Wisconsin Badgers Basketball

Bo Ryan gets more out of his roster than any coach in the country.

That's a point that is critical to any debate worth having about whether Wisconsin is still the favorite in the Big Ten with point guard Traevon Jackson out with a foot injury sustained in the 67-62 loss to Rutgers on Sunday.

It seems pretty clear that Jackson's injury is bad enough that he's not going to have much say in the race.

"Oh, it's pretty severe," Ryan said of Jackson's foot on Monday's Big Ten conference call. A source told CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish (via colleague Sam Vecenie) that Jackson could be out up to six weeks. 

And just like that, the Big Ten went from trying to figure out who the second-best team in the league will be to the possibility that the league champ is not a foregone conclusion. 

Or is it? 

History says: Don't bet against Ryan.

In Ryan's first 13 years in Madison, only one time (2008-09) have his Badgers finished below where the Big 10 preseason poll predicted them to finish in the conference standings. 

To explain: The Big Ten only releases the top three teams in its preseason poll, but every year that Wisconsin has not appeared on the ballot in the top three, it has finished in the top four (Ryan has never finished lower than fourth). So it's safe to assume that the 2008-09 season—picked third/finished tied for fourth—remains the only year where the Badgers finished below expectations. 

So there's that. 

Plus, there's this: Wisconsin still has the best team in the league even without Jackson. 

The senior point guard is a nice player who often acts as a stabilizing force for the Badgers and is their go-to guy in late-shot-clock situations, but his absence should hardly be damning to the Wisconsin offense. 

Sophomore guard Bronson Koenig, who will replace Jackson as the starting point guard, has the ability to be a more talented scorer. 

Jackson has averaged more points per game this season—9.4 to 4.9—but Koenig has better shooting numbers. 

Koenig is also a better shooter than his 31.8 three-point percentage would suggest. His presence on the floor often helps space the defense and gives Wisconsin's big three (Frank Kaminsky, Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker) more room to operate in the post.

The sophomore is a capable ball-handler, and his assist/turnover numbers have also been better than Jackson's (see chart).

The one area where Koenig is not quite as accomplished as Jackson is breaking his man down off the dribble and getting into the paint. Jackson will be missed there. But he has gone through stretches in his career where he gets a little penetration-happy, and if this means more late-clock touches for Kaminsky or Hayes, that's certainly not a bad thing.

The biggest hurdle for Ryan will be trying to figure out how to adjust the use of his bench with his sixth man (Koenig) becoming a starter.

The Badgers are thin on perimeter depth, and the next man up is Zak Showalter, who had played a total of six minutes in the five games before Rutgers.

To help keep Koenig and Josh Gasser's minutes in check, Ryan can go with his "redwood" lineup that includes Kaminsky, Hayes and Dekker, and 6'10" senior Duje Dukan stealing some minutes on the perimeter.

Dukan is a capable floor-spacer on the offensive end—he's made 15 of 44 threes this season—but he can be a liability on the defensive end, especially when trying to keep quicker players in front of him. He had a very poor defensive game against Rutgers and made some questionable decisions on offense.

Oh yeah, that Rutgers loss... 

Even without Kaminsky, no one saw that coming; but it would be a mistake to look at it as a sign that trouble is ahead for the Badgers. In fact, it was kind of fluky. 

The Scarlett Knights had their best shooting game and most efficient offensive performance of the season. They are the worst three-point shooting team in the Big Ten, and they caught fire in the second half, making five of seven threes. To their credit, they also did a good job taking advantage of Kadeem Jack's quickness on the offensive end. 

Jack killed the Badgers in isolation sets, but Kaminsky may have offset some of that had he been available. There are also few players like Jack in the Big Ten. The closest comparison would probably be Illinois forward Malcolm Hill. The Illini could also pose some problems for Wisconsin's defense with their multiple perimeter players who can create off the dribble. 

But the Illini—1-3 in the Big Ten—are obviously not a real challenger. Ohio State, Michigan State and Maryland are the best the league has to offer, and each has their own issues. 

The Buckeyes are not defending at their typical level, and they are extremely reliant on freshman D'Angelo Russell on the offensive end—although Russell is playing at a rare level. The Spartans are starting to play better, but they're not overly talented, and it's hard to believe a team that lost to Texas Southern can be consistent enough to win the Big Ten. 

The Terps are probably the most dangerous contender, but can they score consistently enough to win a league title? They currently rank 12th in offensive efficiency in league games, per kenpom.com (subscription required). 

Even without Jackson, the Badgers have the best offense in the league. Their front line is far and away the most talented, and the duo of Koenig and Gasser can hold its own in the backcourt. 

