When analysts discuss teams that could potentially succeed in a large, Division-I conference they do not mention teams who have a rookie coach and lost their top three scorers from the previous season.
But, being overlooked is exactly what Wisconsin will use to fuel the fire this season.
A new coach, an incoming class of six women, two transfers and seven returning players is just what Wisconsin needs to put together a season comprised of victories.
The Badgers ended last campaign with a 3-15 Big Ten record, 7-22 overall. They were ousted in the first round of the Big Ten tournament by Northwestern and managed to miss out on any type of post-season tournament.
Wisconsin is returning only four out of its top 10 players in points per game and minutes played from last season.
Picking up the slack from Nicole Bauman, Dakota Whyte and Michala Johnson will not be easy. Those three women were the top three players in minutes played and points per game. Bauman averaged 15.1 PPG, Whyte contributed 12.9 and Johnson added 12.2 to the mix.
Wisconsin’s biggest task will be making up for those lost numbers, whether with greater defensive intensity or new players stepping up offensively.
Carrying the majority of the load in terms of offensive production will be redshirt senior forward Avyanna Young, who put up 7.7 PPG last season, fourth on the team, and junior guard Cayla McMorris, who tallied 6.5 PPG last year, sixth on the team.
Leading the charge for this young Badgers team is first-year coach Jonathan Tsipis. Tsipis previously coached at George Washington University and was named the 2015 Atlantic 10 Conference coach of the year.
Athletic Director Barry Alvarez hired Tsipis in March 2016, making him the seventh coach in women’s basketball history.
When asked about expectations from the fans in Monday’s press conference, defense was the highlighted answer.
“We are going to be a team that I think especially early on has to rely on being really good defensively,” Tsipis said.
On the offensvie side, Tsipis is hoping to implement a quick attack.
“We like to play fast,” said Tsipis. “As a coach I need to make sure that playing fast matches the pieces that make us successful.”
The coaching staff is keeping a sharp eye on redshirt junior Malayna Johnson and redshirt sophomore Ashley Kelsick. Coach Tsipis is unsure if they will be ready to play when the exhibition match versus Winona State rolls around Sunday.
Kelsick is a transfer from Boston College and is currently waiting on eligibility papers from the NCAA. Johnson missed last season due to a medical-redshirt (torn ACL), but played in the 2014-2015 season, averaging four points per game. She is still recovering slightly and Tsipis isn’t taking any immediate chances.
The Badgers start their season this Sunday with an exhibition match at the Kohl Center versus the Warriors of Winona State.
Following the first exhibition game, Wisconsin will have two more: one at the Kohl Center versus University of Wisconsin-Stout and the final one in Charlotte, N.C., taking on the University of Charlotte.
Wisconsin’s season will officially begin Nov. 13 when Wisconsin welcomes Saint Francis University to the Kohl Center.
The first Big Ten game will take place in a new year—Jan. 1, 2017. Wisconsin will host the Michigan Wolverines in Madison.
In terms of this first game, fans can expect to see a lot of different faces on the court. With every player being new to Tsipis’ coaching style and plenty of new athletes eager to prove their worth to the team, no one in the stands should anticipate to see the same eight or nine players throughout the entire game.
Tsipis was also quick to point out his team’s extra work in the gym, their hustle in practice and their incentive system for doing the little things: taking charges, deflecting passes, helping teammates up and being vocal.
Those small hustle plays, rebounding and a strong defensive mentality is what Wisconsin wants to hang its hat on at the end of the day. There’s a lot of excitement for this first exhibition game, giving fans a chance to see a lot of new faces, and what could be a new brand of Badger basketball.
Coming off a dismal season, Wisconsin has revamped the program with a new coach, and several new players. It is indeed a new era of Badgers’ basketball, and the story will unfold game by game.
