Other Badgers must step up in Traevon Jackson's absence
If Wisconsin is going to live up to its preseason billing as the lone elite team in an otherwise middling Big Ten, the Badgers will need some of their less heralded guards to rise to the occasion in the absence of starting point guard Traevon Jackson.
The school confirmed Monday evening that the foot injury Jackson suffered the previous day against Rutgers will require surgery on Thursday and will prevent the senior from beginning rehab for at least two to three weeks. ESPN reported earlier Monday that Jackson fractured his right foot and will miss six weeks.
The six-week timetable suggests Jackson would miss Wisconsin's next 10 games before returning for the final two weeks of the Big Ten season. That's certainly better than losing Jackson for the rest of the season, but it also means the Badgers will have to replace Jackson's 9.4 points per game, his steadying influence and his ability to create off the dribble for himself and his teammates in late-clock situations.
The player whose role will increase most while Jackson is sidelined is Bronson Koenig, one of the nation's better backup point guards and the obvious choice to replace Jackson in Wisconsin's starting lineup. The promising sophomore is averaging 4.9 points in 20.5 minutes per game off the bench and has a sparkling 4.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
In addition to Koenig's responsibilities changing, shooting guard Josh Gasser will probably have to handle the ball more often than he has so far this season and Zak Showalter will surely see more playing time off the bench. Showalter, a 6-foot-2 guard who redshirted last season, has played just over six minutes per game so far this season but has the athleticism and aggressiveness to provide a spark off the bench.
To ultimately return to a second straight Final Four and contend for a national championship, Wisconsin (15-2, 3-1) likely needs a healthy Jackson creating off the dribble.
Nonetheless, the Badgers have a promising backup in Koenig who is capable of keeping Wisconsin on track while he fills in and who will probably improve as a result of the experience in the long run.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
