Solochek:

As the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team prepares to finish up its season and make a run at the NCAA tournament, it will need to be clicking on all cylinders to make sure it gets a berth in the Big Dance.

While essential players like Marcus Landry and Joe Krabbenhoft will continue to play as well as they have been during their four-game winning streak and display their senior leadership, it will be up to the rest of the team to make sure they stay hot.

In particular, junior forward Jon Leuer needs to keep playing as well as he has for the Badgers to make their postseason push.

Leuer’s impact on the team cannot be understated. During the Badgers’ six-game losing streak, Leuer averaged just 7.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game off the bench. The streak also included three straight games when he scored under five points.

As the Badgers have begun winning, Leuer’s stats have picked up. Since their 63-50 win against Illinois at the Kohl Center, Leuer has been averaging 10.3 points and 5.75 rebounds per game, including a 15-point performance against the Fighting Illini.

So far, Leuer hasn’t just come in with big numbers. He has been able to provide Wisconsin with a seamless transition between Keaton Nankivil, who has not started because of a leg injury sustained during practice, and himself. He also provides another big body down low to help the Badgers continue to dominate on the glass on both sides of the floor.

So, if you are looking for an X-factor for the Badgers going into the conference and NCAA tournament, Leuer is your man.

Braun:

I don’t want to bash Jon Leuer or anything because I think he’s a great player. I really do. I just don’t think he’s the most important one on the Badgers.

He’s scoring a bit more recently, rebounding better and doing a better job in the post, but if you really want to look at the Badgers’ most important player, it has to be their team leader, senior forward Joe Krabbenhoft.

Whether it’s hitting the big three to secure a big victory, setting a hard screen on a rival Purdue guard or forcing Ohio State star Evan Turner to commit six turnovers, Krabbenhoft can pretty much do it all.

He pumps up the team when it’s down, he’s the vocal leader in the huddle and in the locker room, and he will do whatever it takes to get the job done.

The numbers might not necessarily be there — he only averages 8.5 points per game — but his hustle points aren’t taken into consideration.

Every Badger fan knows Krabbenhoft as the first guy to dive on the court to secure a loose ball, and UW head coach Bo Ryan will be the first one to tell you Krabbenhoft isn’t afraid to get bloody.

Leuer might get to Krabbenhoft status one day, but for now, it looks like he’s just going to have to wait. To get there he’ll have to hit a clutch shot or two and be a little more vocal when the team needs it most.

So who’s the most important player on the Badgers? All you have to do is look on the court, because chances are Krabbenhoft will be making his case.