There must be something to cheer about.
Wait, never mind.
It’s bad enough the economy is collapsing like the Kingdome upon detonation, but major Wisconsin sports too? Come on.
First it was the football team, which blew and lost three fourth quarter leads, including two of more than 10 points. Then came the men’s hockey team and its eighth third-period meltdown resulting in a loss or tie. And now the basketball team officially got in on the act of disappearing late — twice to Minnesota (when does that happen?) and seven times overall.
This truly has been a difficult year.
In the spirit of what’s to come — fantasy baseball — let’s take a look at what has been done.
More specifically, some of the individuals who contributed in some way to Wisconsin’s athletic struggles (“Busts”), those who were always there (“Productive”) and those who give or gave Badgers everywhere reason for hope (“Breakthroughs/Sleepers”).
Busts:
Allan Evridge, Quarterback — Remember media members and fans alike calling for Evridge to spell the end of Tyler Donovan in 2007? Boy how things changed.
Evridge learned how to spell all right: his own doom. Making plays seldom, showing is indecision often and finding numerous ways to come up with a costly mistake, Evridge never quite fit in.
To think: all that effort to transfer (from Kansas State) and learn a new system wasted.
Kyle Jefferson, Wide Receiver — A productive freshman season filling in for then-injured seniors Paul Hubbard and Luke Swan slipped into disappointment a year later. Coach Bret Bielema lost trust in his once-coveted deep threat, who caught just 14 passes for 189 yards and zero touchdowns.
Jefferson could be on track to go the way of Jarvis Minton, Xavier Harris and Marcus Randle El. Ouch.
Travis Beckum, Tight End — You bet he wishes he made the jump to the NFL after his junior year. Instead, he returned to UW to further develop his blocking technique and add strength to ultimately improve upon his draft stock. That didn’t happen.
A hamstring injury early and a broken fibula late limited Beckum to six games and 422 yards — fewer than half of his 2007 total.
Not to worry — while the decision to come back will cost him financially, expect Beckum to do just fine at the next level and become a possible sleeper there.
Ben Street, Forward — Senior year was supposed to be the time it came together, the time Street made a lasting impression on pro scouts that have for so long overlooked his abilities.
Unfortunately, like Beckum, a serious injury (ACL tear) cut his season short.
Expected to lead another young, talented Badgers team, the forward’s production was limited to one goal in four games.
Luckily, Street has another chance to prove himself. The injury happened early enough that he can take a medical redshirt and compete next season.
Productive:
Marcus Landry, Forward — The closest thing to a go-to guy the Badgers have on a game-to-game basis. A team and personal best 12.9 points per game doesn’t stand out when compared to the nation’s elite.
Keeping in mind he plays for the slow it down, methodical Badgers, it’s good enough.
Jamie McBain, Defenseman — National leader in points scored by a defenseman (34; seven goals, 27 assists) and power play points (24), McBain has emerged as the best player on a team loaded with potential NHL talent.
P.J. Hill, Running Back — The 2008 Hill wasn’t the one of old, mostly because redshirt freshman John Clay began stealing some carries.
Still, all things considered, 1,161 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns are hard to dismiss.
Breakthroughs/Sleepers:
Tom Gorowsky, Forward — Ruled by DNP-Coach’s Decision and dress suits for three seasons, life was tough for the recipient of Minnesota’s 2004 “Mr. Hockey” award.
All that changed after Street went down. Gorowsky finally got steady ice time.
It has shown.
His 25 points and 11 goals are good for third on the team and easily eclipse the 18 he scored in years one through three.
David Gilreath, Wide Receiver — With Beckum hurt and Jefferson disappearing, someone besides tight end Garrett Graham had to produce. Unlike the freshman version of himself, who dropped the ball in a starting roll (numerous times) and caught just one pass all season, the 5-foot-11, 165-pound Gilreath emerged as a dual offensive threat.
Chalk one up for the little guys.
Dustin Sherer, Quarterback — Heading into the 2008 campaign, what were the chances Sherer attempted more than 10 passes during the course of the season? One in five? One in 100?
The fact that he came in and started the final six games — and did an adequate job at it too — exceeded all expectations.
Niles Brinkley, Cornerback — Desperate to fill the void left by Jack Ikegwuonu, who departed to the NFL, and Aaron Henry, still recovering from a torn ACL, Brinkley stepped in nicely.
The sophomore paced the team with four interceptions and afforded the Badgers some stability in the secondary.
John Clay, Running Back — The clear-cut star in the Badgers ground attack now Hill gave up his eligibility in favor of the NFL didn’t solidify his role with the team until nearly midway through last season.
Rated the No. 2 recruit in Wisconsin and fourth-best back in the country, according to Rivals.com as a high school senior, fans figured he’d stack up in the Big Ten.
Too many bodies in the backfield and a summer school class forced his hand into redshirting his freshman year. Not anymore.
Now there’s something to look forward to.
Kevin is a former sports editor of The Badger Herald. Want to talk Wisconsin sports? E-mail him at [email protected].
