It was pretty easy to see a change in the Wisconsin men's basketball team after winter break last year. They got shorter.
That's because starting in the spring semester, sophomore Marcus Landry and junior Greg Stiemsma became academically ineligible to play basketball and were instantly missed. After big wins against Iowa and Michigan State and rolling over Northwestern, the second semester started with Landry and Stiemsma resigned to the bench, and Wisconsin promptly lost five of the next six games.
This was in no small part due to the loss of Landry, the 6'7' high-flying forward, and Stiemsma, the defensive-minded 6'11' center. During their playing time they put up modest but respectable numbers in their first years. Stiemsma anchored the Badger defense with as many points, 45, as rebounds. He added 15 assists and an impressive 24 blocks in only 12 minutes per game. Landry saw a little more playing time at just over 15 minutes per game and didn't let it go to waste. Landry gave the Badgers six points and three rebounds per game in his freshman year.
With the loss of Ray Nixon, the only departed Badger from last year's squad that went 19-11 (9-7 Big Ten), the scoring from the forward position seemed to rest on the shoulders of senior Alando Tucker. With Landry back this year, some of that scoring pressure is taken off the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year.
""It was a big learning experience,"" Landry said of his time off the court. ""It gave me an opportunity to see what my teammates are doing on the court, and what coach likes and what he doesn't like. So when my time comes, I know what to do and what not to do.""
We have already seen Landry's ability to throw it down with the alley-oop, but he's also multi-dimensional. He has that fire that makes him a threat to drive, and plays similar to the NBA's Ben Wallace, who stands at 6'9' but plays like he's 7'. The part of Landry's game that Wisconsin students are going to love is his long-range shooting. Landry can step back and drain the 3-ball just like Nixon did last year. Landry shot .364 from beyond the arc last year, and has been working on his shot during the off-season.
Stiemsma is also excited for the new year and another chance to return to the court.
""It was hard,"" Stiemsma said of sitting out the second half of the season. ""You definitely don't want to sit out, especially for the reason that we did. But it feels great to be out there again, playing for playing time instead of just on the scout team.""
Stiemsma isn't quite as exciting as Landry on the offensive end, but will surely draw a multitude of ""ooh's"" from the crowd this year for his shot-blocking ability.
""Defensively I just try to keep elevating my game, and hopefully offensively feeling more comfortable with the ball,"" Stiemsma said. ""I just try to do whatever the team needs me to do—grab a few rebounds or block a few shots.""
This type of approach will surely please defensive-minded head coach Bo Ryan, and Stiemsma should see plenty of minutes this year. While junior forward Brian Butch and senior forward Jason Chappell can step back and hit some shots, neither has the defensive presence that Stiemsma does.
Besides the obvious numbers, the two Badgers will once again add to the team outside the stat sheet. The most significant aspect they add is depth, which is something the Badgers were clearly lacking last year as the season went on.
""With Marcus [Landry], he's so athletic that he can play any position we need,"" Stiemsma said. ""He can score pretty well, he can rebound well, and he can block some shots.""
With the two new big men on the roster, the rest of the forwards and centers have some pressure taken off their shoulders. Now Butch and Chappell don't have to worry about foul trouble, allowing them to be more aggressive on defense with tougher play in the paint.
Not only does the return of the duo make things easier on the big men, but it also opens up the floor for the guards. With the addition of a few shooters to the team, including freshman Jason Bohannon, spreading the floor and keeping the defense off the arc will allow the Badgers to pour in the long balls. The presence of Stiemsma and Landry also helps the Badger guards on defense.
""It's good to know you've got those guys behind you,"" redshirt freshman Mickey Perry said. ""They know that any given day, basketball can be taken away from them, and I think they've learned from that and won't let it happen again.""
