With Midnight Madness officially kicking off the 2004-'05 season last Saturday, the UW basketball team is already preparing to defend their Big Ten post-season title. However, this year's team will have a much different makeup than the Badger teams of the past three years that have all won either the Big Ten regular season, or conference tournament.
Missing this year will be the man who helped orchestrate the most successful three -year span in the history of Wisconsin basketball. Devin Harris' early departure to the NBA left a major hole in the Badgers' starting line-up and, for many Wisconsin fans, the premiere question on everyones mind entering this season is-Who will fill Devin's shoes?
As freshman guard Michael Flowers pointed out, it will take a combined effort to replace the No. 5 pick of the NBA Draft.
\We have to regroup and as a team we have to fill [Devin's] shoes,"" Flowers said. ""And not so much that one person has to but as a team we have to, and I think we will do a good job filling Devin's shoes because the team chemistry is here already.""
Although Flowers and sophomore guard Kammron Taylor are two underclassmen that could provide a spark at the point for the Badgers, the starting spot will most likely go to junior guard Boo Wade.
Wade started 28 of the 30 games that he played in last season and racked up nearly seven points per game to go with 2.6 assists per game. Although Harris was well received as one of the best point guards in the nation, Wade had a better turnover-to-assist ratio and also averaged fewer turnovers per minute than Harris.
""Coach is looking forward to me taking over the one man spot and running the show so I am just trying to run the show as well as I can,"" Wade said with a confident swagger about him.
""Boo has played the position his freshman year and he played some last year,"" sophomore forward Alando Tucker said. ""Devin left an impression on a lot of guys that you can score as a point guard and that you can make plays and they all like that.""
Kammron Taylor, the only other returning guard from last year's team who might see some playing time at the point, is eager to get on the floor and prove he can contribute more with an increase in playing time. The sophomore appeared in 18 games last season but knows that with the departure of Harris his opportunity will come sooner or later.
""It makes me a lot hungrier, [knowing I can get some playing time]. The day Devin decided to leave I knew that it was time to step up my game and that's what I am going to try to do this year.""
Rounding out the list at point is Flowers, the Gatorade State Player of the Year, from La Follete High School. The 6'2' freshman will have to deal with the hardships that come with adjusting to Big Ten basketball, but could make more of an impact in the second half of the season. For now, Wade and Taylor are filling in Devin's shoes as a leader, showing the teenagers what it is like to play Big Ten basketball.
""We are just trying to take care of business right now,"" Wade said of the team's mentality. ""We are trying to get Michael [Flowers] used to the swing [offense] and get the younger players into the offense and get them used to our offense overall.""
""I am learning a lot from [the older guys],"" Flowers said ""I am learning a lot from the coaches too. It's a learning process so the quicker I learn, the better it is for me and the team.\
