Hey, Griz fans! First off, no Badger fan (or player, coach, etc) will take your squad lightly! Bo Ryan has only been eliminated from the first round once, but that does not mean we will overlook a first round matchup! As a matter of fact, our last five tournament losses have been to mid-majors.
We have a preseason All-American in Jordan Taylor. As some would say, he had a bit of a 'down season' as far as putting the ball in the hoop, but is still among the best
point guards in the country as he is on pace to break the NCAA record in assist-to-turnover ratio. His defense has taken a step back, but he was still part of the Big Ten All-Defensive Team in 2010-2011.
Our shooting guard is a sophomore, Josh Gasser. Don't let his class year fool you. He's very experienced as he is one of the few players ever under Bo Ryan that started as a freshman. He's not out there to be a primary scorer, but is an excellent defender (All-Big Ten defensive team) and an excellent shooter (45% 3PT).
Mike Bruesewitz has been our hustle guy since day one. Last year in the tournament, Frank Martin (Kansas State head coach) said he would love to have a guy like Bruesewitz on his team. Bruesewitz's offense has taken a drastic hit and he seems to have lost all confidence in his shot. He is still a valuable asset to Bo Ryan, though. He makes multiple hustle plays each game and is actually a very good offensive rebounder.
Ryan Evans has been Wisconsin's most surprising player this season. He garned all-conference honors and averaged 11 ppg, 7 rpg, and about 2 apg. He is a very good all-around player and has been a versatile defender throughout his time in Madison. He's not very effective outside 15 feet, which is a rarity on this Wisconsin roster.
Jared Berggren is a first-year starter that has really blossomed into an effective player. Part of that can be attributed to practicing and playing behind Jon Leuer (Milwaukee Bucks) and Keaton Nankivil for three years. He has a beautiful stroke from behind the arc and averages just over one three per game. He is susceptible to making some questionable decisions, but all in all, he has been very effective.
Our main guys off the bench include: Ben Brust, Rob Wilson and Frank Kaminsky
- Rob Wilson is a senior that hasn't developed into the player everyone thought he would be. He's had an injury-plagued career, but has started to come on strong in the latter part of his senior year. He's found his confidence, and that is a very underrated aspect to this game. He went off for 30 against Indiana just a few days ago!
- Ben Brust is another young guy that is considered a very hot-and-cold player from three point land.
- Frank Kaminsky is another one of your typical Wisconsin big men that can step out, but has also shown signs of inexperience as he is just a freshman.
Wisconsin fans are notorious for traveling well in both basketball and football.
Under Bo Ryan, the Badgers have reached the Sweet 16 four times, Elite Eight once and the Second Round nine times. Just once have they been eliminated in the first round (2005-2006 against Arizona).
Looking forward to our match-up this week!