The last three years have left Badger fans with high expectations of the men's basketball team. Last season's team managed a Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship, a perfect record at home and a school record 25 victories. With Devin Harris leaving for the NBA and junior guard Boo Wade taking an indefinite absence from the team, UW basketball fans bite their nails anxiously, waiting to see who will take the lead for this year's squad.
Those fans might be waiting a long time-and that might not be a bad thing this year.
Logic points to the veterans to lead the young Badgers. Senior forwards Mike Wilkinson, Zach Morley, senior guard Clayton Hanson, senior center Andreas Helmigk and sophomore forward Alando Tucker all have had the extended floor time that will desperately be needed, particularly on the road. While Head Coach Bo Ryan is reluctant to name just one leader for his squad, Wilkinson's experience and his consistency season to season would point in his direction.
\I think you always look to your seniors to begin with and Mike has done a good job of that ... It can come from different areas and there are different types of leaders,"" UW assistant coach Greg Gard said. ""It doesn't have to always be someone that is very vocal. Mike does it by his work ethic and how hard he works and just the example he sets ... Devin didn't say a whole lot when he was here. He led by example and was a man of few words, and I think Mike is the same way.""
After spending last season on the bench with a foot injury, Tucker's return could not come at a better time. In his last active season-his freshman year-Tucker contributed 12 points per game and set a school record with 86 offensive rebounds. In his first game this season against UW-Parkside, he scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds in 19 minutes.
""All of the freshmen from Mike Flowers, DeAaron Williams and Greg Steimsma-I spent a lot of time with them this summer just explaining that it's going to get tougher every game,"" Tucker said. ""These exhibition games show us what we need to work on, but once the Big Ten starts, the intensity picks up ten times more. I think they're getting a feel for it now.""
Off the court, Tucker hopes to provide supplementary support to the knowledge he shares on it. With many freshmen in the limelight, a key part of the potential success of the squad is keeping players focused and out of trouble in the classroom and out-something the basketball team has generally had success in doing.
""They're finding out with academics and trying to balance a schedule that it's tough,"" Tucker said. ""And I just want to be there to be a voice and keep their heads up.""
Even with the strength of the veterans, the rookies are looking to make their own mark on the team and prove that even without Harris, this team will be a contender in March.
Against UW-Parkside, sophomore guard Kammron Taylor jumped out with two three-pointers early, only to finish after 17 minutes with an additional five points. Ryan compared Taylor's play to the tortoise-hare analogy. Ryan said he preferred more consistency. Taylor said he understood where Ryan was coming from, and believes not succumbing to the desire to do it all will make this team balanced.
""I feel like you put too much pressure on yourself, you're not going to perform like you can,"" Taylor said. ""I'm confident in my game and confident in my teammates. People say we're going to miss Devin, and we will, but I think we'll still be a good team.""
When the regular season kicks off Nov. 20 against Penn, the Badgers will have had two exhibition games under their belt and fans will have a better clue of who this team is. Just do not be surprised if a leader has not been anointed.
""It's no one [person] that we're just automatically going to say 'You're the leader,' it's going to have to be built over time,"" Gard said. ""If we can continue to build on that and allow that to grow as our team grows, the leaders will surface.\
