Postseason run great learning experience for UW freshmen

This season has been one of the best examples of how well Bo Ryan's class system works with his University of Wisconsin men's basketball team.

Wisconsin's school-record 31 victories and reaching the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 are important milestones for a team that has won with a strong senior class as well as strong juniors and sophomores.

But the freshman class that includes forwards Keaton Nankivil, Jon Leuer and Tim Jarmusz will probably end up benefiting the most from it. And that's exactly how Ryan, the UW coach, wants it.

"Playing this deep in the postseason is great," UW assistant coach Greg Gard said as the third-seeded Badgers (31-4) prepared to play 10th-seeded Davidson (28-6) in an NCAA tournament Midwest Regional semifinal game Friday night in Detroit. "It's like having all those bowl practices the football team goes through."

Gard explained that the freshmen don't just benefit from extra repetitions in practice.

"It's learning about everything you go through mentally and emotionally in terms of postseason preparation, playing in the survive-and-advance mode where you have to win to move on and those type of situations," Gard said.

"So even though guys aren't playing a lot," Gard added, "they can gain so much experience from what's going on right now and carry it on when they prepare for next year."

That's important for Nankivil. The 6-foot-9, 245-pounder from Madison Memorial is expected to help fill the void left by senior forwards Brian Butch and Greg Stiemsma next season.

That may seem like a daunting task for someone who has logged just eight minutes of playing time in March. But his coaches are confident Nankivil will play well next season after making great strides over the past three months.

"I'd say from early to mid January on, he made a giant jump," said Gard, who explained that improvement didn't earn Nankivil playing time because of the depth and experience at the forward positions.

"He has a bright future here," Gard added.

Gard mentioned that Nankivil is playing more instinctively and his footwork and overall skills are much better. "He's going to be a load for everybody to handle for the next three years," Gard said.

UW assistant coach Howard Moore believes Nankivil will guard centers as well as forwards next year while playing on the floor with fellow forwards Marcus Landry, Joe Krabbenhoft and others.

"Watching him bang with Brian and Greg every day with the scout team and having the ability to give them trouble more times than not shows that he has a lot of ability to handle different matchups," Moore said.

Ask Nankivil about it and he said his work on the scout team every day trying to help the regular rotation prepare for its next opponent has helped him gain an important mental edge.

"I'm a much better player from just practicing with the whole team. Everybody just has that energy, has that intensity that makes you play better," said Nankivil, who added the mental preparation he learned from players like Butch and Stiemsma has been invaluable.

Gard and Moore said this spring and summer are crucial in the development of their freshmen. Gard said it's "monumental" for Leuer, who needs to gain strength so he can continue to grow and diversify his game much like Purdue's Robbie Hummel.

"The thing Robbie Hummel has over him is strength. That strength allows him to be more mobile and be quicker to spots and quicker off screens so if you get bumped you aren't affected as much by it," Gard said. "Sometimes Jon gets bumped and deviates his route by two or three feet. If he adds 10, 15 pounds and really strengthens his core and midsection, he'll be able to handle those bumps and grinds that you consistently face at this level."

Besides Landry, Krabbenhoft, Nankivil, Leuer and Jarmusz looking for playing time at the forward spots, Gard expects 6-7 forward Kevin Gullikson to return for his senior year. Gullikson has played just four minutes since being cited for underage drinking for a third time in early January.

"He's had to work through that," said Gard. "He handles those issues with coach Ryan privately. We're here to offer support and whatever else he needs. We're here to help him out."

Redshirt freshman J.P. Gavinski, a 6-11 center who has played 15 minutes this season, hopes to be in the mix, too. And Wisconsin will welcome incoming freshmen forwards Jarred Berggren, a 6-10, 235-pounder from Princeton, Minn., and Ian Markolf, a 7-foot, 260-pounder from San Antonio.

Gavinski must continue to improve his strength and stamina.

"Last year he would be gassed in four or five trips up and down the floor. This year he can go eight to 10," Gard said. "Progress has been made but this offseason will be huge for him, too, in terms of the steps he needs to make in order to make the next jump."

What most pleases the UW coaches is how well they see the class system working this season. The seniors have provided the needed leadership and performances and the juniors have followed suit and are ready to take that role next year.

"There's no reason this can't continue as long as the guys work hard during the offseason and they buy in and listen and continue to work and get better," said Gard. "It's their program and they understand the commitment it takes."

Nobody knows that better than the Badgers' freshmen. "This has been huge for them and they've done a terrific job with it," Gard said.

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