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Wisconsin Badgers
Basketball Forum Rank: #22, 4th in Big Ten
Head Coach: Bo Ryan
2007-2008 Record: 31-5 (16-2, 1st in Big Ten)
2007-2008 Postseason: Lost in Sweet 16 to Davidson 73-56
G – Jason Bohannon 6-2 Jr. (26.3 MPG, 8.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG)
F – Joe Krabbenhoft 6-7 Sr. (31.1 MPG, 7.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG)
F – Marcus Landry 6-7 Sr. (29.4 MPG, 10.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG)
F – Jon Leuer 6-10 So. (8.6 MPG, 2.9 PPG, 1.2 RPG)
Impact Bench Players
G – Robert Wilson 6-4 Fr. (4-Star Recruit)
F – Keaton Nankivil 6-8 So. (2.4 MPG, 0.4 PPG, 0.8 RPG)
C – Jared Berggren 6-10 Fr. (4-Star Recruit)
Guards
For a second straight season, it looks like the Badgers will only go three deep at the guard position. With Michael Flowers graduating, Jason Bohannon will be counted on to replace him at the 2-guard spot. He’ll join returning starter Trevon Hughes at the point. Bohannon is a nice player, but he’s really just a three point specialist (39% last year) that doesn’t do much else. Hughes really struggled shooting the ball last year, and was a bit of a disappointment. That’s going to leave them pretty thin as the likely main bench contributor will be freshman Robert Wilson. Wilson is known for his perimeter shooting, but you’d prefer someone more proven as the top guard off the bench.
Hughes could be the conference's top player in '08-'09
Forwards
Wisconsin returns two of its three starting forwards in Krabbenhoft and Landry, so that’s good news. They did lose starter Brian Butch as well as Greg Stiemsma, which is disappointing because they were solid big men. Losing those guys could hurt since this isn’t a deep team. Nevertheless, sophomore Jon Leuer logged some time last season, although if he’s good enough for a bigger role will have to be seen. Look for Keaton Nankivil to also get more time this season. He didn’t see much action as a freshman, but he’s a good shooter who should be ready. Freshman Jared Berggren is an intriguing newcomer who will provide some size and good rebounding.
Final Thoughts
Bo Ryan continuously puts together great teams with mediocre talent, so it would be no surprise to see him have another top 25 team and Big Ten contender with this squad. Defense will always be a strength under Ryan, and that alone should keep them competitive with anyone in the conference. Losing Butch and Stiemsma could cause problems with the interior defense, so it’s important that Nankivil and Berggren fill that void quickly. Guard play certainly doesn’t stand out, either, as their lacking a real weapon. On paper, this probably isn't a top 25 team, but then again, they weren't last year either and we know how that turned out. When all is said and done, this was a top 10 team last year that was atop the Big Ten, and still returns three starters. It would be surprising to see them outside the top 25 at the end of the season.
Links
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'08 Yahoo Team Report
Quote:
Wisconsin lost three of its top seven players from its 31-5 team, including starters Michael Flowers and Brian Butch. While the Badgers have a few new guards who could bolster the backcourt from the get-go—point guard Jordan Taylor and scorer Robert Wilson—there are more question marks upfront.
Not only do the Badgers have to replace Butch, they need to find someone to take Greg Stiemsma’s role as the towheaded eraser in the middle. Sophomore Keaton Nankivil, a powerful rebounder, and freshman Jared Berggren, a borderline Top 100 recruit, have resumes that suggest they’ll help.
Top 25 Countdown: #22 Wisconsin Badgers
