The Wisconsin Badgers finally took Bo Ryan to the Final Four last season. This new season promises the possibility of actually exceeding the point this program climbed to last March. They are currently posted at +948 to cut down the nets at the end of the Madness.
Recap from Last Season
The Badgers went through an awful series of games in a few slumping weeks during January. They were hit hard in the Big Ten and seemed to be vulnerable to a worrisome extent. However, the Badgers cleaned up their problems almost as quickly as they first appeared. Wisconsin wasn’t the same team it was in previous seasons under Ryan. The Badgers used to rely a lot more on their defense, but in the 2013-2014 season, they turned to their offense to get a lot more things done.
Last season, Wisconsin put a very efficient offense on the court. The Badgers hit almost 46 percent of their shots. They made 51.3 percent of their two-point shots and nearly 38 percent of their three-point shots, both excellent averages. This team was 11th in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense, 42.9, and it was only eighth in the Big Ten with an average of 30.8 rebounds per game. The Badgers did not play the games in the 50s that used to be a feature of their seasons. This team played a lot more games in the 70s, some in the 80s. Wisconsin was the kind of team that didn’t rely on any one player to do too much. Frank Kaminsky clearly became this team’s star in the low post, but Kaminsky didn’t overplay his hand and was able to still set up his teammates by not forcing drives to the rim.
With prudent offensive playmakers and lots of them, Wisconsin established itself as being in good shape for the Big Ten regular season championship and remained in the hunt for a number one seed in the NCAA tournament, eventually settling on a number two seed. What made the Badgers work well is that no single player overindulged on shots, allowing the offense to move more efficiently by spreading the floor.
This team offense was never better than in the Final Four, when Wisconsin scored consistently against a poor Kentucky defense. The Badgers scored 73 points in a modestly-paced game. The only problem was that Kentucky killed Wisconsin on the glass and got a game-winning three from Aaron Harrison inside the final six seconds on the clock. Kentucky won, 74-73, and Wisconsin was denied victory even though it received balanced contributions from its lineup, including an unexpectedly good night from Bronson Koenig, who scored 11 points and supported the Badgers’ bigger-name performers. Wisconsin played the way it wanted to play… but still came up a bit short.
Offseason Changes
The notable thing about Wisconsin this next season is how few changes really do exist. Traevon Jackson, Sam Dekker, Josh Gasser, Nigel Hayes, and Kaminsky all return and should make the Badgers even better on offense than they were last season. That’s scary for fellow Big Ten teams. Wisconsin is building the level of depth that can make a good program into a great one. This advance recruiting could show up late in the season, as Wisconsin finds several players who could be physically spent yet willing to see what they can do while other teams hit the wall and run out of steam.
Projected Finish
The return of so many core players, with Kaminsky honoring everything in the middle, makes Wisconsin a truly irresistible choice to do well this season. The Badgers set up their team in a precise way, and since that team is still intact, it only makes sense to favor them as the season continues.
Pick: Sweet 16 In NCAA Tournament
