Jim French Stepstool

"Invoke the spirit of Bobby Bonilla......" This wouldn't involve Jobu & a dead chicken, would it?

Over-achieving to the national media types, the guys who get easily swayed by spectacular highlights & eye candy. Folks who can't recognize solid basketball skills & IQ due to the obsession with athleticism & recruiting "stars". Very nice win tonite. Other than a few too many turnovers Maryland impressed me. Willard has that group organized & making mostly good decisions on the floor. But when you guard like UW did tonight you always have a chance. Wahl is struggling a bit right now, so it's great to see the recent games Crowl has turned in. Growing confidence around the hoop on both ends. And the usual strong floor game & defense by Gilmore augmented by seeing the ball go in a few times. Maybe his best career game.

I've known a lot of people who have gone there over the years. Obviously a quality school. But I remember years ago talking to an alum I've known since about 8th grade. We got to talking about his experiences there (he's a big HS/college hoops fan) & I mentioned how I thought their fan base has a real sense of paranoia regarding UW & Notre Dame. He chuckled & said "yeah, they really do" or words to that effect. I noticed a sprinkling of red in the stands yesterday, so maybe they've gotten past their "policy" of trying to limit people wearing Badger gear & where they sit. A fan base is one thing, but in that case you're talking about people who are actual representatives of the university, which is sort of sad. Anyway, a terrific road win. Agree with the above comments, and would like to throw in a few words about McGee. It sounds like he's starting to "get it", very nice contribution yesterday when they really needed it.

Interesting story there, as it seems he still hasn't decided which sport to play.

Perhaps, IF they can add a PG to that group (post-Hepburn).

I saw him last night. Gard, Dean Oliver & Sharif Chambliss were in attendance (no players that I saw). Within the first 6-7 minutes, he drove the lane & finished with his left hand, did the same with his right, went baseline from the weak side & timed it perfectly to receive a pass for a layup, broke up a pass as the lone man back on a 2-1 fast break to force a turnover, and made 2 threes, one with a man in his face. His footwork is usually textbook. Seeing him last night, I'd say he's the type of kid where, if you're the opponent & you're playing a zone or trapping in the half court and he gets the ball at the FT line, you're in big trouble. My only skepticism is that the opponent was an athletic group that was constant up-tempo & overplay, which played right into his hands. Would love to see him vs Pewaukee if I get the chance.

Compared to, oh let's say Khalil Iverson, he isn't. Athleticism isn't what attracts him to coaches. He's more than athletic enough when combined with his skill level & feel for the game. Believe me, I've seen a lot of HS kids over the years who were quite a bit more athletic than him. Then, you get them to the next level & find out they just aren't all that good at basketball when exposed to more size & quickness then they're used to.

He obviously can score points, but he's the type of player that can score 5 or 6 in a given game & still be instrumental to a win. That's about as big a compliment as you can give.

Yep. I hesitate calling him a finished product but he's more than good enough in all areas to contribute immediately just about anywhere, and he fits what they do real well. And they DO seem to be in a good spot with him. Just sell the program, and let him & his family go through the process. Hoping to get a chance to see him play tonite at WLC. And, whether he goes to UW, Kentucky, or Southern Hew Hampshire, this young man & his situation is nothing like Herro.

Right now that would pretty much be Wahl from the mid-post area. Period. Hepburn isn't a confident finisher as witnessed by the constant pullups & fallaways in the lane. Would like to see him develop a feel for getting a defender on his butt & hips & ripping through. Also, Hepburn is taking too much on himself. I assume Johnny Davis & Davison being gone has a lot to do with that. He needs to get back to a PG mindset--he scored 23 points last night but IMO needs to be much better on his decision-making. And he joins a long list of people who really dropped the ball defensively last night. Appleby was terrific, but I saw little or no help defense, no making him go to his off-hand, nothin'. I'm actually cautiously optimistic re Crowl physically. He seems lately to be more of a willing soul in the post offensively, and last night stepped out for a couple threes. Scoring 15 & doing it with versatility, I'd take that every night.

Well, he IS playing for the same organization that brought you Danny Thomas?.

Appleby had, I suspect, a career game for WF tonight. Still, the on-ball defense on him needed to be much better. Just not the consistent halfcourt defense that you normally see from UW. That should be there more often than not, but once again they were beaten on the boards. Wahl & Crowl are so vitally important because there isn't much effective size behind them. Carter Gilmore is turning into a whipping boy with some fans. He does what he can with what he has; the guy is about 6' 6". You could argue that, if you want to spew vitriol it might be better directed at Ilver & Hodges for not passing him up (yet).

Had they gotten by Kansas, the final vs Tennessee would've been really something. The way the Vols defend, the energy combined with the length, would've given UW fits. But Tennessee can be sloppy in the half court, and I think we could've frustrated them into mistakes & bad shots. Take care of the ball & keep them out of transition & it might've been another 42-41 game. Then the geniuses on the ESPN payroll could talk about how ugly of a game it was, exposing their 10-second attention spans.

