Jim French Stepstool

The flip side, looking for a positive, is UW is coming off a bye themselves. They were set up for the 'hornets nest' scenario a few weeks ago & it carried them for about half the game vs Penn State. After that they really ran out of gas & were beaten across the front on both sides of the ball. That's their biggest issue vs teams like PSU & Iowa, Alabama, etc. IF they can build a lead early, based on forcing TOs, maybe a special teams gaffe or two by the Ducks...........but that's unlikely.

@CheeseheadInQC, that had to be an awful lot of work. Very, very well done. It really can blow you away when you look at the depth of talent. Particularly liked some of the insights on Ortuno, who shone big-time but was certainly overshadowed. And I wasn't aware Anderson had nine (!) assists in forty-some games in the OF. Dayumn. I know he doesn't fit the profile of the article, but @BrewerFanmentioned Adamczewski. He doesn't have the tools/measurables of some of these kids but I have a feeling he's gonna fly up the organizational ladder.

The way rosters are built is certainly different. But you can still wear teams down with a strong offensive line & run game regardless as to how the rosters are put together. I'm not suggesting you can do that by only throwing ten times per game--I think there is some revisionist history going on w/regards to Alvarez anyway. Sure, they relied on the run, but there were games where they threw the ball more than folks would think. They had teams that would set up the pass by establishing the run. It's no coincidence that some of Lockes' most effective work came in the 3-game winning streak, in part due to the caliber of the opponent but largely due to the run game cooking, and the defense having to honor it. When they've struggled, defenses really have nothing they need to scheme to 'take away'. Your point about the 3rd, 4th & 5th year guys is a very good one, and it makes it tougher to build consistency. But keeping folks that you can win with is still a goal, and the ones that can do it are the better for it. The culture they thrived on 20-30 years is most likely gone forever, but if they go too far in the opposite direction by disproportionately living or dying with skill position players when you're competing not only with the Michigans, Penn states & Ohio States but the SEC for those players I predict a very rude awakening. I'll close by holding up Iowa, which is OK but not great at receiver & RB, has a QB that would probably struggle at a Locke-type level if he had to carry a team, yet has scored in the 30s & 40s in over half their games & beat us primarily because they dominated us up front, badly. You're right, UW needs to adjust. But I sense the baby flying out the window along with the bathwater. I hope I'm wrong.

I was about 90% sure McGee would be starting. Now that they're three games in, I can see the benefits of Klesmit-Tonje-Blackwell out there together. One of the issues is, who of that trio comes off the bench if McGee starts? I think it's a combination of GG liking three versatile scorers out there to start the game, and (maybe) McGee having the best mindset for coming off the bench--embracing the role, understanding the importance of it. Not sulking about it, but observing the opening minutes, seeing what's going on & giving the team what they need when he enters. Some guys are just better at that stuff. If they run into smaller lineups down the road, I wouldn't mind him playing WITH the other three at times, although that'll probably be rare. Another factor is all three starters on the perimeter can defend. Tonje is probably the most iffy, and he ain't bad. If one of those three were a Storr or Essegian-level defender we'd see McGee starting. Blackwell IS better off the ball. No disagreement there. Very nice start to the season for Winter. You're right, he's just over 21 MPG. I thought it was more. One way or another, I think it increases as the season unfolds. Lotsa competition for frontcourt minutes right now.

The slow shooting starts--whether it's due to settling or just missing good looks (today it was the latter)--is getting annoying. Once they got in rhythm though it was pretty impressive. Even when it was 17-8 I felt they were defending OK, but as @Oxymentioned above once the intensity picked up a bit App State had all kinds of trouble and they started resembling what they are--a team with an entirely new roster save for 2 or 3 guys. Definitely a step forward for Amos today. Still not sure if he can matchup physically at the four, but if he can be adequate in that area he's a nice weapon. And it was good to see Crowl be a 7-footer today, if you know what I mean. I get Gard wanting to establish him & Winter playing together, but I still think that jury is out. The good news is Gard has a smorgasboard of options at the four. We may see mixing & matching depending on what the opponent throws out there. Even against a discombobulated offense, fourteen steals is a very impressive number. Klesmit with five by himself is Mike Kelley-like.

I'd never heard that but it's easily believable. JL came from a development/hard work background so I'm sure making guys better would've been a cornerstone with him. You wouldn't expect anything less from a 5'8" tall walkon that wound up playing in the NFL for ten years or whatever it was. I am a little intrigued thinking about what kind of staff he'd have put together had he gotten the gig. He has to have a ton of contacts, and he's a very smart guy.

