Their backgrounds are incredibly diverse. There is the walk-on who played his way to a starting role in his final season, there is the 3-point specialist who transferred to his hometown team for his senior season. There is an overseas high school-star who found his niche in a Big Ten program, a junior college transfer who brings energy and tenacity off the bench and there is the hard-working big man with what seems like hundreds of low- post moves.
The Badgers' seniors are a diverse group, but together, under the tutelage of head coach Bo Ryan, they have helped lead the Wisconsin program to two Big Ten regular season championships and one Big Ten Tournament championship. This senior class has helped to instill the utmost leadership and sportsmanship in the Wisconsin program.
Imagine a 6'5\ high school senior from Reedsburg High School, near Wisconsin Dells. In his senior year, the guard averaged 28.7 points per game to go along with 8.6 rebounds, claiming the titles of Capital Times player of the year, Wisconsin State Journal all-area player of the year, as well as second-team all state. Now, imagine that guard not being recruited by his home state's largest basketball program.
Everybody knows the Clayton Hanson story, but that does not diminish its impressiveness. A freshman walk-on, maybe the second most beloved Wisconsin athletics walk-on in the last four years next to the football team's Jim Leonhard, Hanson has propelled himself from benchwarmer extraordinaire to a mainstay in the starting lineup. Recruited by Ryan when he was coaching UW-Milwaukee, Hanson's progression has been most evident over his four years for the Badgers. In his freshman year, Hanson averaged 0.9 points per game in 36 total minutes, with a five-minute game against Georgia Tech his largest amount of playing time that year.
Now it is a different story.Hanson, a popular selection for best dressed by his teammates, averages 6.6 points and 30.3 minutes per game, as well as leading the team in 3-point shooting.
Although Hanson's outside game has been key to the Badgers' success, Wisconsin lost a major 3-point threat when Devin Harris opted to test the professional basketball waters. The ability to dribble down the court and simply spot up for a three, instead of waiting for the open man, something typical of Ryan's swing offense, seemed like it would not be present in a player early in the season.
Sharif Chambliss changed all that. Chambliss, a 6'1"" point guard, was Penn State's leading scorer and 3-point shooter his sophomore and junior years. After years of seeing his hometown team succeed in the Big Ten, the Racine, Wis., native transferred to the Badgers, opting to sit out a year due to NCAA transfer regulations. His points per game are down more than six points (14.7 to 8.3), and he might not have the leadership role that he had on Penn State, but he is now an important cog in a team trying to win its second consecutive Big Ten tournament championship, rather than a lone standout on a basement dwelling Nittany Lion squad.
Another important factor in the tournament run for Wisconsin is senior center Andreas Helmigk. With freshman center Brian Butch sidelined, Helmigk has seen his playing time increased. Nicknamed ""Smooth"" by his teammates, Helmigk's game is anything but delicate. A hard-nosed defender and a rebounding force inside, the senior makes the most out of his limited minutes. At 25 years of age, he is the oldest player on the team, and he has also made the longest journey to get here.
Born in Klagenfurt, Austria, Helmigk starred for the national team. His breakout year came last year, where he started 15 of the 27 games he played in. Scoring 12 points on 5 of 6 shooting in his first ever career start against Detroit, he impressed the fans and Ryan, who continues to play Helmigk in crucial situations. An avid Seinfeld fan, Helmigk's sense of humor and laid-back personality has helped to make him a fan favorite with the Badger faithful.
Players do not have to play all four years in order to become fan favorites in Madison. Zach Morley, a junior college transfer from Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, has become a spark plug off the bench. His versatility as a 6'8"" big man with a soft outside touch and the ability to handle the ball caught the eye of coach Ryan. Morley averaged 15.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game at IHCC in his sophomore year, leading the Warriors to a 29-6 record. With mop-like hairstyle and his lanky limbs, Morley approaches the game with a fast-paced mentality, exuding the most emotion of any Badgers on the court. He was key in Wisconsin's Big Ten tournament championship last year, as wellas the first round defeat of Richmond in the NCAA, highlighted by his dunk late in the second half.
Wisconsin fans have been treated to the forward's athletic play the last two years, having to keep their eyes peeled, never knowing when he will unleash a swooping reverse scoop lay-up.
Hard work and tenacity will earn the utmost respect from the dedicated basketball aficionados at Madison and Morley has done just that.
Without Kirk Penney or Devin Harris in the mix this year for the Badgers, senior forward Mike Wilkinson finally has had a chance to shine. The unquestioned leader of the team, Wilkinson is leading the Badgers in rebounding for the fourth straight year. His low-post footwork, including his signature back-to-the-basket shimmy-fake and outside touch, have tantalized opposing Big Ten forwards and centers who guard the undersized big man. A second-team All-Big Ten member last season, and a member of the Big Ten All-Tournament team, Wilkinson is making a strong case for his addition on the first-team lineup this year.
Wilkinson's dream is not to play professional basketball, but to live in the country and work on a farm. After this season, he will go down as one of the state's most beloved college athletes, formerly being named Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin after his senior year at Wisconsin Heights High School.
This diverse group of seniors is an interesting one, and their ability to come together and be so successful is a credit to coach Ryan. Losing the graduating class after this year will be a big blow to Ryan's Badgers, but the future is bright with players like freshman guard Michael Flowers and freshmen centers Brian Butch and Greg Stiemsma waiting in the wings.
The seniors' impact on these young guns will be seen in the years to come, but will be remembered by the Badger faithful for an even longer time.
