UW’s Showalter thankful for redshirt season
Showalter thankful for redshirt season
NEW YORK - Zak Showalter studied the Wisconsin roster as the 2013-’14 season drew closer, met with then-head coach Bo Ryan for a frank talk about his possible role that season and ultimately decided he had to invest in his future.
Guards Ben Brust and Traevon Jackson, who had started 35 and 29 games, respectively, in 2012-’13, were back.
Josh Gasser was back after missing 2012-’13 because of a knee injury. George Marshall, who played in 35 games in 2012’-13, was back.
Bronson Koenig, then a touted freshman from La Crosse Aquinas High School, was expected to contribute immediately.
Showalter, who played sparingly the previous season as a freshman, understood he might be no better than the fifth guard in the rotation. He decided to redshirt.
“There wasn’t too many minutes available and I was just hoping to get a chance to contribute a little bit more,” said Showalter, now a fifthyear senior. “That was probably one of the more mature and best decisions I’ve had to make in my basketball career so far.”
Showalter is set to start his 72nd consecutive game when No. 8 UW (27-9) meets No. 4 Florida (26-8) in the East Regional semifinals at approximately 8:59 p.m. (Central) Friday at Madison Square Garden.
The former walk-on from Germantown High School is in the midst of his best season at UW and is averaging 8.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
In his first three seasons, Showalter made a combined 31.3% of his three-point attempts and shot 44.3% overall. This season he has made 39.3% of his three-pointers and shot 49.5% overall, both the No. 2
marks among the starters.
“I think there is no doubt he has benefited from it,” UW coach Greg Gard said of the decision to redshirt. “By and large, there’s nobody that hasn’t benefited from a redshirt year.
“Why would you not be better at 22 or 23 than you are at 18? We always look at it as an investment. What return are you going to get on your investment?
“He is obviously reaping big dividends right now because he has been instrumental in terms of how we play and what we do.”
UW, which has won five of its last six games, is reaping the benefits of Showalter’s work.
Normally assigned to cover the opponent’s No. 1 scoring guard, Showalter was named to the allBig Ten defensive team.
He has provided valuable scoring over the last six games by hitting 10 of 21 three-point attempts (47.6%) and 20 of 38 shots overall (52.6%).
Showalter acknowledged that although he was convinced before the start of the 2013-’14 season he made the right call and remains comfortable with choice, there was a moment of doubt.
That came when UW made its first Final Four run under Ryan in the spring of ’14.
Showalter watched as UW defeated American and Oregon in Milwaukee and then took down Baylor and Arizona in Anaheim to reach the Final Four as the No. 2 team from the West Regional.
“I would say it was tough that first year,” he said. “That is when I probably questioned my decision the most, just thinking: ‘Man, not many teams get the opportunity to go to the Final Four and here we are. I could be having a role, whatever that role was.’ ”
That frustration was almost wiped clean the next season when Showalter played in 35 of 40 games and UW reached the national title game.
UW might not have rallied for a 79-72 victory over North Carolina in the Sweet 16 that season if not for Showalter contributing six points, a steal and a rebound, all during a six-minute stint in the second half.
“I think as the years went by and we went back to the Final Four,” Showalter said, “I think it validates my decision and reaffirms that I made the right decision.”
Yet Showalter hasn’t forgotten that he never got off the bench in the title game against Duke as Ryan used two reserves — Jackson and Duje Dukan.
“I was talking about that the other day, that I’ve never played in a national championship and that is something everyone wants to do,” Showalter said. “I think it was just Coach going with a senior (Jackson) who has been in big games before and he had trust. I was a kid who was still trying to find his way.
“That is another goal of mine this year, to get back to the national championship game. Hopefully, I’ll get some time in that game if we get to that point.”