Now if the Badgers were to lose their star in Kaminsky, who missed Sunday's game with a concussion, that would be debilitating to their Big Ten title hopes. But fear not, Wisconsin fans, the team announced via its official Twitter feed on Tuesday that he has been cleared to practice and should play on Thursday against Nebraska. 

One more bit of history is also on Wisconsin's side. The Badgers have lost their starting point guard before and came out just fine. 

Two years ago, Gasser tore his ACL and was lost for the season. That's when Jackson, then a sophomore, replaced Gasser as the starter and a less talented Wisconsin squad went on to a solid 12-6 campaign in the Big Ten. That bunch was the fourth-highest ranked Big Ten team in the preseason AP poll, and the Badgers finished fourth in the league standings. 

This team is Ryan's first to be picked as the Big Ten's preseason No. 1. And Jackson or no Jackson, that's exactly where the Badgers will finish.

C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.

Wisconsin star Frank Kaminsky is recovering from a concussion, which leaves the Badgers with a huge hole to fill while he is out. Though his official status for the team's next game remains uncertain, he has been cleared to resume practicing.

Continue for updates.  

Kaminsky Cleared to Practice

Tuesday, Jan. 13

Benjamin Worgull of Scout.com provided new details on Kaminsky's status heading into Thursday night's game against Nebraska:

Kaminsky Recovering from Concussion

Monday, Jan. 12

According to Robin Washut of Rivals.com, head coach Bo Ryan commented on Kaminsky's status on Monday:

As Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, Kaminsky was unavailable for Sunday's game against Rutgers after "he began experiencing concussion-like symptoms on Thursday."

Kaminsky could have declared for the NBA draft thanks to his stellar efforts in the NCAA tournament. The seven-footer averaged 16.4 points per game during the Badgers' run to the Final Four, increasing his stock to an all-time high.

Instead, Kaminsky decided to return to Wisconsin for his senior season. He explained the choice on his personal blog, The Moose Basketball:

I made a commitment to the University of Wisconsin, and they made a commitment to me. Who would have thought that I would be in this position at the end of last season? If any, they wouldn't have been willing to bet on that. If you know anything about me, you would know that I pride myself on being loyal. I will always be loyal to anyone or anything that I care about, and I care about this school and this basketball team. They have become part of my identity and who I am. 

The star forward was ranked as the No. 1 player in college basketball by ESPN.com coming into the year, citing his unique combination of size, shooting ability and versatility. He averaged 13.6 points per game last season, or nearly 19 percent of Wisconsin's 73.5 average. 

Bo Ryan's system is good in that there usually isn't one single dominant scorer on the roster. The Badgers are accustomed to playing a slow, plodding style that wears opponents down.

They've never been a great scoring team, which is why a player like Kaminsky becomes so vital. He's averaging 16.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this season.

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

Frank Kaminsky came out of nowhere in 2013-14. It started with a 43-point explosion against North Dakota four games into his junior year, and from then on, he had our attention. 

You've heard the story before. He's not the first late-bloomer. Unheralded out of high school, Kaminsky has risen from "nobody" status to a legit NBA prospect in four years at school. 

He averaged just 7.7 minutes as a freshman and 10.3 as a sophomore. And then it clicked.

Over the course of a summer, we saw his body get stronger. Bumps by defenders weren't knocking him off track. Contact didn't keep him from finishing down low.

At the same time, Kaminsky had suddenly evolved into a knock-down shooter from just a capable one. He hit 37 three-point attempts at a respectable 37.8 percent clip—and the stroke looks good. Kaminsky gives off the impression he's a natural stretch big man.  

He's off to an even better start for the Badgers in 2014-15, both statistically and fundamentally.

Take a look at Kaminsky's numbers through eight games:

One of the big takeaways from Kaminsky's breakout senior year: The shooting stroke he flashed last season doesn't appear to be a fluke. He's sinking 1.6 three-pointers a game at a 41.9 percent clip. Obviously, there's more to his game than just shooting, but Kaminsky isn't going anywhere without a reliable jump shot. And it's looked even more convincing to start the 2014-15 season. 

Against Duke, he opened the game by sinking a catch-and-shoot three in the face of Jahlil Okafor, who at 6'11", 270 pounds, doesn't have the foot speed to play up tight and risk getting beaten off the bounce. 

A few possessions later, Kaminsky answered with a textbook pick-and-pop three-pointer on the opposite wing.

It's a simple combination, but NBA teams will pay for big men who can consistently knock down shots outside—even if they're limited elsewhere. 

