Hype nothing new as practice begins Friday
September 28, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Amidst anticipation and expectations, Wisconsin quietly gets to work
One by one, season preview magazines have been hitting newsstands this month. One universal truth has been revealed among the four college hoops annuals: according to the media, Wisconsin has a top-10 program on its hands.
Athlon Sports ranked the Badgers at No. 10 in the country, Sporting News put the Badgers No. 8, while both Lindy's Sports and Blue Ribbon Yearbook have the Badgers at No. 6.
Given that UW returns all five starters and each of its top nine scorers from last year's Sweet 16 team, this isn't necessarily a great revelation. The preseason hype is also not a distraction to head coach Greg Gard and his troops.
"We've talked about it and acknowledged it from the first day of school," Gard said. "These guys are aware of the situation and they know what's coming. The upperclassmen have gone through something similar two years ago and they understand that nothing changes based on expectations.Â
"It's not like we'll do fewer drills just because people are ranking us high."
Prior to the 2014-15 season, Wisconsin faced previously unparalleled hysteria. That year the Badgers were ranked as high as No. 2 in some preseason publications and featured a pair of preseason All-America candidates in Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker. Not unlike this season.
"I've been around for quite a while and seen a lot, so I feel like we've been through this before," senior guard Zak Showalter said. "I think the preseason hype is similar to two years ago. It's a cliché, but it's true that you can't jump ahead or assume anything just because there are lofty expectations."
"I've talked to our four seniors about it also and they've got their heads on straight," Gard added. "They've all been very focused so far this season."
That focus turns up a notch on Friday. The first full season under Gard officially gets underway with the first of 30 practices prior to the season opener against Central Arkansas on Nov. 11.
Around the Wisconsin basketball offices, Friday is also known as day one of "The Process," a term popularized by Alabama football coach Nick Saban and adopted by Gard and his staff.
"We've talked about how the same process that got us out of our hole last season is the same process we have to trust this season," said Gard, remembering how the Badgers went from a 9-9 record a year ago to winning 11 of the final 13 regular-season games. "You can't skip steps in your preparation. Every day, every drill is important and builds on each other. That's the mindset we would take whether we were a top-five team or a bottom-five team. The process never changes."
"In our sport, rankings really don't mean anything," Showalter said. "We are trying to win the Big Ten championship, and if we do that, we will be in a position for even greater things."
Athlon Sports ranked the Badgers at No. 10 in the country, Sporting News put the Badgers No. 8, while both Lindy's Sports and Blue Ribbon Yearbook have the Badgers at No. 6.
Given that UW returns all five starters and each of its top nine scorers from last year's Sweet 16 team, this isn't necessarily a great revelation. The preseason hype is also not a distraction to head coach Greg Gard and his troops.
"We've talked about it and acknowledged it from the first day of school," Gard said. "These guys are aware of the situation and they know what's coming. The upperclassmen have gone through something similar two years ago and they understand that nothing changes based on expectations.Â
"It's not like we'll do fewer drills just because people are ranking us high."
Prior to the 2014-15 season, Wisconsin faced previously unparalleled hysteria. That year the Badgers were ranked as high as No. 2 in some preseason publications and featured a pair of preseason All-America candidates in Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker. Not unlike this season.
"I've been around for quite a while and seen a lot, so I feel like we've been through this before," senior guard Zak Showalter said. "I think the preseason hype is similar to two years ago. It's a cliché, but it's true that you can't jump ahead or assume anything just because there are lofty expectations."
"I've talked to our four seniors about it also and they've got their heads on straight," Gard added. "They've all been very focused so far this season."
That focus turns up a notch on Friday. The first full season under Gard officially gets underway with the first of 30 practices prior to the season opener against Central Arkansas on Nov. 11.
Around the Wisconsin basketball offices, Friday is also known as day one of "The Process," a term popularized by Alabama football coach Nick Saban and adopted by Gard and his staff.
"We've talked about how the same process that got us out of our hole last season is the same process we have to trust this season," said Gard, remembering how the Badgers went from a 9-9 record a year ago to winning 11 of the final 13 regular-season games. "You can't skip steps in your preparation. Every day, every drill is important and builds on each other. That's the mindset we would take whether we were a top-five team or a bottom-five team. The process never changes."
"In our sport, rankings really don't mean anything," Showalter said. "We are trying to win the Big Ten championship, and if we do that, we will be in a position for even greater things."
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballMedia Availability || NCAA Round 1
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