Kohl Center scorekeepers beware: You are going to have to earn your paychecks this season, because the 2004-'05 installment of the Wisconsin basketball team is going to be subbing a lot. So much so that UW Head Coach Bo Ryan thinks it will wear out the substitution horn.
This is obviously a far cry from the Badger team from last year that relied almost exclusively on the talents of Devin Harris. This time around, things will be different, as Ryan and his staff are going to rely on a multitude of players to carry the scoring burden. If Saturday's 77-44 victory is any indication, the platoon approach to scoring just might work.
Other than walk-on freshman guard Tanner Bronson and junior forward Ray Nixon, every Badger in uniform played at least 10 minutes. Of the 11 players who saw action Saturday night, Bronson was the only one not to score a point. Senior forward Mike Wilkinson does not mind sharing the wealth, and said he thinks the Badgers' balance is a definite advantage.
\I think it makes it almost easier,"" Wilkinson said. ""You have nine, 10, 11 guys who can come in and can all score when they get the ball. That's what happened in the first half. There weren't too many shots for me or Alando or some people, but guys came off the bench, found themselves open and knocked down some shots. And that's what we need from those guys.""
Nixon, who played just nine minutes, made the most of his limited court time, going 3-3 from the field and scoring eight points, all in a short stretch toward the end of the first half. Several other players, including freshman center Brian Butch and Wilkinson also had explosive stretches where they scored on consecutive possessions. Ryan seemed pleased with his team's production.
""It could be the banana offense-it comes in bunches,"" he said. ""That's OK with us, just as long as it comes.""
Even more encouraging was the fact that Nixon and Butch provided their respective sparks from the bench. With Ryan implementing a physically draining full-court press on opposing teams this year, production from the substitutes will be crucial to Wisconsin's success. If Ryan can effectively sub in players like Nixon and Butch, as well as senior forward Zach Morley and freshman guard Michael Flowers, without losing a step on the offensive end, things could be looking up for the Badgers.
It may take some time for fans to get used to all the new faces being cycled in and out of the games, especially after the more steady approach Ryan used last with Devin Harris and company, but as long as the method works, that's the way the Badgers will play.
""Last year that wasn't the case, two years it was the case,"" Ryan said. ""We'll just find ways, that's what you have to do-you've just got to find ways.""
They will find ways all right, even if it comes at the expense of a couple of scoreboard horns.
