Big things are expected from Zach Morley, Brian Butch and Kammron Taylor in Madison. Although the three newcomers are expected to play a large role in the future of Wisconsin basketball, they are still making the transition to life at a Division I school.
“They’ve made the attempt everyday to come ready to go to work and ready to try to get better,” head coach Bo Ryan said. “At times you can really see it, and other times it’s so subtle you have to go through the tape a few times and rewind and slow and really search for some positive things.”
However, after two weeks of practice and a pair of scrimmages, the coaching staff is pleased with the trio’s approach to this season.
“Those three are doing a good job of at least not getting discouraged, but I think the three of them have a pretty good idea of what this level is about now,” Ryan said. “You think about it, you dream about it, you can’t wait until you get to a Big Ten school, but then when you get there, then reality sets in. And it has for these guys, but they’re coming every day trying to get better and to work — if they ever change from that, then they have no chance, but they’ve got a great chance to help us because they’re working at it.”
Last Thursday’s scrimmage provided the team its first action in front of a crowd, a good experience for the first-year Badgers.
“A lot of people there got a chance to see us play and make some noise in the stands,” Ryan said. “Some guys that haven’t played on the Kohl Center floor in that environment, they got a chance to do that. Brian had, but Zach and Kammron hadn’t.”
Morley, a transfer from Indian Hills Community College, was impressive in the scrimmage, demonstrating a soft touch from the outside to go along with toughness under the basket.
Taylor, a true freshman from Minneapolis, saw time at point guard Thursday, but had his hands full with Devin Harris most of the night.
Butch, who got his first taste of the Kohl Center atmosphere in March’s State Tournament, when he led Appleton West to the State Championship game, appears to be a prime candidate to redshirt this season.
No attention to polls
The Badgers enter the season ranked No. 14 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. One person who is not reading those rankings is Ryan, who has little use for predictions.
“It’s beyond me why anybody would listen to those,” he said of preseason polls. “Why? Show me the game film they’ve been looking at, show me what they know about basketball. What do they know? I certainly don’t pick the best dentists in town or rank them.”
Heat ink Penney
Former Badger standout Kirk Penney has signed with the Miami Heat. The free agent guard spent training camp with the Minnesota Timberwolves, for whom he averaged 11.4 points per game in the 2003 Pepsi Pro Summer League in Orlando, Fla. In Miami, Penney will play for head coach Stan Van Gundy, who coached the Badgers in 1995.
“I think the Miami Heat couldn’t have made a better choice,” Ryan said. “I think a guy like Stan Van Gundy understands what a player like Kirk can do. He’s a heck of a coach, and he was a heck of a coach when he was here, a good basketball man. Kirk getting a chance to do this, I think that’s pretty good. How do I know what kind of pro he’s going to be? I don’t know, I didn’t know what kind of college player he was going to be, but I knew he had a good personality.”
Penney takes the roster spot of forward Samaki Walker, who was placed on the injured list with a sore right shoulder.
