Wisconsin Badgers (23-8, 13-5)
Sweet 16 appearance (beaten by Butler 61-54).
Coach Bo Ryan (242-91 while at Wisconsin) celebrated his decennial season with the Badgers last season.
81.5 percent team free throw average led the nation, and the Badgers return 53.6 percent of their scoring and 54.7 percent of their rebounding from last year.
Projected starting five:
So. G Josh Gasser (30 starts last year as freshman)
Sr. G Jordan Taylor (18.1 ppg, 20.1 rpg)
Sr. G/F Rob Wilson
Jr. F Mike Bruesewitz
Jr. F/C Jared Berggren (Shot better than 49 percent from the field)
Important departures:
Jon Leuer: 18.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg
Keaton Nankivil: 9.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg
Tim Jarmusz: 3.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Additions:
Fr. SG Traevon Jackson (Rivals.com three-star player)
Fr. C Frank Kaminsky (Rivals.com three-star player)
Fr. PG George Marshall (Rivals.com three-star player)
Fr. PF Jarrod Uthoff (Rivals.com three-star player)
Outlook:
The Badgers lose three of their five starters from the 2010-11 season: Jon Leuer (taken 40th overall in the NBA Draft), Keaton Nankivil and Tim Jarmusz. Wisconsin would seem poised for a collapse following the third-winningest season in school history if not for the incredible coaching staff. Bo Ryan – he of five Big Ten titles – begins his 11th season coaching for Wisconsin and is the primary reason the school continues to be a preseason favorite to take the Big Ten every year. Despite the loss of both their lead shot blockers and 3-point shooter (Leuer and Nankivil) and a 91 percent free throw shooter (Jarmusz), Ryan will be able to coach this team to success. Ryan will utilize his sixth man G/F Ryan Evans and junior F Zach Bohannon, a redshirt transfer from Air Force, to plug the holes in his lineup. Like the true artist he is, Ryan will utilize Gasser and Taylor as a one-two punch to carefully sculpt another winning season and NCAA Tournament appearance for the Badgers.
Schedule highlights:
A trip to Chapel Hill, N.C., at the end of November for the ACC/Big.Ten Challenge highlights a relatively easy nonconference schedule for the Badgers. As far as normal difficulties to be expected from playing in the Big Ten – Wisconsin plays Michigan State and Ohio State twice — the Badgers should be able to handle this season with relative ease. If it weren’t for Ohio State being stacked, they would be my pick to win the Big Ten. However, Big Ten title or not, the Badgers will be playing in March.
