College Basketball Thread 2014-15

[Baldkin]

Well per his twitter account, Diamond Stone has picked Maryland over WI. Just don't get it (unless it's grades). After all the recent success, the fact that he's from WI and his dad is close with Bo...and we still can't get him. And we don't lose him to Duke or Kansas or UNC, but Maryland??

 

I really thought with the timing of it, it was going to be the Badgers, adding to the great weekend (so far). But this is a pretty big downer. Ugh.

 

From what I've heard it's his ACT score (so yes, grades).

[fondybrewfan]

Even if it wasn't grades, he is just an 18 year old kid and adults shouldn't be getting mad about his college choice. Twitter is kind of embarrassing. UW will certainly be just fine without him. It does create a hole at C next year; although I assume Happ will probably step in there. Really would be nice to have Dekker back now. Koenig and Hayes are great and Showalter is serviceable; but Bo would be relying on atleast 4 guys who never played this year to be in the rotation next year.

 

I am sort of glad its over; he has been hyped up for about 5 years now; all for 1 or 2 years tops playing at the college level. I would have preferred him pick a non B10 school; but whatever

[brewcrewdue80]

I hadn't watched next to any basketball prior to the tourney. Sit in a hospital during the NCAAs and you watch some ball. Including the ending of the Heat/Bucks which gave me the eye on size difference. Pro to College, pretenders(like WVU vs KU) and non-pretenders.... Like Wisconsin. Dekker/Hayes and obviously Kaminsky have NBA builds, NBA movement and their games show it. Don't believe it, watch Utah's Center vs Duke last night. I remember seeing a steal, the guy was ahead at half court, and by the free throw line #42 had let this power forward by him like he was running in glue. Nevermind the guy made 0 attempt to stop the ball controller/disrupt the play to have help(the guy who lost the ball originally who failed to also run the ball controller down) All I know is the rest of the game, watching #42 move his lower body was excruciating, and he was one of Utah's Stars. UNC to me was 2times tougher a matchup than Utah was for Duke.

 

The Badgers offense, is fantastic. It can be frustrating due to how used to seeing it be effective when they have that wth possession(fast shot/ seeing Koenig stuck with the ball in no man's land with 4 on shot clock) but man, the team is incredible. No Fear. The points/run will come. We're that good, and they are. I've never been a huge fan of Jackson, because the offensive isn't run the same, but he is the exact person to change the Badgers pace/tempo if they needed it. He shouldn't be on the floor unless the O got stale/weren't winning.

 

From what I've watched, the Badgers can win this all. They are every bit as talented, the best coached team for those talents. I haven't been wowed away to think they can't win any single game. As been stated, they're a team that has yet to shoot well vs opponents shooting well for themselves. And that is scary. They could beat Arz by 25pts or Kentucky or Duke and I would not be surprised if the shooting scenarios switched for the Badgers one game. Looking forward to tonights game and a good one by Hayes and Kaminsky the most.

[bjkrautk]

...someone's gotta say it...

 

Back-to-Back Final Fours!

 

Dekker's not coming back for his senior year, so they better win it all this time around.

 

 

(Kind of an afterthought, but according to ESPN, UWGB just lost Brian Wardle to Bradley University.)

[fondybrewfan]

What an incredible night of basketball. UW might have played the best half of offensive basketball in history. If not for thie fouling in the 2nd half the game wouldn't have been close. Dekker played incredible and made it more iikely he leaves this year.

 

Kentucky just barely survives against ND. Kentucky will be favored against UW and rightfully so; but I do think UW can beat them. I certainly wouldn't bet on that. Kaminsky will have is hands full with Towns and cannot get in foul trouble.

 

This is obviously the highest badger basketball has ever been; they have been a ton of fun to watch. Hopefully they put up a good fight next Saturday.

[brwrsfan]

Back to back final fours is just crazy. Let that sink in for a minute, this might not happen again in a long, long time (if ever). As a Badger fan, try to savor this moment and this season. Reaching heights the program has never seen (or quite honestly, nobody really ever imagined IMO).

 

KY is a bad matchup for us, this was their night to be beat. But the WI players have wanted this rematch for a year and I guess we'll get our shot.

[superfly]

KY is a bad matchup for us, this was their night to be beat. But the WI players have wanted this rematch for a year and I guess we'll get our shot.

