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 Sports Chick
June 28, 2004 Wisconsin Needs More RespectBy: Marty Coultas
Welcome back Milwaukeeworlders. Hope your week went well and was as eventful as the world of Professional Sports. With the NBA draft now completed and the Brewers off on a ten game road trip, there is plenty to chat about this gorgeous Monday morning. But, what is most on my mind this sunny June day is the outlook of our beloved Wisconsin Badgers and what we are going to do without the now drafted.....FIFTH FREAKIN PICK OVREALL....Devon (man you are impressive) Harris. The NBA draft is now history. Devon is gone, maybe to Dallas. Yet the mood in Madison should be pretty upbeat. Even though UW seems to get the same respect as Rodney Dangerfield does from the national media, I think the Badgers should be very good this coming season, even without Devon (man you are impressive) Harris. As for Big Ten teams, the College Basketball News Association ranks only the Fighting Illini as a top ten contender for the 2004-2005-college basketball season. The basis of this ranking is that they are returning all five of their starters as well as their two fine junior guards as well as Roger Powell, who opted out of the draft. (Good move Roger since you would not have been picked anyway). With that as a base it is possible that they will be the top team in the league but not a guarantee to anyone who knows anything about the Wisconsin Badgers. A lot of writers seem enamored of the athleticism of the Michigan State Spartans. But I am suspect of the ability of the guys on Michigan State, the only other Big Ten team to get a nod as a possible contender, to play as a unit even though I feel Tom Izzo is among the elite coaches in college basketball. While a lot has been written about next year’s Badger team, most of it focuses on the health of Alando Tucker and Sharif Chambliss and the coming of age of Brian Butch. There is mention of Greg Stiemsa and of course the guards, but I seldom see anything written about the kid coming in from Peoria, Illinois, DeArron Williams. Williams hasn’t had much press coverage yet in Madison or anywhere else for that matter, including his own hometown. His time to play coincided with the rise to fame of another Peoria kid who just happened to be the fourth pick in the NBA draft on Thursday. Shaun Livingston and his team at Peoria Central high school won two consecutive Illinois State titles and Livingston and Brandon Lee (Northwestern recruit), were given most of the headlines. Williams, while not in the same class with Livingston, is considered by many who have seen him play to be as good a high school player as any in the State of Illinois besides Livingston. Williams has very good basketball knowledge and is not like your usual college freshman due to his physical attributes. Don’t get me wrong, he is no Lebron, but this kid is very strong and has a great work ethic and it shows in his strong upper body. There is little or no likelihood that he will have to get stronger to compete. Then there is his leaping ability. He high jumped 6’ 10” this year and those who witnessed his athleticism point out that he had no form whatsoever. He would easily sail over the high jump bar with his body but knock it off with his trailing leg or ankle. Many have seen him clear 7 feet easily with his body only to lose the jump to poor form. One of the things NBA scouts used to cite as a great benefit to Devon was his extraordinary 37-inch vertical leap. But just a little math might be in order. If you have a 36 inch inseam, which is still pretty long even for a kid of 6’ 7”, and you can put your butt over a bar that is 84 inches high, how much vertical do you have? I am willing to concede that he probably does not have a 48-inch vertical certainly, but knock off six inches and 42 is still pretty impressive. I predict that before the season gets too old, you will see this kid along with Zach Morley and Wilkinson dominating some unsuspecting foes. If Butch and Stiemsa can come of age and the veteran guard can keep his nose clean, next year the Badgers will easily be a top ten team. On that note, the Big Ten better hope the Badgers make the top ten or that conference will once again be given only four or five spots in the Big Dance come March and they still might only get a five and six seed. Iowa has no hope, Michigan again has more problems than the coaching staff can handle and Humphries departure from Minnesota leaves them weak. And of course, what can you say about the mess at Indiana? With that said, what an exciting season of Big Ten basketball we have ahead of us. Some fans have lost interest in the college game in Wisconsin with the recent success of the Milwaukee Bucks and the done days of Duane Wade and now, Devon (man you are impressive) Harris. Plus, there is still the possibility that our beloved Tom Crean may be heading to Ohio State. But remember one thing Milwaukeeworlders, college basketball in the state of Wisconsin has always been the second most loved sporting affair besides your Green and Gold, and with some disputes still brewing in GB, the Wisconsin Badgers might just be the most engaging team to watch come November. Until we meet again Milwaukeeworlders, remember keep your ears open and your noses clean. And again, feel free to write me with your opinions and replies. I am always listening. Marty the Sports Chick
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