Yep. Just about all offenses are dependent on the run to some extent. And when you change as drastically as they did, you'd better not exacerbate the situation by losing your starting QB---portal-picked to lead the new offense---two years in a row. we're now finding out what it's like to do a 180-degree change under that scenario. Alvarez built from the existing culture & capitalized on the strengths that were readily available to him in the state & surrounding areas, which was a no-brainer & yet genius. Is it the only way? AFA UW is concerned that depends on how good Fickell is at the modern-day state of the college game. That means schmoozing & BS'ing the portal talent that fills your needs, allocating the funds made available to pay players, and in his particular case surrounding yourself with an exceptional staff. I feel the last one can't be emphasized enough as I don't feel he's as much a game-day coach as he is a delegator. Had JL gotten the job & Sean Lewis been hired I'd have looked at that as a smart move. And I think Blazek has been the best hire Fickell has made since he's been here. An OL coach that appears to be in the mold of some of the previous guys they've had, with the added ability (or so it seems) to recruit. I just hope his talents aren't wasted under this system.

I no longer have my season tix & can't describe myself as any kind of a big 'insider', but I sometimes hear scuttlebutt & what I heard FWIW: Leonhard was told during his interim stretch by Mac that he was getting the job. Mac liked Fickell but there was a belief he would be really tough to pry from Cincy due to not wanting to uproot the family--IIRC one of his kids is special-needs. When he showed true interest in taking the gig & the money was doable from UWs' side of things, it threw Mac for a loop. And It didn't help that, in his last three regular season games, JL went 1-2 with the only W a one-point lackluster job vs Nebraska. So Mac did a 'never mind' to Leonhard & hired Fickell. I think this is plausible enough that I buy it. And while I thought at the time Fickell was a good hire, if this scenario is accurate I don't blame JL one bit. You are correct in that Leonhard has many, many fans in the athletic dept.

I was a Leonhard guy, but I didn't think they could get Fickell & when they did, I was fine with the decision. Obviously the jury is still out on the current HC & staff and I think you're right, probably two years still to go unless there's a strange combination of ineptitude/dissention in '25. I'm about as positive as you can be, that there is zero chance Leonhard ever comes back to Madison unless Macintosh is no longer here.

Both McGee & Gilmore are just so damned reliable. In the league it might be tough to have them on the floor at the same time, but then again McGee is finding the bottom of the hoop so maybe not. A little disappointing Amos didn't see the floor in the 2nd half. It looks to me like they 'want' to see him get minutes over Ilver but it appears to be a tight competition right now. Agree 100% about Klesmit. It's rare to have someone as productive as he is on both ends of the floor. .

The screen action, drive-and-kick, and ball-player movement by Montana State was really impressive. Throw in a ridiculous 12-26 from 3PT range & it was a pretty good test for UW. Would've liked to see them do a better job of adjusting to the kickouts for Bobcat shooters, but for their first game the halfcourt offense was awfully good. Certainly would like to see the defensive board work improve. I'm starting to get the reason for the perimeter emphasis. It feels like Gard knows 3PT shooting & taking whatever dribble-drive you can get is going to have to be their bread-and-butter when they get in the league. Still, I think it would serve them well to at least touch the post more. Crowl is what he is. He's off to a slow start but I feel will still give them 8 PPG or so. Love Tonjes' knack for getting to the line.

I think this breakdown might be close to how he's used assuming he isn't dealt. And despite his value not being what it was at, say, this time last year I wouldn't rule out him being part of a trade. I just don't know if him not fitting the defensive profile the team likes will allow him to be part of the plan. And while LF might be his best landing spot the OF isn't exactly a spot of need.

Many are picking Montana State to win the Big Sky. They return a decent nucleus & added what is probably a little better cache of transfer talent than you'd think they'd attract. So like everyone else in the current age of college hoops it's a question of how the introductions go & how long it takes for people to accept & mesh into their roles. This is the Bobcats' 1st game so maybe that'll be an added edge.

I questioned that for a long time now, Watching him tonight guarding on the perimeter, he moved better than I expected him to but yeah, there will be lineups where it'll be a tough ask. I'm just glad they guarded better after the lousy start. After allowing 23 PT by the 11:30 mark, only a point a minute over the next 24, which is outstanding. Lesson learned, hopefully.

Very deserving IMO. I'm usually immersed in college sports when these awards are given out. I'm surprised to learn exec of the year has only existed since 2018. Harry Dalton certainly could've picked it off in the late 70s-early 80s.

