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Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Feb 13, 2008
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The front line on next years team is so versatile it is almost mind numbing.
For every position you're supposed to have three guys that can play there. The Badgers have that and more. You can basically put all their names in a hat, dump it out, and put whatever names land face up out there on the floor and it would be a good lineup. That's something Bo hasn't been able to do for a while.
Purdue, IMO, looks like a really good team that is going to stay a really good team but not escalate much.
They don't have to escalate much. They beat the Badgers twice this year and return everybody, and that's good enough for me to say they're the favorite. The rest of the top four (in ABC order) should be Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.
I mean has Marquette really gotten any noticeably better than they were two years ago as freshman??
And wasn't that the reason some Eagle fans were getting a little tired of Crean? I guess that's not a problem for them anymore.
remember that team started out 14-1 before those guys got suspended and/or left the team
Oh, I remember. That was the first year I had tickets. North. Dakota. State. Thank god I wasn't able to be at that one. Then Arizona in the tournament. That year's actually why I like Gullikson so much more than other people do. Without him Bo would only have had 7 guys that could play. He did a really good job that year after going from the fifth big man on the team to the only one off the bench. I also blame that year for ruining Krabbenhoft's offense.
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Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Feb 13, 2008
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Sportsline, ESPN, and FOXSports all have their "Ridiculously early preseason poll" up for next year, and the Badgers are 23, 24, and 25 in them. Each one has Purdue in the top 10 (one had them at #3), then Michigan State in the top 15, and Ohio State around 20. Not that they actually mean much, but if they're that consistent with putting the Badgers fourth in the Big Ten...
They'll all be contistently suprised when the Badgers finish better then fourth in the Big Ten. I liked Gary Parrish's reasoning for why he put the Badgers at 23: "At some point this season I promised myself I would never put a Bo Ryan team lower than 23 in a preseason poll. It's that simple." So the Badgers have gotten into perennial Top 23 teams. Now Bo can work on getting into the Top 20 ones.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 10, 2006
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They don't have to escalate much. They beat the Badgers twice this year and return everybody, and that's good enough for me to say they're the favorite. The rest of the top four (in ABC order) should be Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.
I realize that but i think everyone has this idea they are going to some how be devastatingly good next year and I don't see it. I think next years team will look ALOT like this years team without the Wofford loss. I owuldn't be suuprised at all if they lost 3 Big Ten games again next year.
And wasn't that the reason some Eagle fans were getting a little tired of Crean? I guess that's not a problem for them anymore.
To a certain degree YES, but that is what happens with perimeter oriented teams. Look at Duke this year for yet another example. This is why I like what Bo has done in recruiting, he makes sure we always have a stock pile of big men because he knows the inside game is always going to more consistant than the outside game no matter who you are or how much talent you have.
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Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Feb 13, 2008
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I realize that but i think everyone has this idea they are going to some how be devastatingly good next year
Devastatingly good? No, but I think they'll be damn good next year. At least better than this year's. You have to agree that a team that was bringing back EVERY significant player (their eighth man graduated) would be better than it was the year before simply because of maturation. Granted, now Martin is transferring, but even without him I still think Purdue will progress some from this year to next and is still the favorite to win the conference next year. I wouldn't be surprised if they lose three games or even more. Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State could all be good enough to be favored at home. Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois will be better next year, maybe they'll be able to steal one.
Regardless of what the early polls say, Wisconsin will be better than the Buckeyes next year. The Badgers should be on par with Michigan State, and because Bo owns Izzo I'd say that gives the Badgers the edge on second place. So if the top four hold serve at home it'll come down to (gasp) scheduling and winning on the road.
Nonconference games next year
ACC/Big Ten Challenge at home - could be Duke (oh god please let it be Duke)
Texas at home - they'll be damn good next year if their guards come back
Marquette in Milwaukee - will Williams continue the Badger-Eagle series?
Preseason tournament - anyone know which one the Badgers are in?
away game - there's usually another BCS conference team on the schedule as well (like Georgia)
That's a pretty solid nonconference schedule if there's a good matchup in the tournament and the Badgers don't get screwed in the ACC/B10 draw. On the plus side, it always seems like the third place team in each conference gets the other's top team, so UNC (they were @OSU this year) or Duke are in play. Which is exciting because it's the Badgers' turn for a home game.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 10, 2006
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Like I said Purdue will be better, as in no bad losses like the Wofford loss etc... next year. But "really early" preseason polls are projecting them at #3, I could buy into #8 or something like that but #3, I just am not buying that right now. They really far too much on the 3 point shot to be #3, look at Duke, Duke was about as good as you can be relying on the perimeter shot this year, I expect Purdue to be alot like that.
As for sked, I am praying we get to return the favor to Duke next year. We deserve it, we earned it, they better not screw us out of it. Texas at home should be fun. IF Augustine comes back a duel between him and Hughes could be a highlight of the nonconference season period. I expect we will be in some low level preseason tourney again next year as we are on the schedule for the Maui tournrey in '09 so I am not expecting much for next year. As for the other BCS team we play on the road, it seems like Bo liek those middle of the road to lower eschelon SEC teams, could South Carolina be on the sked next year?
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Reputation:82
Level:All-Star
Since:Mar 17, 2008
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Most of you guys have freshman getting a lot of minutes, or even starting next year. But my question is when was the last time Bo gave a freshman a decent amout of minutes, nevermind start him?
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Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Feb 13, 2008
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Most of you guys have freshman getting a lot of minutes, or even starting next year. But my question is when was the last time Bo gave a freshman a decent amout of minutes, nevermind start him?
Leuer was getting VERY significant minutes during the first half of the season. Bohannon got more and more minutes as last year progressed and was the team's third scoring option late in his freshman year (behind Tucker and Taylor after Butch went down).
And let's not forget that Landry was getting tons of minutes the first half of his freshman year, Krabbenhoft basically started the second half of that year, and Gullikson (as a walkon) was the main big man sub.
The only freshman that I have getting significant minutes is Berggren, and that's because I don't know if Leuer will be physical enough to hold up inside. If Leuer shows that he can do what Butch did this year on the inside, at least on defense, then Berggren's minutes will drop below Nankivil's.
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I take that back. I also have JT getting significant minutes because there's only two true guards coming back from this year, and Hughes' ankles showed that they're a bit fragile.
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So if Leuer makes enough progress on the inside then the only freshman that will get significant playing time will be JT. Next would come TJ and Nankivil, the only other non-freshman on the team (not counting Gavinski). Remember, there's 5 incoming freshman. Bo will HAVE to use some of them.
Another question to ask is, "When was the last time Bo had a 5 member class?" It was in 2002, which was Tucker's freshman year, but that doesn't count because Chappell came from a prep school, not high school. Bo hasn't been forced to utilize freshmen extensively because he's always had enough coming back. When your depth chart shows only 7 players with 4 that have played significant minutes for a full season you have to play guys that aren't as experienced as your normal ones.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 10, 2006
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This is where komacki and I differ. Next year I don't see JT getting very many minutes at all. I see Robert Wilson getting alot of minutes because he can play the 2 or the 3 and that is where we lack quality depth. The reason JT will suffer is because he can only really play the PG spot and Hughes will dominate those minutes but when Hughes is out Bo will feel more comfortable with letting JBo run the point and bringing in Wilson or Jarmusz at the 2 spot. I agree with Komacki that Berggren could see a decent amount of minutes.
To answer your original question Devin Harris, Mike Wilkinson, and Alando Tucker all were starters as freshman AND played significant minutes (to be fair only Devin and Alando were true frosh's, Mike Wilk was a redshirt frosh when he started)
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