 

I don't think so. We will need Hayes to play a great game & slow Towns down, but Kaminsky will school Cauley-Stein. Gasser will shut down Harrison. Dekker is unconscious out there, that fadeaway dagger was ridiculous tonight.

 

If we shoot well, we can win. Notre Dame showed how you beat them tonight...make Stein and Towns roam...well we have 2 bigs that are deep threats and can do it. I don't think Traevon Jackson has had his say yet...he will hit a big shot(s) down the stretch to seal it.

[brwrsfan]

We're going to have to shoot the lights out (and KY takes that away well), but the weakness is to get into the lane. We need to attack and attack and attack the line - not our strength but if we do that, draw some fouls, it will lead to open threes, and we'll have to make a ton of them.

 

I'm pretty worried about the defensive end though. KY is huge on the inside and we've struggled to contain that for awhile. Though we CAN beat them and I'm pretty confident the players really BELIEVE they can beat them this year. They are beatable - just ask UNLV how that went 20 or so years ago.

[owbc]

Still in awe at that 2nd half performance today, especially Dekker, amazing to see him take over the game. This team is so incredibly good, I don't want this run to end. It's already the best season in program history but the stakes have never been higher at the national level. Will they be an afterthought in Kentucky's perfect season or will they be remembered for being the team that slays the giant?

 

I think they have what it takes to pull it off. Notre Dame was very Wisconsin-like in that game which makes me think that Wisconsin can exploit some of Kentucky's weaknesses. I'm not worried about Wisconsin being able to keep pace on the offensive end. Shooting will be important, but this game is going to be decided in the paint. Deny the post entries and double Towns when he gets the ball. Make them beat us with jump shots.

[Funketown]

Wisconsin's offense is incredible. Per Ken Pomeroy's adjusted offense per 100 possessions:

 

Wisconsin (2015): 127.4

Michigan (2014): 124.1

Wake Forest (2005): 124.0

Missouri (2012): 123.9

Duke (2014): 123.5

Ohio State (2011): 123.3

Notre Dame (2015): 122.9

Creighton (2014): 122.8

North Carolina (2009): 122.4

North Carolina (2005): 121.9

 

Unless I missed something, since Pomeroy started tracking these data in 2002, Wisconsin is 3.3 points better than the next best offensive team.

[homer]

Wisconsin's offense is incredible. Per Ken Pomeroy's adjusted offense per 100 possessions:

 

Wisconsin (2015): 127.4

Michigan (2014): 124.1

Wake Forest (2005): 124.0

Missouri (2012): 123.9

Duke (2014): 123.5

Ohio State (2011): 123.3

Notre Dame (2015): 122.9

Creighton (2014): 122.8

North Carolina (2009): 122.4

North Carolina (2005): 121.9

 

Unless I missed something, since Pomeroy started tracking these data in 2002, Wisconsin is 3.3 points better than the next best offensive team.

 

 

Yup....and scoring is down in college hoops this year making it all the more impressive.

 

UK is also the best defensive team in KenPom history.

[fondybrewfan]

UW can beat Kentucky; UW has more offensive weapons and more diverse than ND who darn near beat them. It will take a good shooting night and I am not sure how they stop Towns. I wouldn't bet on UW beating Kentucky but yesterday was the 4th game this year that that COULD have lost. Props to them for winning all of them but they aren't invincible. It should be a great game and it was one a lot of CBB fans were hoping for.

 

Hoping MSU loses today; just because I don't want a B10 team to take away from the accomplishments of UW. Cheering really hard for Gonzaga today.

 

Dekker almost has to declare for the draft after that regional; he was awesome

[TheCrew07]

Hoping MSU loses today; just because I don't want a B10 team to take away from the accomplishments of UW.

 

I'm the opposite, the Big Ten really needs a National Champion in basketball... pretty much the same way I felt going into the college FB playoff when I rooted for OSU even though I despise Meyer with a passion.

 

I would like MSU to make the final four even though I'd rather not play them again. I've never been a Pitino fan either so there would be the added bonus of seeing him denied another Final Four.

[folly412]

Well per his twitter account, Diamond Stone has picked Maryland over WI. Just don't get it (unless it's grades). After all the recent success, the fact that he's from WI and his dad is close with Bo...and we still can't get him. And we don't lose him to Duke or Kansas or UNC, but Maryland??

 

I really thought with the timing of it, it was going to be the Badgers, adding to the great weekend (so far). But this is a pretty big downer. Ugh.

