The Badgers went 24-8 (13-5 in the Big Ten) with wins over Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State and losses at UNLV and to Notre Dame on a neutral court. The Badgers return 3 starters from last season (a squad that posted a 24-9 overall record, including a 13-5 mark in the Big Ten). The Badgers defeated Belmont last night (another upset pick that I missed).
The Badgers are lead by F Jon Leuer, G Jordan Taylor and F Keaton Nankivil. Leuer is averaging 19 points/game (leads the team), 7 rebounds/game (leads the team) and 2 assists/game. Leuer, who was as skinny as the free-throw line when he arrived at Madison, has blossomed into a do-it-all forward. He can post up, he can shoot three-pointers and he can put the ball on the floor and go to his mid-range game when opponents try to close out too aggressively. Leuer was well on his way to first-team All-Big Ten honors last year when he broke his left wrist in a Big Ten game Jan. 9 against Purdue. He missed nine games but recovered in time to lead Wisconsin to the NCAA Tournament's second round. Then, during the summer, he turned heads as part of the U.S. Select team asked to practice against the U.S. National team before it went to the world championships.
Taylor is averaging 18 points/game, 4 rebounds/game and 5 assists/game (leads the team). Taylor, Wisconsin's returning starter in the backcourt, benefited the most from Leuer's wrist injury. A sixth man before the mishap, Taylor took Leuer's spot in the lineup. He led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio for a decent chunk of the year before finishing third with a 3:1 ratio (118 assists, 39 turnovers).
Nankivil is averaging 10 points/game, 4 rebounds/game and 1 assist/game. Nankivil isn't quite as skilled offensively as Leuer, though he shares the excellent shooting touch that's a hallmark of big men in Wisconsin's swing offense. Nankivil, who owns 53 career starts, hit 32% from three-point range last year as the Badgers frequently used him outside to lure opposing centers away from the hoop. He also used his quick leaping ability to grab almost as many offensive rebounds as defensive boards.
Wisconsin's weakest spot is the pivot, which allows opponents' bigs to hedge off the Badgers' centers and act as football free safeties, roaming the lane to protect against Taylor's drives to the hoops. To combat this, head coach Bo Ryan often has Leuer and Nankivil pick-and-pop rather than pick-and-roll to draw the opposing centers away from the bucket so Taylor can drive. The Cats are going to need to be patient on the offensive end, Pullen is going to have to play tough defense on Taylor and our big men are going to have to get their big men in foul trouble. Plus there is the revenge factor from 3 years ago.
