When a team graduates 70 percent of its offensive output, how does it prepare for the next season?
For the Wisconsin women's basketball team, it was first to crank up the defensive effort. Secondly, they found a greatly matured player in sophomore guard Alyssa Karel.
Karel showed sparks of her true ability last season, but played second fiddle to the class of 2008 and the likes of Jolene Anderson and Janese Banks.
Playing with Jolene, you learn a lot of great things from a player that talented,"" Karel said. ""I'd say that I've definitely taken a lot away from Jolene and the way that she plays.""
But now Karel is the go-to player in the clutch, and head coach Lisa Stone isn't shy about saying it.
""She has pretty much the green light from me,"" Stone said. ""She's selective in her shots, she has made good choices in the shots she does take - she's made some big game winners for us.
""She's one of those kids that you're proud of that makes that step from freshman to sophomore year.""
On a squad whose offense has idled often this year, Karel is one of the few players to whom Stone has allowed free reign of the floor.
""She knows I am going to put the ball in her hands at the end of the game,"" Stone said, ""but she also knows that if she doesn't have it, she won't force it. That's a maturity that's pretty neat [for] a young sophomore.""
Karel is currently leading the Badgers with 13 points per game, ranking seventh in Big Ten individual scoring. Yet coach Stone sees it's not just that she scores, but how she scores that is integral to the Badgers' success this season.
""Alyssa is very comfortable,"" Stone said. ""As a high school player, watching her she was certainly a point guard and had the ball in her hands. The fact that she can move without the basketball, and we can get it to her, to create and make some plays is where she has taken her game.""
Perhaps most importantly, the spunky guard has assumed a role generally reserved for upperclassmen.
""Different people have different leadership roles,"" Karel said. ""Personally, I'm not a very outspoken person '¦ but I try to lead by example, to do the right things on and off the court.
""That leadership role was up for the taking this year and a ton of people have stepped up in their own ways.""
""She definitely shows a lot of leadership to even the freshmen who are one year younger than her,"" junior guard Teah Gant said. ""Having her on the court setting a good example, maybe not so vocally but how she plays and how she carries herself everyday [is
important].""
Rookie guard Jamie Russell agreed, saying she is one of the easiest teammates to play with.
""She's really calm and collected,"" Russell said. ""When you get on the court with her, it's just a really good feeling; you feel really poised. I just love playing with her and she is a really good leader, not just verbally but her actions and the way she runs the team on the court.""
Grouped in the backcourt with junior point guard Rae Lin D'Alie and defensive specialist Gant, Stone knows her trio of guards is one of the best in the conference - and they can look forward to another year together.
""It's always exciting to be playing next to someone who is growing every day,"" Gant said.
Although Karel knows she needs to produce on a nightly basis, she also humbly knows she has a good supporting cast who could pick up her slack on an off night.
""The good thing about this team is every person on this team is a weapon,"" Karel said. ""Any given night, someone can go off and be the high scorer, making us a dangerous team.
""You can't stop one person and stop the Badgers.""
