Wisconsin had a terrific decade, reaching the Sweet 16 six times and the Final Four twice more. There were so many terrific players in the golden age of Bucky basketball. Here is the 12-man team I created for Wisconsin:
Point guards: Jordan Taylor, Bronson Koenig, Traevon Jackson
With all the success with Frank Kaminsky and how much he improved throughout his time in Madison, people forget how much Jordan Taylor improved from his freshman through his senior years. Taylor was incredible his final two seasons at Wisconsin, but people don't really remember how much he struggled shooting his freshman season. In his rookie campaign, he shot just 26 percent overall and 19 percent from deep. In his rookie campaign, Taylor had a chance to win it at the end of regulation in the NCAA Tournament against Florida State. However, Taylor bricked a wide open triple try and the game went into overtime, where Trevon Hughes hit a basket at the end to win it 61-59. Everything started to turn around as a sophomore when taking over in the starting lineup midway through the season for an injured Jon Leuer. He improved his shooting percentages to 40 percent from the field and 33 percent from deep. His junior season was his best, and he played Batman to one of the biggest basketball moments in program history. He scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, leading the Badgers to a comeback victory against undefeated No. 1 Ohio State. He was an All-American and led the Badgers to Sweet 16 appearances in his final two seasons in Madison and is a worthy starter on this team.
Bronson Koenig is a legend at Wisconsin after what he did as a junior, knocking out Xavier in the second round in the NCAA Tournament, but he was a lot more than that. With 270 3-point hits, he cruised past Ben Brust for tops in school history in that category. He drilled a school-record eight triples in Wisconsin's 80-70 win over Virginia Tech in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. As a sophomore, he burst onto the scene after an injury to Traevon Jackson midway through the season. Wisconsin did not miss a beat with Bronson in the starting lineup and was the floor leader for a team that reached the NCAA Title game. In the Big Ten Tournament title game, he scored 18, including drilling two massive triples in overtime, helping Bucky to the big win. He shot more than 39 percent from deep in each of his last three seasons.
When you think of big shot makers, Traevon Jackson is one of the first names that comes to mind. Regardless of how he did in the game up to that point, Trae was the guy who would have the ball at the end. And he made quite a few of those big shots. Bo Ryan loved to have point guards take the big shots at the end of the game, and Jackson loved having the ball at the end. Jackson first showed his big shot making ability in 2013 in a game against No. 12 Minnesota. With the game tied and the game and shot clocks winding down, Jackson pumped and got a friendly bounce to give the Badgers the victory. He also hit the winner in the regular season finale at Penn State. The following season, he hit the dagger shot against Florida, but the biggest shot happened against Michigan State. With Wisconsin having lost five of six and facing MSU, Jackson hit a jumper over Gary Harris to give the Badgers the win and it was the catapult to an eight-game winning streak. There is no doubt he should be on this All-Decade team.
Shooting Guards: Josh Gasser, Ben Brust
The heartbeat of the All-Decade team is Josh Gasser. He had to be on the team. Gasser was never a big scorer, but he never had to be, being on teams with Jordan Taylor/Jon Leuer early on and Frank Kaminsky/Sam Dekker at the end. But he did everything else needed to win. Defense? You bet. Hustle? Absolutely? Good shooter? Yessir. Gasser started from the second game of the season in Madison as a freshman and never looked back. In his first game, he scored 21 in a blowout win against Prairie View A&M and started 30 games in his rookie campaign. Overall, he shot 40 percent from deep for his career, but he will always be remembered for one play. The play that epitomizes Josh Gasser happened in the Big Ten Tournament title game in 2015. With Wisconsin down two with time winding down, Bronson Koening missed a 3-pointer and the ball was going out of bounds. Gasser chased it down and saved it while diving into the crowd. Yeah, his foot was out of bounds, which wasn't called by the refs, but that play will always be the play that sums up the player Josh Gasser is.
Ben Brust was the ultimate sniper for Wisconsin. He had the 3-point makes record for Wisconsin until Bronson Koenig broke it. Brust was notable for his halfcourt shots. He made his first one at the end of a loss in Chapel Hill to North Carolina, but he will always be remembered for his other halfcourt heave on Feb. 9, 2013. His shot tied No. 3 Michigan after Tim Hardaway, Jr. had given the Wolverines a three-point lead with two seconds left. Brust followed that up with a deep 3-pointer over Caris Lavert in overtime to give the Badgers the lead, which held up for the win. He broke the school 3-point record with a huge triple against Oregon in the NCAA Tournament that held up as the winner. He improved significantly on defense over the course of his career. Brust was a really solid Badger who is more than deserving to be on this team.
