The Badger men's basketball team had success in recent years in terms of freshmen being asked to perform in their first year. Two years ago, those outstanding freshmen were current juniors Mike Wilkinson and Devin Harris. Last year it was Alando Tucker, a member of the Big Ten all-freshman team, and sixth-man specialist Boo Wade.
This year, the Badgers have another talented group of newcomers looking to contribute in any way possible. Freshman guard Kammron Taylor will make his collegiate debut for Wisconsin and forward/center Brian Butch should make his debut unless he is redshirted. Junior forward Zach Morley is making the jump up to Division I basketball and senior guard Sharif Chambliss, though not eligible, hopes to make an impact as well. All four look to take part in Wisconsin's success this year.
\We just tell them, 'Don't get frustrated,'"" UW Head Coach Bo Ryan said. ""If you're getting burned, don't get burned twice. There's a lot of burning going on out there, but it was the same thing last year.""
Brian Butch may be the most heralded of the incoming group of UW rookies. Butch, an Appleton, Wis., native, turned down chances to play at schools like North Carolina to stay in his home state and play with the Badgers. The McDonald's All-American adds a towering presence in the paint for Wisconsin that was usually missing last year. Butch says that he is ready to accept the challenge of the collegiate level.
""It's going to be a big challenge,"" Butch said, ""but I knew coming in that it was going to be a challenge.""
Minnesota native Kammron Taylor is a speedy guard that will add an element of quickness to the Badgers' backcourt.??Taylor led his high school to a state title and was a finalist for Mr. Basketball in the state of Minnesota. The guard made an outstanding debut in last weekend's exhibition debut with 16 points and three steals, including four-of-six shooting from behind the three-point line.
""Kammron's quick, one of the quickest guys I've seen,"" Harris said.??""He can get in the lane and make good decisions, and he'll play a lot for us this year.""
Zach Morley is a transfer forward from Indian Hills Community College in Missouri.?? While there, he averaged 15.2 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game while earning third-team junior college All-American honors.??Morley adds a useful aspect to the team in that he can play in the paint as well as near the three-point arc.
Sharif Chambliss is the only newcomer that will definitely be sitting out this season. A transfer from Penn State, NCAA rules require Chambliss to sit out a year before he is eligible to play as a Badger. Chambliss earned honorable mention all-Big Ten honors for the last two years while leading the conference in free-throw shooting and three pointers made in those years. Though not eligible for competition, Chambliss offers experience and tough competition in practice for UW.
""[Sharif's] one of the best shooting guards in the Big Ten,"" Harris said.??""Being able to guard him in practice and get us ready for the guys who we'll play in the game will help us out a lot.""
Whether on the court for a game or in practice, Butch, Taylor, Morley and Chambliss offer different contributions for the Badgers' Big Ten title defense this year. If history proves to repeat itself this year, expect some of this year's rookie class to play a large role in helping Wisconsin achieve success on the court during the upcoming season.