 

From what I've heard it's his ACT score (so yes, grades).

 

Nah, not going to get into Maryland but not UW. It's just that he was a shoe-in for Maryland. Bo doesn't seem to play that game, and it has turned out pretty well for him.

[fondybrewfan]

It will be interesting to see what exactly the Badger lineup will look like next year. There will be a ton of turnover that's for sure. Assuming Dekker goes pro; UW will have to starters (Koenig and Hayes) and two role players (Showalter & Brown) that saw any meaningful court time at all. Bo will be relying on atleast 3-4 guys next year that have never played at the NCAA level.

 

Not getting ahead of myself here though; still savoring an outstanding year that hopefully ends with a win a week from today. A Brewers opening day win followed by a UW National Title would be all kinds of awesome. Might be my favorite sports day ever.

[superfly]

It will be interesting to see what exactly the Badger lineup will look like next year. There will be a ton of turnover that's for sure. Assuming Dekker goes pro; UW will have to starters (Koenig and Hayes) and two role players (Showalter & Brown) that saw any meaningful court time at all. Bo will be relying on atleast 3-4 guys next year that have never played at the NCAA level.

 

Not getting ahead of myself here though; still savoring an outstanding year that hopefully ends with a win a week from today. A Brewers opening day win followed by a UW National Title would be all kinds of awesome. Might be my favorite sports day ever.

 

I'm not so sure Showalter is a role player...I just think he hasn't had "his time" yet. He saved that game for us against UNC and seems to be very efficient when he's on the floor. It wouldn't surprise me if he becomes a very good player in a year or two paired with Koenig.

 

He is a former player of the year and unanimous 1st team all-state selection.

[brwrsfan]

Well per his twitter account, Diamond Stone has picked Maryland over WI. Just don't get it (unless it's grades). After all the recent success, the fact that he's from WI and his dad is close with Bo...and we still can't get him. And we don't lose him to Duke or Kansas or UNC, but Maryland??

 

I really thought with the timing of it, it was going to be the Badgers, adding to the great weekend (so far). But this is a pretty big downer. Ugh.

 

From what I've heard it's his ACT score (so yes, grades).

 

Nah, not going to get into Maryland but not UW. It's just that he was a shoe-in for Maryland. Bo doesn't seem to play that game, and it has turned out pretty well for him.

 

It's been pretty well documented that WI holds it's athletes to a pretty substantially higher standard than many other major division 1 programs do. All schools are more lenient on athletes, but WI only goes so far. Many others will stretch it all the way to simply meeting NCAA requirements (which Stone did), but WI doesn't. There have been several documented cases of football players not qualifying here but played in the Big Ten (MSU stole a couple recently) and Gary Anderson sighted it as a major reason he left.

 

Nobody has any way of knowing if academics are the reason he's not a Badger, but it's certainly a valid and plausible explanation.

[lcbj68c]

There have been several documented cases of football players not qualifying here but played in the Big Ten (MSU stole a couple recently) and Gary Anderson sighted cited it as a major reason he left.

 

Nobody has any way of knowing if academics are the reason he's not a Badger, but it's certainly a valid and plausible explanation.

 

I apologize. It was making me twitch.

[fondybrewfan]

I have heard the old Under Armour vs. Reebok thing might have something to do with it as well. Or maybe he just decided he would like to get out of the state for college. Who knows. Maybe he knows Dekker is leaving this year and feels he has a better chance to win at Maryland.

 

Sitting back and thinking about; the amount of hype over this kid in the last 4 years doesn't really make a whole lot of sense when he very likely will be a one and done. Hardy seems worth it. That being said I gladly would have taken him on the team.

[FVBrewerFan]

It will be interesting to see what exactly the Badger lineup will look like next year. There will be a ton of turnover that's for sure. Assuming Dekker goes pro; UW will have to starters (Koenig and Hayes) and two role players (Showalter & Brown) that saw any meaningful court time at all. Bo will be relying on atleast 3-4 guys next year that have never played at the NCAA level.

 

Not getting ahead of myself here though; still savoring an outstanding year that hopefully ends with a win a week from today. A Brewers opening day win followed by a UW National Title would be all kinds of awesome. Might be my favorite sports day ever.

 

I was going to get into this after they win the Championship next week, but since you brought it up...

 

I remember vividly when Leuer, Berggren, Breusiwitz, etc. left. OMG there is absolutely NOBODY on the front line. Frank Kaminsky is it, what a joke...he's horrible! Well, we know how that turned out.

