Charlie Wills is the last remaining member of the recruiting class that put the Wisconsin basketball program back on the map. Now, as a senior, Wills is attempting to lead a new group of youngsters to the success that he enjoyed during Wisconsin’s storied Final Four run two years ago.
Wills, who was recruited by Dick Bennett, signed a letter of intent in November of 1996. Some five years ago he, Mike Kelley, Andy Kowske, Mark Vershaw and Maurice Linton began their careers at Wisconsin. Wills, however, was redshirted as a freshman and is now the last remaining part of a group that many consider responsible for the resurrection of a struggling program.
During the past off-season Wills has watched most of the faces that have surrounded him during his basketball career here at Wisconsin move on and move away.
“It is definitely weird, because they are guys that I was used to, not only used to joking around with, but also the way they do things and their habits,” Wills said. “Now there are five or six guys that I have really had to learn their habits on the court, so that is definitely different.”
Despite the changes, Wills, who is a team captain, has definitely found success on the court this season. Wills has never missed a game in his 104 game career at Wisconsin, and while playing this season he has tied his career highs with 15 points against Hawaii-Hilo and 10 rebounds vs. UNLV. Wills averages a team high 6.7 rebounds per game, a number that places him 10th among those in the Big Ten.
In addition to playing with new teammates, Wills, like the rest of the team, has had the challenge of learning a new system. Early in the season the Badgers have had mixed success, but according to the senior leader the team is growing up fast.
“I like where things are going,” Wills said. “We have been picking things up fast. I know we have been taking them as bumps but I hope that we can keep learning and avoid taking some of those hard falls.”
Personally, Wills is putting up the best numbers of his Wisconsin career, but he isn’t ready to say that he is playing as well as he feels he can at this point in the season.
“I think I need to try to be more of an aggressor out there,” said Wills. “Sometimes we get too timid and, as an upperclassman, I definitely need to be more aggressive.”
Adjusting to new faces and schemes on the court has been easy for Wills this year, but he has also had to face the loss of his best friends and the great relationships he had built with his former teammates and coaches through five years at Wisconsin.
“Yeah I miss them, having Kowske around, his personality always got you thinking about a lot of different things,” Wills said. “I always hung out with Vershaw, and his wife Natalie, on the weekends with my fiancée Nancy,” Wills said. “You miss those things, but I’m glad to see that Andy and Mark and those guys are having a good time overseas this year.”
Off the court Wills has a self-professed love of cooking, painting, and he is engaged to his girlfriend, Nancy. Those who know him agree that Wills certainly contributes more than basketball to their lives.
“He’s a nice guy who cares about you and has a soft spot in his heart for you,” commented teammate Dave Mader. “Not just for the guys on the team but for people off the court too. He just really cares about people.”
Kirk Penney echoed those sentiments.
“He’s so enthusiastic, he’s full of life, and he’s someone you want to be around all the time,” Penney said.
On the court, Wills has used his great communication skills to take on the role of a team leader.
“He’s done an awesome job being a leader on this team. He’s someone that all the players look up to,” said Penney. “He’s been here for five years, and he knows the ins and outs.”
Wills has provided the senior leadership that is so vital in order to balance against the talented youth of this team. His leadership is starting to take hold of a team with seven freshmen on their roster and nine players who had never played a collegiate game before the season. The young team has responded well and has won two of their last three games.
“The young guys have taken in a lot of stuff, and they have had to take in so many things so fast,” Wills said. “I just think if they keep growing the way they have, they will be fine. They are learning now that college basketball is a lot more physical than high-school basketball. It is huge for a player to learn to use his body on offense and defense. I think this experience will be huge down the road.”
The Badgers have played a challenging preseason schedule so far, but the toughest part of it remains.
Wisconsin has home games remaining against an undefeated Marquette team as well as SEC powerhouse Tennessee. Between those two games, the Badgers will face head coach Bo Ryan’s former team UW-Milwaukee.
The Badgers would like to have at least an even record going into Big Ten play, and to do so they will have to rely on their captain, Charlie Wills. They’ll need their senior not only to dominate the glass but also to continue helping the young Badgers understand what it takes to win night in and night out on the collegiate level.
