MADISON — The Badgers reached the Sweet 16 last year, but the season did not always look like that would be the case.
On January 9th, the Badgers lost to Northwestern, putting their record at 9-9 overall and 1-4 in the Big Ten. There were a lot of issues that plagued the Badgers, but none more than the lack of shooting that the team displayed during the first half of the season. In Wisconsin’s first nine losses, the Badgers only made 55 of 176 (31%) three point attempts. The Badgers couldn’t knock down their perimeter jumpers, but even that didn’t stop them from hoisting up an outrageous amount of threes. In a 65-48 loss at Oklahoma, the Badgers shot 33 threes only making seven (21%).
The Badgers would eventually get more comfortable around the three point line thanks to Vitto Brown’s emergence and Bronson Koenig’s 39% clip from beyond the arc. However, the Badgers ended the season tied for eighth in the Big Ten for three point percentage, tied for tenth in three point makes, and thirteenth for three point attempts.
Improving perimeter shooting is necessary for the Badgers if they want to expand upon their success last year, but it’s also something the players aren’t very worried about. There are some familiar faces, to the players at least, that can help out in that department.
There were many Badgers, from Head Coach Greg Gard to sophomore swingman Khalil Iverson who spoke highly of redshirt freshman Brevin Pritzl.
Pritzl was a four-star recruit coming into Madison. He averaged 25.5 points per game as a senior, scoring over 1,700 career points for De Pere High School. Unfortunately for Pritzl, his freshman year was overshadowed by a broken foot, an injury that would eventually cost him his entire season.
With a full year off of basketball, Pritzl is determined to make his mark this season. He did note, however, that shaking off the rust is an ongoing process, and he still has a long way to go to crack the rotation.
“There’s no way to make up for losing a year of playing, that’s a huge gap,” Pritzl said at Wisconsin’s annual local media day on Monday. “It will take awhile, but hopefully the more and more that I practice and the more and more I play and the more comfortable I get, the rustiness will wear off.”
Sitting out an entire year is not easy for a basketball player, and Pritzl remembers what it was like, specifically during those games when the Badgers could not knock down any shots.
“The frustration last year was just that I felt bad because there were games where we didn’t shoot well, and I’m like, ‘I know I can shoot.'”
Not all was lost in his injury, however. Pritzl believes he was able to see the game from a new perspective, a coach’s perspective.
“My dad is a coach, my brother is a college coach now. We talked a lot. We tried to pick out little things that maybe you can’t see on the court but off the court, and those are the things you try to mentalize and take it in and say okay, in this situation, this would be the best option.”
This year, luckily for Pritzl and Badgers fans alike, Pritzl will be back on the floor. Pritzl’s foot is at 100% and he states there’s nothing he can’t do physically.
Gard mentioned on media day that there is no set starting lineup right now, so a starting spot isn’t out of the realm of possibility for Pritzl. But even without the starting spot, it seems like no matter what the Badgers expect him to contribute.
Sophomore forward Khalil Iverson said that Brevin Pritzl and sophomore forward Andy van Vliet will bring “A lot of offensive scoring. Both of those guys can shoot the lights out, especially Brevin, once he comes across half court, he’s in range.”
Senior guard Jordan Hill said that the two can shoot “the ‘expletives’ out of the ball.”
The added firepower from the outside helps in just more ways than one. The Badgers offense will have more layers now, not just inside out, but outside in. More defensive focus on the the three-point line will detract from attention on 2015-16 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Ethan Happ and 2016-17 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Nigel Hayes.
Happ said of Pritzl and van Vliet returning, “I’m a fan, because we have so many guys that can shoot, so it’s going to be hard for guys to double down on me.”
Pritzl’s first action back will take place Sunday at the Badgers Red and White Scrimmage. Although it’s just a scrimmage, Pritzl is excited.
“Some guys are probably like, oh, another scrimmage. I finally get to go out and be on the court.”
Photo courtesy of UWBadgers.com.