When Wisconsin freshman Joe Krabbenhoft set foot on campus in the fall, he undoubtedly did so with lofty expectations. A native of Sioux Falls, S.D., he was ranked among the nation's top 25 high school seniors last year. He was tabbed as the best player to come out of the state since Mike Miller, the 2001 NBA Rookie of the Year.
When Krabbenhoft turned down the likes of Kansas, Michigan State and Florida to orally commit to UW two years ago, Badger fans knew they were getting a solid player.
So far, he has not disappointed anyone.
The scrappy forward may not be stuffing the stat sheet so far this year, but then again, true freshman seldom do, at least not in the Big Ten. It is not Krabbenhoft's 3.1 points or 3.0 rebounds per game that set him apart from other freshman in the conference, and it is certainly not a flashy style of play that makes him stand out either. What separates Krabbenhoft from other players his age can never be found on any stat sheet.
Instead, it has been Krabbenhoft's gritty and determined effort coincided with his fundamentally sound game that has won over the hearts of Badger fans. His sound play has allowed him to make contributions few could expect from a true freshman.
'I think it just comes from good teaching,' Krabbenhoft said of his poise on the court. 'I'm the type of player that likes to learn things, whether it's from coach Ryan, one of our other assistants or one of our leaders like Alando (Tucker), Jason (Chappell), Brian Butch and Ray Nixon. I just feel like I have a lot to learn, and the things they teach me are the things I do on the court.'
Krabbenhoft's quick learning ability has not gone unnoticed. In the Badgers' last two games, he has taken on an increased role, averaging 23 minutes. In a victory at Minnesota, he logged season highs with 24 minutes, six points and eight rebounds, and with much of the Badgers' squad struggling to find any kind of a rhythm offensively, head coach Bo Ryan left him on the floor late into the contest to play some crucial minutes.
'I'm just playing each possession, trying to win each possession and do the right things,' Krabbenhoft said. 'If you do that, you tend to be out on the court and helping the team in a positive way. If you don't, you're usually causing problems for your team out there, or you're not on the floor at all.'
While most have been impressed with Krabbenhoft's quick transition from high school to the college game, he admits there have been challenges, most notably on the defensive end. Though he helped hold Northwestern's Vedran Vukusic to just 15 points, six below his season average, defending players like Vukusic or Minnesota's Vince Grier is not something he is accustomed to.
'I didn't guard many guys like that at the high school level,' he said. 'AAU is a little different, guarding guys who we're playing against now, but day-in and day-out, it wasn't competition like this.'
Still, after showing off his defensive skills to Vukusic and Grier, it is likely Ryan will continue to use the freshman to stop the best of the Big Ten.
While Krabbenhoft may play with surprising maturity for a freshman, he does make his share of freshman mistakes as well, and knows there is always room for improvement.
'Individually, I'd like to start seeing the game in slow motion,' he said. 'I know Alando and some of the older guys talk about seeing things in slow motion and seeing things develop. I just want to get to that level.'
Krabbenhoft is also aware of the pressure that comes with being such a highly anticipated recruit in a big time Division I college program. But judging by his poised performance so far on the court, he seems unphased by the pressure.
'There is always pressure, being here at Wisconsin,' Krabbenhoft said. 'You just have to look at the big picture. I'm just out here having fun playing basketball.'