But Kaminsky isn't limited elsewhere. He might not win any athletic awards or strong-man competitions, but his footwork and ball skills have gotten awfully good. 

Though his legs may have given out toward the end of the game, at one point in the second half, Duke had no answer for Kaminsky, who got to the line eight times over a six-minute span.

He's a tough cover for any center with the ability to shake, bake and finish on the move. Kaminsky ultimately makes up for a lack of athleticism with slick feet, body control and shot-making ability, whether he's back-to-the-basket or facing up.

Hooks, spins, one-dribble pull-ups, floaters in the lane—Kaminsky can create or separate into balanced looks from all different spots and angles on the floor.

It took all four years, but offensively, he's flashed the entire package from post to perimeter. We've seen him score, shoot and dish. And he's given Wisconsin some defense and rim protection as well. 

"Frank has become probably as complete a player as we've ever had—inside, outside, passing, defense, rebounding," Wisconsin associate head coach Greg Gard told Jeff Potrykus of the Journal Sentinel. "He can do so many different things and that is always that final step that you hope players take as they go through their career."

The big question that's bound to be on every general managers' mind is how well his offensive game will translate to the pros without much bounce or burst fueling it?

The good news for Kaminsky—he's going to essentially enter the NBA draft with a life preserver around his waist. That blend of shooting touch, 7-foot size and passing instincts should ultimately keep him afloat no matter how rough things get.  

And that should play to the safety he offers as a prospect. 

Turning 22 years old in April, you won't see him enter the conversation with the elite center prospects and projected one-and-dones like Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky and Myles Turner from Texas. 

But Kaminsky's "safe" label could go a long way in what might be a draft that runs out of star power rather quickly.

If he can continue improving his offensive fluidity while maintaining his sweet outside stroke, you're not going to see too many teams let Kaminsky slip by once all the upside prizes are off the board. There's just too much value tied to his particular skill set in today's NBA game.

I've got Kaminsky cemented into this year's late lottery to mid-first round.

With great hype comes with great expectations, and such is the case for the third-ranked Wisconsin Badgers this season.

One of the biggest reasons why the Badgers were ranked so high in the preseason AP Top 25 poll—their highest preseason rank ever as a matter of fact—is because they feature four returning starters from last year’s Final Four team.

Two of them, Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, are preseason All-Big Ten players.

However, Wisconsin’s success this season may actually depend on the guy who fills in the fifth spot in the rotation, Nigel Hayes.

Hayes was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year and a member of the All-Freshman team last season, and the 6’7” sophomore forward averaged 7.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 17.4 minutes played per game.

Those numbers have jumped significantly already after just one week of action this season.

Over Wisconsin’s first three games, Hayes is averaging 31 minutes while recording 15.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He's putting up better numbers in virtually every statistical category:

Hayes’ improvement may have come as a surprise to many, but not to head coach Bo Ryan.

Jesse Temple, who covers the Badgers for Fox Sports Wisconsin, tweeted about an encounter between Hayes and Ryan during the preseason:

So far, Hayes has indeed looked better.

After putting up six and 15 points, respectively, in Wisconsin’s first two games, Hayes exploded on Wednesday, scoring a career-high 25 points while grabbing 11 rebounds in the Badgers’ 84-60 win over Green Bay.

A few of Hayes’ highlights from that game can be seen between the 0:33 and 0:52 marks in the video below:

The three-pointer Hayes made in that clip was his third on the season in five tries, and it’s proof that his hard work on his outside shooting during the offseason is paying off.

Last year, Hayes did not have much of a shooting touch and, as a result, did not attempt a single three-pointer.

Consequently, opponents started to sag off on him whenever he had the ball on the perimeter and Hayes knew he wanted to do something to change that.

Hayes spoke with Temple about this:

Me being able to shoot, it will make the game a lot easier. I watched film over our last year's games and I saw where I'm sitting here on the 3-point line and the guy guarding me is helping all the way over. You know that hinders the other guys' effectiveness on offense, where Sam [Dekker] can't drive because there's another guy in his way.

With me being able to shoot that, that guy will either continue to do that, I'll make that shot, or he'll come out and give Sam or Trae [Jackson], whoever else, a driving lane.

Hayes has shown in the early going that the three-pointer is indeed a new part of his arsenal, and if he keeps putting up performances like the one he had against Green Bay, then people should start heeding Ryan’s words and pay attention to the rising sophomore.

Of course, Kaminsky and Dekker are and will be the focal points of the team throughout the season, but Hayes is the player who can further propel the Badgers’ success this year.