 

Now, this year's turnover is huge, no getting around that. But they rave about Happ, and I think Deering is for real also. That gives them 6 in the rotation. Add a freshman or two, maybe someone else who's been on the bench, and you have an 8 man rotation.

 

No way will they be in the Final 4 again, but won't be surprised if they find a way to get back to the Tourney at least. Only thing that puzzles me is there is no 6'11", 7'0" type guy on the roster, or coming in the next recruiting class. Just seems odd they wouldn't have 1 or 2 of those guys to develop.

[fondybrewfan]

I agree on Happ, everything I have heard says he will step in right away; but he will be undersized at the C position. Dearing I don't know about. He seems like has a lot of athletic ability but I have no idea how capable of a player he is right now.

 

They do have some very good players coming in, Pritzl might be the best shooter on the team from Day #1, Thomas & Iverson are both athletic and good all around players, and Illikainen is a big guy that has some skill. I don't know if Bo has a back up plan for a different big guy since he still has one available scholarship. They will have a bunch of guys around 6'7" to 6'9" so its not like they will be incredibly small; but I can't remember the last time they didn't have that legitimate 6'10" to 7'0" guy on the roster.

 

It will be challenging to fill out a lineup beyond Koenig, Hayes, and Happ next year. Showalter, Brown, Dearing, Pritzl, Thomas, Iverson, and Illikainen could probably all conceivably start. I would guess a lot more guys will play next year.

[FVBrewerFan]

Fine line, in order to make the Tourney again they can't afford to lose to any cupcakes early on. So it's that balance between giving all these new guys playing time to see what they have vs winning games. But I think Bo has always made playing time decisions based on what players do in practice.

 

You're right, a bunch of 6'7- 6'9 guys. Hoping Bo uses final scholarship on just about anyone over 6'10 and roll the dice he can develop him. Stone aside, I don't understand why more big men wouldn't want to play for Bo. More than anything else, you will learn how to shoot- which makes you automatically attractive to the NBA. They crave big men who can shoot.

[LouisEly]

Showalter is very athletic, but the question is how good of a shooter he is/will be; in a small sample, his career 3-pt FG% is 14.3%. Dearring did not look good in the limited PT he got this year so he will have to make a big jump to be a significant contributor. Jordan Hill redshirted, but he was always known as a passer/defender and not a shooter/scorer. Pritzl is a freshman, and we know how much Bo likes to play freshmen. T.J. Schlundt supposedly turned down scholarship offers (not from major programs) to walk on at UW; I seem to recall him as being 2-star recruit so he may be able to contribute. Matt Ferris was a better HS QB than basketball player and also starred in baseball; maybe concentrating on basketball now will yield some upside. There's depth at guard, but lots of questions behind Koenig.

 

A frontcourt of Hayes, Brown, and Happ will be adequate. I can't remember the last time Michigan State had a significant contributor that was taller than 6'8"/6'9", and they seem to do fine each year. Perhaps a senior graduate transfer who can step in right away would help. But yeah, it is very unlikely that they will return to the Elite 8, much less Final Four.

[fondybrewfan]

Starting to get excited for tomorrow. If they somehow win it might be my favorite WI sports moment of all time; even more than the Packers winning the Super Bowl. You kind of expect the Packers to have a shot most years; with UW this opportunity might come once every 10 years or so.

 

I still kind of expect them to lose but I am trying to stay as optimistic as possible. It probably will take a great shooting night and really strong contributions from guys like Koenig, Jackson, Gasser, and Dukan to pull it out. I don't think Kentucky is going to let Kaminsky and Dekker beat them. Dekker has the athletic ability to beat his defender but I can imagine Kaminsky having difficulty if Cauley-Stein is guarding him. Frank's pump fakes and pivot foot better be awesome tomorrow.

[lcbj68c]

I'm going to my first (and probably only) Final Four in my lifetime and my Badgers happen to be in it. I'm going to enjoy the moment no matter what. Prediction is Kentucky 72 Wisconsin 69. That said, if Wisconsin can avoid falling behind early, I think they'll have a decent shot to winning. They HAVE to defend the 3. Get out on the man and stop playing 3pt defense two arms lengths away from the shooter. If Wisconsin is leading at any point in the final 4 minutes, I think they'll win the game. Kentucky has used up their "comebacks to inferior talent" cards.