Despite handing the Kentucky Wildcats their first loss and putting up a respectable effort last night, the Wisconsin Badgers could not deny the Duke Blue Devils their fifth national championship. Even in a valiant effort that saw head coach Bo Ryan’s boys up by as many as nine points, Duke’s second-half rally could not be held off as the team made clutch shots en route to a 68-63 victory.
Now, the question presents itself: where do the Badgers go from here?
To be honest, the team is at something of a crossroads.
Team leader Frank Kaminsky is set to graduate, and Nbadraft.net has him projected as a mid-first round pick. Sure, he’s just one guy, but his versatile skills and leadership both on the hardwood and in the locker room are sure to be incredibly missed.
Joining Kaminsky in graduation are shooter Josh Gasser, point man Traevon Jackson and clutch bench player Duje Dukan.
Granted, those are just a small handful of players who were leaving anyway and Ryan is a good enough coach that he’ll be able to get the best out of any squad he has in front of him, but the talent of this season’s team was beyond special and will be hard to replicate not just next year, but for the remainder of Ryan’s tenure in Madison.
On top of that, there’s no guarantee that junior forward Sam Dekker will decide to stay for his senior year.
Nbadraft.net is so bold to project him as a top ten pick, going ahead of Kaminsky. Granted, Dekker is incredibly talented and had a GREAT tournament, posting 19.2 points over the Badgers’ six games, but 36 of his 77 total shots attempted were from beyond the arc. Though he can hold his own from long range, he is more than just a shooter and could definitely make an impact on the professional level.
Just the same, to project him as someone to pick ahead of Kaminsky is a bit too bold.
That said, assuming Dekker gets caught up in the hype surrounding his post-tourney draft stock and chooses to forgo his senior season, that leaves the Badgers in the hands of sophomore swingman sensation Nigel Hayes (12.4 points, 6.2 RPG), and there’s no guarantee that he’ll decide to jump ship early, though Nbadraft.net does not have him projected as a draft pick this year.
And even if Hayes does stay, he really won’t have any impact players on the court with him save for shooter Bronson Koenig, not unless one of this year’s benchwarmers steps up and proves to be a difference maker.
Moreover, of ESPN’s Top 100 recruits, none have committed to Wisconsin. Sure, the Badgers have signed solid prospects in forward Alex Illikainen and guard Brevin Pritzl, but there is no guarantee that they’ll get significant playing time as freshman.
Thus, will the Wisconsin Badgers be able to compete next year? Well, it depends on a lot of factors.
If Dekker decides to return for his senior season, he and Hayes could form a 1-2 punch that, assuming the rest of the team steps up enough, could easily make the Badgers a Final Four contender once again.
However, if Dekker leaves, the team could be in for a transitional year. Though Bo Ryan is a fantastic coach, it’ll be hard for him to replicate this season’s success after losing key elements of the team’s attack.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
