Losing the top two scorers from the record-setting 2007 squad, last year's Wisconsin men's basketball team was not projected to achieve much in the way of national recognition and conference supremacy. But a dedicated batch of talent led by then-seniors Brian Butch, Greg Stiemsma, Tanner Bronson and Michael Flowers defied expectations and led the Badgers to a 2008 Big Ten title and a trip to the Sweet 16 in March.
Now, as the new season approaches and the team copes with the loss of two starters to graduation, Wisconsin faces similar challenges in replacing some of its starting personnel and making a legitimate run for another conference title and playoff berth - a position that the players are all too familiar with and are ready to take on.
It's funny, a year ago today [people] were saying we lost maybe the best player in the country, and I think we rebounded OK from it,"" senior guard Joe Krabbenhoft said. ""We got ourselves a Big Ten [championship] ring. We're going to try to do the same this year. It's going to take more than just one guy to fill a Greg Stiemsma's spot or a Brian Butch's spot, but, by committee, I think we're going to be alright.""
Picked in the preseason polls to finish third in the Big Ten behind Purdue and Michigan State, the Badgers have their work cut out for them.
Both conference foes have considerable talent returning to their teams, including senior centers Goran Suton and Marquis Gray for the Spartans and Big Ten preseason player of the year sophomore forward Robbie Hummel for the Boilermakers. Purdue, the favorite to take the conference championship, has lost no starters from last year's team that was runner-up in the Big Ten title race - something UW head coach Bo Ryan acknowledges gives them a the clear advantage as the year takes off.
""You look at experience, and you have to say Michigan State and Purdue with returning players [rank highest],"" Ryan said. ""I think we might've broken the mold a little bit this past year in that we lost [Alando] Tucker and [Kammron]Taylor as far as scorers [and won the conference]. But it might've been a year where you can say we stole one from that standpoint '¦ I think Michigan State and Purdue, with what they have returning, that's a good position to be in.""
""Every year, we're never first in the polls,"" senior forward Marcus Landry added. ""For us, it doesn't mean anything, but as a team we have to step up and really match up with those guys. We played against [them] before. They know what we're capable of, we know what they're capable of, so we really just have to play to the best of our abilities because they're great teams.""
However, teams that have spent time in the lower half of the conference in years past could also pose as formidable threats to Wisconsin in the latter part of the season.
In a press conference at Big Ten basketball media day on Sunday, both Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo and Illinois head coach Bruce Webber recognized that Northwestern, Penn State and Michigan all have teams that are as good as they have ever been in a number of years. Particularly, the addition of big freshman centers Luka Mirkovic and Kyle Rowley at Northwestern, both of whom hover at the 7-foot mark, make the Wildcats an interesting prospect in terms of their final standing at the end of conference play.
Wisconsin has a number of strengths to bring to the table as well. In particular, Ryan has a 173-60 record since coming to Wisconsin in 2001 and has never once missed getting to an NCAA tournament as head coach.
On the court, Landry was selected for the Big Ten Preseason All-Conference team and leads all returning players from last year in field goals with 146 and blocks with 27. Sophomore forward Keaton Nankivil is said to have made tremendous strides in the offseason and will be looked upon to help fill the voids left by Stiemsma and Butch.
Junior guards Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon are proven talents who will likely find themselves in starting roles this year, while Krabbenhoft, the Badgers' best rebounder from last season, will be looked upon to serve as the backbone leader of a relatively young team.
""I think the teams around this league know when they see Wisconsin on the schedule that they're going to have to tighten up their shoes a little bit because we're going to bring it and that's just the kind of reputation we want,"" Krabbenhoft said.
Krabbenhoft said.
