2015-16 Wisconsin Badgers

I actually feel a lot worse for these guys than I do for the Packers.  Why?  They aren't professionals and in reality this was and should have been their shot.  It truly would have been a story book ending but alas it was not meant to be.  That's what really sucks.   If they play this one over again 10 times i would bet UW wins most of them.  Unfortunately they could not overcome some bad mistakes and shoddy calls but they were right there at the end.  What worked for them against AZ and Kentucky and UNC just didn't happen and that's what we will be left with - truly a "what if" situation

Still, they have some decent pieces in place and I think their place on the big stage should help them with recruiting.

Was a fun year and look forward to what's in store next season.

It will be very interesting to see how Hayes and Bronson improve. Dekker IMO should come back, and if he does will he be THE MAN every nite, every possesion.  Who plays in the middle next year?  Can Showy be a 40 minute Big 10 player?  I thought Vitto looked good earlier in the year, lately, not so good.  At the end of games, garbage time if you will who among the young subs impressed you? Since Bo did not see fit to use them much when it counted I have to wonder.

 

should be a interesting year, Bo will coach up whoever he has, his system has proven to work.

I also think Dekker should come back not only for selfish reasons as a fan but I just don't think he is 100% ready.  But something is telling me he bolts while his name is big.

I think it is so disappointing for that program because in this age of one and done's you don't get too many legit shots at these programs and with a real shot at beating them.  And to come up short I feel so bad for those players because you could sense how much they really liked each other.

As for next year my biggest concern is size in the middle. I think the guards and smaller forwards will be just fine but who is going to be the big guy?  i looked at the roster and there are quite a few taller guys but not a true big man. 

I agree. You don't get many chances at a national title in hoops and this one hurts. In many ways, this reminded me of that Utah/Kentucky championship game back in '98(?). Utah had an incredible run but just ran out of steam.

 

They can rebuild and reload, but it will be tough. While UK and Duke will get the next crop of McDonald's all-americans, Bo's rebuild process takes a bit more time. They will really miss Frank. I'm not sure what kind of a pro he'll be, but he's a great college player. Having a 7 footer who can play behind guys in the post is such a difference...lots of contested shots inside that Duke & Kentucky missed that other really good teams like MSU and Notre Dame gave up b/c they didn't have Frank's length.

 

The guy I'm not sold on is Hayes. He had a nice tourney and all, but I was a bit dismayed that he couldn't exploit mismatches. Against UK, he couldn't beat Towns off the dribble. And against Duke, he couldn't post up on Winston. They need him to get a killer instinct and attack.

Koenig and Hayes made a big leap this year In terms of their development and to some extent so did Dekker.  If those three guys return and they find another big man this can still be a very good team.  Maybe not Final Four good but decent enough to compete for the BT title

The lack of big guys is a major problem for most schools. The 7 foot ready-made college players end up at one of a handful of places (Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Arizona, Kansas, UCLA) and play for a year.

 

I used to think of Duke as a model program, but Coach K couldn't beat them (the one and dones), so he joined them. I would think winning championships with guys like Battier, Laettner, Grant Hill, etc. who he coached for 3-4 years and made them better players would mean a lot more to him than winning with 4 freshman who he barely knows. Basically, Calipari, Roy Williams, Coach K, Bill Self, etc. are coaching glorified AAU teams. There isn't much player development. Their challenge is to get guys to play together for about a 6 week stretch at the end of a season. The McDonald's all American-dominated teams could win 20 games and qualify for the tournament if they coached themselves.

I do hope they bury Diamond Stone when they play next year. No matter what a few Twitter idiots said about his grades, celebrating when Wisconsin lost last night was a punk move.

Oh man, if Sam would come back, I see huge things for the Badgers......hope he comes back.  

I'd tell him to stay. He's not ready for the NBA. He needs to know how to be "The Man". He needs to know how to attack when they're geared up to stop you. He needs to learn how to be automatic in the post. He needs to refine his shooting touch so it is more consistent.

