BY PETER DAHL
Weeks ago, Marquette’s men’s basketball team ended their disappointing season in an equally disappointing fashion. Their in-state rivals, the Wisconsin Badgers, had a terrific season and continued playing well into March until losing in the Final Four to Kentucky on April 5. As the two teams moved into the off-season, their futures could hardly look more different.
Marquette’s off-season has already been a whirlwind of activity after the unexpected departure of head coach Buzz Williams, who left for Virginia Tech shortly after his team’s season ended. After gaining some stability in the administration, and after the bizarre Shaka-Smart-to-Marquette-report-fiasco, Marquette hit a home run when they hired Duke assistant, Steve Wojciechowski, to be their new head coach. He brings a great basketball-mind, tireless work ethic, championship tutelage and winning pedigree to the program – breathing new life into a team ready to move in a new direction. Although some recruits have de-committed, and others remain undecided, junior point guard, Derrick Wilson, expects every current player to remain at Marquette, minimizing what could have been major fallout after William’s departure.
In short, Marquette may not be great next year, but they have set themselves up to quickly return to prominence, as well as establish a successful long-term plan. They have an excellent group of freshmen, some highly-rated high school commits and a big-time transfer in Luke Fischer. With Wojciechowski at the helm, they will remain contenders for transfers as well as plenty of first-rate recruits. Current and future players will love to play for “Wojo.”
Buzz Williams did great things for Marquette, and he built a solid basketball foundation. However, the program will be better off without him. His rift with the administration, the heat after a tough season and the looming specter of the sexual assault cover-up from 2011 made it the right time for Buzz to depart. As subsequent reports have revealed, it was probably the right thing for everyone involved. He was no longer happy at Marquette, and Marquette was not necessarily as thrilled about him as they once were.
The Wisconsin Badgers are in a completely different situation. After a heartbreaking defeat in the Final Four, they should return next season with a team that is just as good, if not better. Their only major loss to graduation is Ben Brust, and their two NBA prospects, junior Frank Kaminsky and sophomore Sam Dekker, who have both stated that they will return to school. We can also expect to see Bo Ryan on the sideline again next season.
While the Badgers upcoming recruiting classes are far from impressive, Wisconsin has a way of making unheralded high school recruits into excellent players. Additionally, they struck gold with two of their freshmen this year. Nigel Hayes won the Big Ten awards for Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year. Bronson Koenig, who is mostly unknown to fans outside Wisconsin, has shown signs of great potential, including some real offensive firepower in the Final Four game versus Kentucky.
The Badgers’ short term success depends upon the progression of their star players, especially Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky. Dekker, one of the school’s rare five-star recruits, has been inconsistently used by the Badgers, and his play has reflected that. Sometimes he looks like a superstar and other times he looks like just another solid Wisconsin player. At another school, Dekker could probably be a star, and Bo Ryan must make an extra effort to cultivate his NBA-level talent before their time together comes to an end.
Kaminsky is a similar story. He was, at times unstoppable this year, but his impact in the Kentucky game was not enough. With a full year of film to study, teams next year will be better prepared to stop the variety of offensive skills that Kaminsky brings to the table, skills that may have surprised some teams this year. Once again, it is up to Bo Ryan to maximize Kaminsky’s rare combination of size and skill.
Wisconsin’s future is secure if not overly exciting. Their philosophy has consistently worked during Bo Ryan’s tenure. Whether or not they can take the next step and make good teams into great teams remains uncertain, as they rarely sign top-level recruits. If they are to win at an elite level, they will have to maximize the production of the stars they occasionally bring in, something they could not do this year but will have a golden opportunity to do next year.
St. Norbert Times 