While the sting of a one-point loss to Kentucky in the national semi-final is still there, the truth is—it’s time to move on. The Badgers season may have ended bitterly, but the future could be very bright. So, let’s take a look at what the next season, the 2014-15 season, could be like.
Can the Badgers make another run on the national scene next year? Will UW be able to handle increased attention and expectations? Those are some serious questions that will only be answered once the ball is in the air for this team.
One thing we do know, there will be no Canadian trip this offseason to help galvanize the Badgers. Let’s dive in to the nitty gritty of the upcoming season as we see it today.
Projected Starting Lineup:
G – Josh Gasser (Sr.)
G – Traevon Jackson (Sr.)
F – Sam Dekker (Jr.)
F – Nigel Hayes (So.)
C – Frank Kaminsky (Sr.)
The lineup for the Badgers changes a bit in the 2014-15 season, as Ben Brust graduates and Nigel Hayes likely slides in to the starting lineup. It would make Wisconsin a lot bigger in it’s lineup, but it would also change the role for Dekker. The junior (if he stays) will move from playing as a small four to his more natural wing position for next season. It could be just what is needed, as he wasn’t his normal self most of this past season.
Off the Bench:
G – Bronson Koenig
F – Duje Dukan
F – Vitto Brown
G – Zac Showalter
Wisconsin’s bench also changes going in to next season, as Hayes moves in to the starting lineup. However, the good news is that the bench appears to be deeper heading in to next season than this one. Both Koenig and Dukan performed their best on the biggest stage of the NCAA tournament and appear to be the headliners off the bench next season.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Koenig compete for a starting role very hard with Gasser, because he can hit the deep ball well. Dukan appeared to finally get it to click late in the season and could be a nice change of pace for Kaminsky.
The most intriguing guy could be Vitto Brown, who saw action in very limited minutes in his freshman season. However, they wouldn’t have played him at all if they didn’t see something they liked. Look for the 6’8″ sophomore to be one name that will surprise the national audience, but it shouldn’t surprise those that paid attention to the Badgers all season long this year. Brown will likely go from 3.1 minutes per game to around 10 next season if his growth continues.
Additions to the Roster:
Wisconsin will only add one player to the 2014-15 roster, as forward Ethan Haap joins the team. Haap is a project-type forward at 6’7″ and 180 pounds. He needs some work in the weight room and on the skills area to be a producer for the Badgers early on. However, he has tremendous upside and fits what Wisconsin wants out of its forwards. Look for him to be a contributor in the final two or three years of his career at UW.
The Schedule:
While we don’t know the complete non-conference schedule, we do know the Badgers will face Marquette, Milwaukee and Green Bay—unless something crazy happens and contracts don’t get signed with GB and Milwaukee.
The highlight will be UW’s trip to the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, where it will be part of an eight-team field— including North Carolina, UCLA, Georgetown, Florida, Butler, Oklahoma and UAB. Talk about a loaded field, huh?
http://youtu.be/0nukPTQ5_vU
It likely means the Badgers won’t be seeing a lot of other challenges given the teams it could face in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
As for the Big Ten, while we don’t know the exact day-to-day schedule, we do know the matchups.
Home: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue
Away: Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers
Home/Away: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State
Overall Thoughts:
If the Badgers are to have the level of success they did in 2013-14 it will take a lot of effort in the non-conference season and there will be two very tough road games in the Big Ten that will key anything that happens this next season—Michigan and Ohio State. Win those two and UW could be in a very good position once again.
While it’s very early, the Badgers go from inexperienced to one of the Big Ten’s most experienced teams overnight. Kaminsky, Dekker and Jackson form a great nucleus to allow Hayes and Gasser to grow in to expanded roles early next season, and that will be the key to UW’s success. How quickly Gasser and Hayes adjust to having to do more is the biggest question facing this team.
Overall, the Badgers appear to be a Big Ten title contender on paper, and depending on how the B1G schedule shakes out, they could have a favorable road to the title in 2014-15.
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