“Men’s Badger Basketball 2022: Regular Season Reflections and Postseason Projections”
March has arrived and another regular season of Men’s Badger Basketball is nearly in the books. With their current record of 24-5 the Badgers are Big Ten Champs for the second time in three years. Widely predicted to finish in the bottom tier of their conference, this year’s Badgers have exceeded expectations of college basketball fans and analysts at local, regional, and national levels. They have a rising star in National Player of the Year candidate Johnny Davis, balanced leadership from upperclassmen Brad Davison and Tyler Wahl, a near-perfect blend of complimentary role players at the freshman and sophomore levels, and a coaching staff that has kept the team focused while continually putting them in a position to win games. Members of this year’s team have represented themselves, their school, and their state well. They’ve worked hard and brought pride to the fans of Badger Nation. With another year of March Madness at the doorstep, the big question that remains is: how far can this year’s group take it?
For all the preseason talk about what the Badgers lost from a year ago, no one apparently realized how much they gained.
Entering the season, the Badgers were facing some gaping holes in their lineup. They’d lost five of their top eight most productive players either to graduation or to the transfer portal. They had to figure out where 67% of the team’s points (46.5 per game), 54% of their rebounds (18.2 per game), and 63% of their assists (8.4 per game) from last year’s team would come from. Flash forward several months to the present, and what we’ve learned about this year’s Badgers is that they’re a group who’ve consistently risen to the challenge of proving people wrong. The talent of Johnny Davis and the leadership from Davison and Wahl have been paramount to their success, but there’s more to the story than just those three guys. True freshman point guard Chucky Hepburn, sophomore big Stephen Crowl, and transfer add-ons Jahcobi Neath and Chris Vogt have carved out larger roles than most people would’ve predicted in the preseason. This is a competitive group of players from top to bottom who’ve been poised in the clutch, evidenced by their 15-1 record in games decided by six points or fewer. Critics will be quick to argue that there’s luck involved with that statistic. To their point, my response is simple. Who cares? No matter how you look at things, the team’s success is real, and a testament to the players and coaches for bringing the pieces together so quickly.
Basketball has changed in the modern era, with an increased emphasis on the speed of play and volume three-point shooting. Still, fundamentals remain at the basis of championship teams, and the accomplishments of this year’s Badgers are proof as to why they’re still important.
Over the years, Badger basketball fans have learned to recognize certain constants from the men’s program. Defensive authority. Limited fouling. Minimal turnovers. Controlled offensive pace. Effective use of the shot clock. These are all critical elements to the brand of basketball Wisconsin has built its culture around, and have helped to establish them as one of the winningest programs in the country for the past twenty years. Despite the player turnover from last season, this year’s Badgers have continued the tradition of exemplifying those same fundamentals on the court. Greatness in these areas didn’t happen overnight, so give Coach Gard and the rest of his coaching staff credit for the work they’ve done in both player development and recruiting.
The keys to postseason success for this year’s Badgers in the NCAA tournament:
Stay true to the brand of basketball (mentioned above) that plays to the team’s strengths.
Work to improve on areas the team struggles at, but don’t force the issue, particularly with three-point shooting. If long-range shots aren’t falling avoid the trap of trying to shoot out of the slump. Focus on situational threes as they become available, rather than making them the backbone of the offense.
Utilize the low post, particularly through Johnny Davis, Wahl, and Crowl. They’re our three most skilled offensive players when working with their backs to the basket. Locate the weakest-link defender who’s guarding one of them, and take advantage.
Play to contact by attacking the paint via the dribble. Drawing fouls early in the game can force opponents to play more passive and prevent them from establishing a comfort zone. Fouls in the second half are helpful for protecting a lead as the game winds down.
Make free-throws.
Continue to foster the development of Hepburn and Crowl. Their growth has been off the charts since the start of the season. As their confidence has increased, their roles have expanded on both ends of the floor. If the trend continues into the postseason then the two of them can take this team to an even higher level.
Get a bench player (or two) to have some breakthrough games. Guys like Neath, Vogt, Ben Carlson, Lorne Bowman, and Jordan Davis might not be at the top of other teams’ scouting reports, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of being X-factors. Going the distance in March will require at least one of them to step up and make plays.
Stay poised and avoid distractions both on the court and off.
Avoid scoring droughts by simplifying the team’s offensive approach. Utilize the low post for high-percentage shots, attack the paint, draw contact, and get to the free-throw line.
Last but not least, consider this: when the biggest games are nearing their critical moments, have the courage to let the magic happen. Put the ball in your best player’s hands, and let him work. There were times when I’d watch last year’s team struggle offensively and wonder, “Why not just give Johnny the ball and have everyone else get out of his way?” I’m not sure if he’d have been ready for that as a freshman, but make no mistake about it in that he is ready now. He’s the toughest and (probably) most talented player to wear a Badger uniform since the days of Michael Finley. Stars were made to shine and we’ve still got him on our team for roughly one more month before he (most likely) elects to turn pro. Let’s make the most of this opportunity and hope this is a March to remember!
Thanks for reading, everyone!
- Todd
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