Hey guys, I figured I'd give you some info on the '13-'14 Badgers. First off, the tempo thing. The truth is likely a combination of your theories. The Badgers have always played exhibition games at a pace much faster than normal and non-conference games faster than Big Ten games. I've always contended that the Big Ten has as much to do with Wisconsin's pace as Bo Ryan does. He preaches great defense and taking great shots. Big Ten teams don't get frustrated into early shots against Wisconsin's defense and UW's D isn't predicated on forcing turnovers, so that slows the game down. Then Wisconsin is slow on offense because Ryan wants his players to pass up a good shot with 20 seconds left in the clock to find a great shot instead. The crappier the defense they face, the quicker the pace and vice versa. Overall, this season I expect them to be quicker as they have shown to be pushing the ball up court more and they are guard-heavy with more athleticism in the forwards that will play. As for the rule changes, it really shouldn't have a big effect on the Badgers. Maybe a bit on the block/charge, but Bo has never taught a hands-on defense so to speak. Actually, I think the vast majority of Badger fans applaud the hand-check rules, because our teams have always struggled against that type of defense (namely Marquette, Purdue, Minnesota, and Michigan State) and have never adjusted to being more aggressive in games where it wasn't called.
Starters
G - 6'2" JR Traevon Jackson - Jim Jackson's son, he was a SG baptized by fire into a PG last season due to an injured Josh Gasser. His competitive drive is second to none, but it will occasionally result in a snowballing number of ill-advised decisions in an attempt to make up for the previous mistake(s). He's a below-average, yet somehow clutch shooter and decent defender.
G - 6'1" SR Ben Brust - The 1-B. scoring option for the team. Has range to out to at least 25 feet and has had 20 games with 3-or-more made threes (two with 7). Quite possibly the best 6'1" rebounder in the country, with 5 double-doubles last season. Is the team's leading returning scorer and decent defender.
G - 6'4" JR Josh Gasser - Coming off of a medical redshirt due to a torn ACL a few weeks before the start of last season and looks to be nearing 100%. Before injury, he was considered one of the best defenders in the Big Ten. A jack-of-trades player, shot 45% from three as a sophomore, 81% from the line for his career, and is also a great rebounding guard. He was the first Big Ten freshman to post a triple-double since Magic Johnson.
F - 6'7" SO Sam Dekker - Scoring option 1-A. Sam is the real deal... at least offensively. He can hit from deep (39%) and inside the arc via drives, cuts, jumpers, and on the block (57%). He has great vision on passes and runs well in transition. His only issue is that he has occasional breakdowns on defense from trying to jump a pass. He's the second leading scorer from a year ago and fans are legitimately concerned that he'll be the team's first player since Devin Harris to enter the NBA Draft early.
F - 7'0" JR Frank Kaminsky - Your prototypical face-up big man that people are used to seeing from Wisconsin. Frank isn't a tank, so Wisconsin will likely struggle with great post-up players this season, but he is a confident offensive weapon. He will shoot from three (24/80 in first 2 seasons) and midrange, and has a serviceable driving and post ability. Whether he can defend to the level of previous greats like Jared Berggren and Greg Stiemsma is a big question mark though.
Bench
F - 6'8" FR Nigel Hayes - He may be raw right now, but expect to hear about this kid two-three years down the line. We have a feeling the Buckeyes going to regret not keeping him in Ohio. Can score and defend inside and a good rebounder.
G - 5'11" SO George Marshall - Jackson's counterpart that plays basically the same way. Decent player that hasn't really put it all together yet on either side of the court.
F - 6'9" JR Duje Dukan - Offensive specialist... mostly in that he struggles with defensive assignments and isn't a good rebounder. This season will be his first major action of his career, he's likely to be 3-point shooter and not much else.
G - 6'3" FR Bronson Koenig - Point guard of the future for the team. Role will likely be as a distributor this season. Has fantastic court vision and passing ability. Was offered by Duke, UNC, and Kansas.
Overall
This Badgers team looks to be the polar opposite of last year's team in key ways. Last season's strengths were experience in the front-court and team defense. This season, the offense looks to be stronger than the defense and the Badgers only return two forwards from last season's rotation.
Offensively, Bo has shifted from a 2 guard, 3 forward line-up to a 3 guard, 2 forward line-up and changed up the offense to be more 4-out, 1-in than Wisconsin has had in the past. With the strength of the team being the experience and depth in the back-court and more athleticism in the front-court, look for this to be a more up-tempo Badger team. Granted, that may just mean speeding up to be a below-average to average-paced team instead of one of the slowest.