MADISON, Wis. — In another year, maybe this Wisconsin men's basketball team would garner all the attention in Big Ten country. With four of five starters returning and the top incoming recruit in Wisconsin, excitement no doubt abounds across the state.
Across the rest of the Big Ten, the Badgers will once again have to earn their respect while flying under the radar. Although Wisconsin is considered a Top 25 team in virtually every preseason poll, as many as four other Big Ten teams are ranked ahead of the Badgers.
Yes, the conference is that loaded.
The Sporting News preseason top 25 lists three Big Ten teams in the top five: Indiana (No. 1), Ohio State (No. 3) and Michigan (No. 5). Wisconsin is ranked 17th.
Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn has Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan in his top 10 and Michigan State at No. 11. Wisconsin is No. 16.
Those prognostications will do nothing to change how Badgers coach Bo Ryan feels this season about his team, which could be in line for a special campaign. Wisconsin begins practice for the 2012-13 season Saturday.
The biggest knock on the Badgers is they don't possess a marquee player. Point guard Jordan Taylor has graduated and is playing professionally in Italy. But Ryan's swing offense and tough defensive style allows Wisconsin to plug in players and continue to succeed.
Taylor, a preseason All-American last season as a senior, set an NCAA career record with a 3.01 assists-to-turnovers ratio. He equaled the school record by appearing in 136 career games and tallied 464 assists, which ranks second at Wisconsin.
Junior Josh Gasser is the early candidate to replace Taylor at point guard, and he already has shown his ability to make good decisions on the floor. He ranks fifth in Wisconsin history with a 1.95 assists-to-turnovers ratio and produced a 2.57 ratio as a freshman.
Gasser, who started all 36 games last season as the team's shooting guard, told FOXSportsWisconsin.com this summer that he was ready to take over the point guard role if called upon.
"Personally, I want to play it," Gasser said. "I think I'm a good distributor. But at the same time, I want to be on the floor to help our team."
Redshirt freshman George Marshall also is expected to get significant minutes at point guard. Last season, Marshall essentially served an apprenticeship role, learning the intricacies of the position under Taylor. The decision to redshirt wasn't easy for Marshall, but it will benefit both him and the team in the long run.
"Last year was a great learning experience," Marshall said this summer. "Something I was kind of indecisive about at first. As time went on, I felt it was the best decision. It helped me a great deal. I'm just ready to show everything I've learned, show I've gotten better. It was definitely a beneficial year."
If Ryan elects to start Gasser, guard Ben Brust could slide into the starting rotation as the Badgers' off guard. Last season, Brust averaged 7.3 points in a reserve role and twice tied the school record with seven 3-pointers in a game.
Other guards in the mix are sophomore Traevon Jackson and freshman Zak Showalter.
Wisconsin returns its entire starting frontcourt of senior forward Mike Bruesewitz, senior forward Ryan Evans and senior center Jared Berggren. Bruesewitz sustained a lacerated right leg in a freak accident when he collided with the basketball hoop while diving out of bounds this week. He'll miss the next four to six weeks but should return sometime in November.
Evans is the leading returning scorer (11.0 points) and rebounder (6.8) for the Badgers. Berggren averaged 10.5 points and 4.9 rebounds. He also possesses the ability to stretch defenses with his 3-point shooting. Berggren buried 45 3-pointers last season, the third-most on the team.
Reserve sophomore center Frank Kaminsky is back after playing in 35 of 36 games last season. Kaminsky spelled Berggren a year ago and averaged 7.7 minutes per game.
Other frontcourt players battling for playing time are junior forward Zach Bohannon, an Air Force transfer who sat out last season, as well as junior forward Duje Dukan and sophomore center Evan Anderson.
Among the most intriguing questions this season is how highly touted freshman Sam Dekker, a Sheboygan Area Lutheran product, will fit into the team dynamic. Dekker, a 6-foot-7 forward, was a scoring machine in high school and should contribute immediately. The injury to Bruesewitz could open the door for him to get even more playing time early in the season.
Other Big Ten teams might receive more media attention, but the Badgers certainly will be a factor in the conference race.
Wisconsin finished last season 26-10 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in Ryan's 11 seasons — all of which have featured NCAA tournament berths.
Given the talent and leadership of this season's team, it's a safe bet to assume the Badgers will reach the big dance — and at least the second weekend of the tournament — yet again.
Follow Jesse Temple on Twitter.
