest player we've ever played against and we can't stand him.  I dont see this team finishing in the top 20 in the country, even with Taylor.

[TedBaxter]

Thanks for clarification....well then the good news I guess will be that Jamil Wilson and or Vander can defend him for at least his freshman and sophomore years.  I like our chances of neutralizing him with Vander and Jamil - guys who will have had 2 and 3 years of experience at high D-1 ball...

Juan Anderson might be a guy that matches up defensively with Decker in the future.

[Hards Alumni]

Played against Utoff and Wilson at the SERF over here in Madison.  Granted its pick up basketball, but I cannot see either doing very much AT ALL. Wilson especially. Again, its pick up basketball against normal college students, but he has a terrible rap with my friends and i for being the laziest player we've ever played against and we can't stand him.  I dont see this team finishing in the top 20 in the country, even with Taylor.

You are saying he plays lazy in pick up games which don't count for anything?

...

[brewcity77]

I'm amazed we haven't heard anything about Evan Anderson. I think he has the potential to be just the kind of force down low Bo needs.

That said, this team isn't near as good as last year's team. Berggren, Uthoff, Wilson, and Brust are not going to instantly play at the level of Leuer, Nankivil, and Jarmusz. It'll take them some time to get it down. My expectation is a so-so non-conference, but that they'll figure it out and still finish top-4 in the Big Ten. But no way they finish ahead of Ohio State or Purdue, and probably not Michigan State either. This team just isn't that good. I don't think they'll be contending for a league title again until 2014, but Bo will still keep them in the upper echelon.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Played against Utoff and Wilson at the SERF over here in Madison.  Granted its pick up basketball, but I cannot see either doing very much AT ALL. Wilson especially. Again, its pick up basketball against normal college students, but he has a terrible rap with my friends and i for being the laziest player we've ever played against and we can't stand him.  I dont see this team finishing in the top 20 in the country, even with Taylor.

You do realize that both of those guys were most likely playing at a small fraction of their actual ability, right? 

[Dr. Blackheart]

Pretty sure Bo hasn't liked Wilson's game either. Completely wrong fit, and it becomes more apparent as time passes. Surprised he showed back up in Madison for his senior year.  Word is that he has changed his tune, though.  Let's see how long it lasts.  

Freshman year I thought the kid was a NBA talent. Really a case of wasted potential.

[GGGG]

I'm amazed we haven't heard anything about Evan Anderson. I think he has the potential to be just the kind of force down low Bo needs.

Did you see him play in high school?  Not exactly dominant in the weakest basketball section of the state.  I can see why people are hedging their bets.

[brewcity77]

The Wisconsin frontcourt player that impressed me down the stretch last year was Brusewicz (sp?). I think he effectively replaces Leuer, who looked like an All American early but faded badly down the stretch.

He's also about 5 inches shorter than Leuer. That's a sizable difference as Leuer was often able to shoot over the defense ala Steve Novak and was a much stronger as an inside defensive presence.

And I realize Anderson is all potential, but Bo knows his type of player well. How often do we see these guys that may not have been the flashiest coming out end up doing great for him? I think a physical presence with that much presence is something they need as much as they do an athlete like Dekker.

[MUMac]

And I realize Anderson is all potential, but Bo knows his type of player well. How often do we see these guys that may not have been the flashiest coming out end up doing great for him? I think a physical presence with that much presence is something they need as much as they do an athlete like Dekker.

The converse to this:  How often do we see bigs commit early to Bo and underperform?  Some never leave the bench and are "encouraged" to look elsewhere. 

I am not sold on Anderson at all.  To put it more succinctly, I am more than happy with our bigs over him.

[GGGG]

And I realize Anderson is all potential, but Bo knows his type of player well. How often do we see these guys that may not have been the flashiest coming out end up doing great for him?

You mean like J.P. Gavinski or Ian Markoff?

[Earl Tatum]

Bo will have to be quite patient with Anderson. He is very slow and in college will meet people his own size or bigger. When he played in the State Tourney, he had like 4 pts and 5 fouls and that was it. Tyler Brown, the other big guy, was the main man and he is at UW-GB. It will be quite a project to get Anderson up to D-1 Big 10 standards. If he does make it, you would have to give Ryan and coaches big time credit.

[dgies9156]

Since when did we go red and white in here?

Yikes, there's more talk about Bucky, or the Red Rodent, than there is about us, except for the Big East breaking apart.

Let's get back to talking about what we're supposed to be talking about. Wisconsin's BEST basketball team, Marquette