If he comes back, another year of these lessons from one of basketballs best teachers will make him better. Or he'll go to the nba and flame out before he can learn these things.

The rest of the team will be as good as they work. The great thing about this season is the example it sets for Happ, Brown, Ikillinen, and the other big guys in their future. Work on these things and you can be Frank too!

They're going to get better at G. Quicker, more dynamic. Showalter should do dribbling drills until his arms fall off. Watch video highlights of That Duke kid until it hurts. Be him. Be that guy.

The cupboard is not bare. They can still be really good..

 If he's a first round pick, I would advise Sam to make his money when it is available to him.  Love to have him back, but could not possibly hold it against him if the feedback he is getting is he is a first round pick.  

http://bustedcoverage.com/2015...ry-1738546-1738556-0

 

and here's Sam's girlfriend....

Even though Dekker did not play particularly well against Duke he certainly improved his draft stock later in the season and against teams like AZ and Kentucky.

If he grades out as a mid-late 1st round pick it would be hard to fault the guy for declaring.  Totally agree Bong

Hell, I loved these Badgers! They were what a team strives to be. Unselfish, hard working and disciplined. Bo really had a great team! I'm sad this must end without a National Championship Trophy in Madison. I'm hoping Dekker comes back. With Hayes, Koenig and Schowalter ready to go and especially if Dekker returns, there's no reason to think this team won't go deep in next year's Tournament. GO BUCKY!!!

Don't think Bo would ever do this, but think of this proposition to counter the "one and done's" or "2 and done" philosophy vs Bo's players/philosophy?

 

If Dekker goes pro:

 

Redshirt - Koenig and Hayes

Play - Pritzl, Illikanian, Happ, Brown, Showalter and others for one year getting their feet wet, then coming back with those guys plus Koenig/Hayes for another 2 year run at this thing!!

 

If Dekker stays, there is no reason, we couldn't be right back hear at the Final Four.

 

Koenig/Hayes/Dekker - all improved - 1 year older

Showalter replaces Gasser

Happ replaces Frank

Pritzl/Illikanian/Brown are your top reserves and hopefully someone else jumps up from the bench and improves their game?

well, you thought this then typed it then hit submit reply.  

If Dekker leaves is it a 3 and done?

If Dekker goes, Hayes may end up averaging as many points in a season as any player Ryan has ever had. He's got three point range and post-up moves and is now a good free throw shooter.

Just like Devin Harris.

 

In all seriousness, I think there is a big difference between a one and one guy and even a two year guy. The one and dones go to class for a semester and aren't that assimilated into the summer program. If you stay for two years, you have to at least attend three semesters of classes and go through one full offseason/weight room program. There is at least some player development that can happen, not so much for the one and dones. For example, did Okafor improve at all during the year? If he stayed another year, his improvement would exponential. Coach K isn't really doing any player development, he's just trying to keep guys happy for a few months.

Hayes may end up being my favorite Badger player of all. A smart, articulate, funny, and thoughtful guy who has improved dramatically and works his ass off in the classroom (Academic All Big10) and in the gym.

 

I'm not so worried about his inability to exploit matchups against Towns and Winslow. Those are two guys who are being talked about as top 5 picks who are going to be good NBA defenders. There are not many players n college who are going to exploit those guys.

My broskkki @andyvanvliet is cooking some dangerous thing �� �� �� �� �� pic.twitter.com/QIR9RJ9TUV

— rayankayembe (@theonlyRK) July 9, 2015

Yeah, heard about this kid. Holy moly... Very dynamic. Lefty stroke. Skinny as hell though...

http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/pages/andy-van-vliet

link

 

Koenig described the freshmen as “hungry,” and that label also could apply to a handful of returning players who will try to carve out bigger roles next season. That group includes Showalter, junior forward Vitto Brown, sophomore guard Jordan Hill, redshirt freshman forward Ethan Happ and sophomore swingman Riley Dearring.