Small forwards: Sam Dekker, Nigel Hayes
When Sam Dekker came to Madison, people expected Dekker to be an All-Conference performer from day one. Dekker was a good player his first two seasons with the Badgers. However, people wanted more. Even throughout his junior season, he was a good player, a great Robin to Frank Kaminsky's Batman. But in the NCAA Tournament, he turned it on. He was the West Region's Most Outstanding Player, leading Wisconsin to its second consecutive Final Four appearance. Against Arizona in the Elite 8, the Sheboygan native scored 27 on 8-of-11 shooting and a blistering 5-of-6 from behind the arc. In the NCAA Tournament, he averaged 19.2 points on 57.1 percent field goal shooting and 41.7 percent from 3-point land. He was a monster, and he carried it to the National semifinals, where he buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key to beat previously unbeaten Kentucky. He will forever go down as a Wisconsin legend.
Nigel was a good player for Wisconsin from the moment he stepped on campus. As a freshman, he scored 7.7 points per game and earned Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year. He stepped into the starting lineup in 2014-15 and averaged 12.4 points per game as the Badgers made the title game. His biggest shot came against Villanova as a senior in the second round of the 2017 tournament. With the game tied late, he made a Kobe-esque move around the defender and went with a reverse layup to give the Badgers the lead they would not relinquish, as Bucky defeated the defending champs. In all four of his years, Wisconsin made the Sweet 16, reaching the Final Four twice.
Power Forwards: Ethan Happ, Jon Leuer, Nate Reuvers
Ethan Happ was an incredible player for the Badgers. After learning for a year under Frank the Tank, he made the most of his career. He is one of just six players in NCAA history to score 2,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds and dish out 400 assists. As a freshman, he helped turn around Wisconsin's season with a game-winning layup against Michigan State. That win was the catalyst for a run that ended in the Sweet 16. He scored all those points despite making one 3-pointer in his entire career. At the time of graduation, he was third in school history in points and assists and far and away the program's leading rebounder. He was one of a kind.
In Jon Leuer's two years this decade, he was one of the best players in the Big Ten. Despite missing a few weeks in 2009-10, he still averaged 15.4 points per game. His inside-outside combination was lethal. He shot 37.5 percent from deep in his final two seasons and nearly 49 percent shooting overall. Along with Jordan Taylor, they formed one of the best duos in the country. Leuer averaged 18.3 and 7.2 rebounds per game. His ability to score inside and out earned him a second round selection by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2011.
It was tough to choose the last power forward. Keaton Nankivil and Vitto Brown also were in consideration for this final forward spot, but ultimately, I decided to go with the only current player to be on the All-Decade team. After the graduation of Vitto and Nigel Hayes, the Badgers needed a big to complement Ethan Happ. That was even more evident when the Badgers were hurt by injuries in 2017-18. Reuvers was planning on redshirting to gain strength to handle the grind of the Big Ten season, but was pressed into action. He gave them a boost, averaging more than five points a game, which is not bad for a guy deemed not ready. Reuvers also blocked 26 shots as a freshman. His shot blocking capabilities has been on display through his first three years, blocking 144 shots. He is only 10 behind Happ, so barring injury, he will shatter that record. Reuvers has improved his scoring as well, averaging 13.1 points per game this past season, earning an All-Conference nod. I am looking forward to seeing what he will do as a senior.
Centers: Frank Kaminsky, Jared Berggren
I can't think of one player who improved himself from his first year to his final year more than Frank Kaminsky. As a freshman, you could see his shooting ability, but only averaged 1.8 points per game. He improved a little his sophomore year, but still not great. After Jared Berggren, Mike Bruesewitz and Ryan Evans graduated in 2013, he knew he needed to take a big leap. Early on in the 2013-14 season, he scored a school-record 43 points in a win over North Dakota. He introduced himself to the conference with a 25 point, 11 rebound, effort at league-leading Michigan. Frank introduced himself to the nation with his 28-point, 11-rebound performance in the Elite 8 against Arizona, helping the Badgers reach their first Final Four since 2000. His encore the following year was the best individual season in school history, as Frank racked up awards like his squad racked up wins. Kaminsky led the Badgers to the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles and the program was a No. 1 seed for the first time in school history. Again meeting with Arizona in the Elite 8, Frank scored 29 in the 85-78 win, as the Badgers made consecutive Final Four appearances for the first time in program history. Kaminsky slayed undefeated Kentucky with a 20-point, 11-rebound effort to send the Badgers to their first title game since 1941. His goofy personality and incredible improvement on the court made him easy to root for, and not only is he a starter on this team, but he is the All-Decade Player of the Year.
Jared Berggren was an underrated big. He was known for his ferocious dunks and blocking ability. Perhaps his most famous dunk is over 2013 Player of the Year Trey Burke. His dunk and foul tied the game with less than a minute left, where Bucky won in an overtime thriller. At the time of graduation, Berggren was the school's all-time leader in blocked shots with 144. He has since been passed by Ethan Happ and Frank Kaminsky and tied by Nate Reuvers, but he still ranks third and that does not diminish how much of a rim protector he was. Much like other Wisconsin players, he did not see the floor much early on, but developed into a good player. After averaging 1.1 points per game as a freshman, he developed to a player who averaged 11 points and seven boards as a senior. He is well-deserving as being the reserve to Frank on this All-Decade team.
Head Coach: Bo Ryan
Player of the Decade: Frank Kaminsky
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