A disappointing 1st half tonite, trailing Holy Cross by a point. Not disastrous, not necessarily any kind of a harbinger, but disappointing, annoying. It looked like a few guys actually looking to expend energy on defense started the game on the bench, while the ones on the floor didn't seem to feel like it. Throw in a reluctance to drive the ball or touch the post during the first 8 minutes. Still, I've seen many really good Badger teams start out cold from the floor, but those teams wouldn't give up 23 points in the first eight-and-a-half minutes to Holy Cross. A great 10 minute defensive stretch followed. That needs to be the norm.

I mean, yeah, if you can't stop the run Iowa will score a lot of points. This is the fifth game this year they were at 38-42 points. I don't know who described UWs' defense as 'vaunted'. For three weeks in a row they were pretty damned good vs mediocrity. They then held up well for a bit over half a game vs PSU before wearing down. Then bullied today. Five or six effective bodies rotating on the line allows LBs & secondary to make plays. We have about two. I'm looking for effective hits on run plays, and the most consistency I see there is from Hunter Wohler, a safety. That's a problem.

They can't run the ball because, well, they can't run the ball. At least not vs defenses that defeat you up front like we saw last week & tonight. PSU didn't do anything special to 'play the run' & I doubt Iowa did either. Throw in Lockes' lack of mobility & it's a killer. There's a reason why Mordecai & Van Dyke were anointed to start the last two years--ability to make some stuff happen with your feet, to augment a run game that just isn't philosophically emphasized like it once was.

Attended a wedding reception tonight, so I only saw a small bit of the game & heard a few numbers. I knew that if PSU was successful at wearing us down up front, these guys were sure to attempt to do the same. 329 yards on the ground while only having to throw five passes in the last 3 quarters pretty much tells the story. I saw the last possession for Iowa, where we knew they were running the ball & still could do nothing to stop it. Reminded me of ourselves, back in the day. Continue to recruit & develop linemen on both sides. Bye week coming at a good time.

I know he doesn't project to hit for much power, but I believe I'd put Pena on the list with the above seven you mentioned. And with his hit tool & patience at the plate I'm antsy to see what Adams looks like as he climbs. Burke has always kinda flown under the radar for me. Can't wait to see a full season of pro ball from him.

To average almost 104 MPH exit velocity, while walking 39 times to 28 K? At seventeen? You just don't see that. Heck, he may be in Appleton before next season concludes.

It also stuck out like a sore thumb to me how much some of the new guys struggled defensively. When Gard went to a more program-experienced lineup after UWRF made their run the lead quickly ballooned. Not surprising the transfers would be behind in that area, but it surprised me that it was such a blatant difference. Work to put in, as I'm sure they will. I don't know if he'll continue to come off the bench or start (I thought he'd be starting) but Kamari McGee had an excellent game on both ends. It'll be interesting to see how that turns out, if Gard decides to continue to start the game with the three scorers on the perimeter. Not a huge deal since it was his first time vs a different color uni, but Freitag IMO had a really poor game. A couple things didn't go his way early on & he spent the rest of his minutes trying to compensate by forcing the issue. Lesson learned I'm sure, but it appears he's a little more behind than I thought. Good exhibition opponent that presented a couple problems, which is what you want. RF is well-coached & may wind up as one of the top 2-3 teams in their league.

Good observations that I pretty much agree with. It appears Gard is set on Winter playing the four based on his comments, and it's a real fire drill right now as to who gets the other minutes at that spot. Someone recently thought Amos resembled Aleem Ford, which is a pretty good call. Ilver looked exactly the same to me except he hit a few for a change. We'll see if that continues. Gilmore obviously shoots up the charts if he continues to knock down shots. As you alluded to, Janicki & Robison are pretty much fighting for the same minutes. Janicki has the year of experience in the program & it shows. I think it's very possible Robison takes a redshirt, which some people think is no longer a thing but I believe would be a wise choice in this case.

So, the exhibition tonight vs UW-River Falls. Other than finally getting to watch some college hoops, I'm hoping a smallish UWRF team has someone at the 4 that can shoot the ball & maybe even put it on the floor so I can see if Nolan Winter can at least show signs that he can handle the position defensively. Also interested to see the minutes distribution at PG behind McGee, who I assume starts. John Tonje has taken some minutes away from Max Klesmit. For now I'll assume Klesmit is a bit behind due to his prior injury & hasn't hit his stride. Still interesting though; Tonje is a guy who can score from different levels. It also sounds like walk-on Jack Janicki has been very impressive & is pushing for minutes.

Most definitely. And while he hasn't been with them as long as some of the others, I've been impressed with the work Quintin Berry does too.