Brad, when you consider all the tangibles & intangibles, was easily a sum positive in his Badger career. He also, on many occasions, was guilty of flopping. He'll always be someone you love to hate if you aren't a UW fan. After watching him perform for the last nine years (or so it seems?) my initial thoughts will always be the heart, the times he played hurt or out of position (sometimes both), and the leadership. Never met him, but from what I've heard from people who should know & whose opinion I value he was a polite, engaging kid off the court. Not to mention he was an actual student-athlete. Sadly, you can't always say that today. He was often officiated with a microscope, but if one wants to say it was his own fault that's fair.

Happy, really happy for Hepburn. He needed a solid game, and that was solid +. Thoughts six games in........ It would really help this offense if you could pin Crowl down in the post after one or 2 ball reversals & get some effectiveness. It appears he "is what he is". He appears stronger, but some guys--even 7 footers--just aren't comfortable around the cup on a consistent basis. The good news is, he's very effective passing from the high & mid-post. Hopefully the board work gets a little better, and he gets back to a comfort level shooting from the top of the key cuz it ain't there right now. Jordan Davis has had a few games this year where he's been largely "quiet" on the offensive end, yet you look up & he has 8-12 points. A putback or 2, maybe he hits a three, maybe gets to the line a bit. Defends & rebounds, doesn't do anything dumb in the half court. THAT'S when he's most effective IMO. He got back to that vs 'SC. Some want Essegian to start in his place. I'd be OK with that, but if he continues to get substantial minutes I'm fine with him coming off the bench. I get the frustration with Gilmore. But when you watch off the ball on both ends of the floor, it's easy to understand why Gard feels a comfort level with him. I'd love for Ilver, and Hodges for that matter, to learn enough to earn more time. Hasn't happened yet. It appeared we MIGHT'VE started to run out of gas a bit defensively in the second half VS USC, but then got a second wind in the final minutes when stops were critical. That was one impressive three-day stretch guarding people. The color analyst today, when the USC PG was called for a flop early in the game, didn't like the call because "He might've just been trying to avoid injury". That's the kind of nonsensical mind-reading we've reached when you needlessly add pages to the rule book. In all sports. Call a charge, or call a foul on the defender. Period. If it's neither, just play on.

Off the top of my head it reminds me a little of the return they got from ATL for Arcia. But I'll defer to those who are a lot more knowledgeable of other teams' farm systems than I. It opens up a portal for Joey Wiemer to climb through if he's ready to do so.

Off the top of my head it reminds me a little of the return they got from ATL for Arcia. But I'll defer to those who are a lot more knowledgeable of other teams' farm systems than I. It opens up a portal for Joey Wiemer to climb through if he's ready to do so.

Maybe the single biggest disappointment so far this season is McGee not taking hold of the backup spot to Hepburn. He played PG at Green Bay but there's obviously a lot he needs to learn, and probably "unlearn" from his year up there. What makes it especially disappointing is he had the entire summer trip to acclimate, as well as this fall. Hopefully the light goes on at some point.

I think it's relatively rare, in the sense that I question how much "development" is actually going on. Izzo does it; UW has hung their hats on it for a long time. Villanova. I'm sure there are others, especially among the mid-majors. I've just seen a lot of squads over the years that IMO don't get a whole lot better as they gain experience, particularly on the defensive end. Mixing together a transfer (or 3 or 4) on an almost seasonal basis will make it even more challenging. I think the one-and-doners mostly don't find MSU all that attractive compared to Duke, UK, Kansas & that ilk, and Izzo is fine with that. Based on some of his comments from years ago I suspect he hates the automatic eligibility for transfers too.

I was with you as far as there not being a top 10 squad until I got my first look at Michigan State the other day. I've been an Izzo fan for a long time; he runs a developmental program while still recruiting at a pretty high level. That's a rare combo. After that you have some people who have a shot (at being ranked) but IMO aren't nearly as well coached. Iowa is experienced & finally seems to be starting to guard people. Indiana seems to under-achieve but has enough talent. And the people who do the voting will bend over backwards to put Michigan up there if they can help it.

Well, what you'd potentially have to lose is Devanney. I think your first paragraph outlining why you think he won't get picked makes quite a bit of sense; still I wouldn't have rolled these dice to protect Singleton, even if it isn't a risky roll.

Well, what you'd potentially have to lose is Devanney. I think your first paragraph outlining why you think he won't get picked makes quite a bit of sense; still I wouldn't have rolled these dice to protect Singleton, even if it isn't a risky roll.

I think they'd LOVE to find a taker for Hiura. As to Singleton, for me this whole thing hinges on Devanney. If someone plucks him I'll be ticked. My guess is he won't be picked but it sure isn't a slam dunk. And I think he's more likely to get taken than Singleton would've been. We'll see.

I think they'd LOVE to find a taker for Hiura. As to Singleton, for me this whole thing hinges on Devanney. If someone plucks him I'll be ticked. My guess is he won't be picked but it sure isn't a slam dunk. And I think he's more likely to get taken than Singleton would've been. We'll see.

Here's hoping some intangibles had a lot to do with the performance. Like looking forward to going somewhere warm next week, and having a weak opponent to get out of the way (overlook) beforehand. It's a bad excuse, and (on the offensive end) it WAS putrid. But it happens sometimes, and it's worth it if you can still get away with a win while learning from it. The worst part of a game like that is you give the opponent momentum & confidence the longer they hang around. Fortunately GB wasn't good enough to turn it into an upset.