Wisconsin Basketball: Traevon Jackson Will Be Key To Success In 2014-15

By Matt Johnson @mattytheole on September 11, 2014

Much is expected of the Wisconsin Badgers during the 2014-15 college basketball season. In fact, expectations in Madison have never been higher.

The reason? Coach Bo Ryan’s squad is loaded with both skill and depth. The Badgers return four starters from a team that won 30 games and advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2000. Taking all that into account, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if Wisconsin repeats with similar feats in a few months.

To get there the Badgers will need certain individuals to stand out. Senior center Frank Kaminsky and junior forward Sam Dekker are the first names that come to mind when it comes to that topic. Another less heralded name should be included in that mix also.

Point guard Traevon Jackson might not get the attention either Kaminsky or Dekker receive, but make no mistake, his play this season will be the biggest factor in Wisconsin’s success.

The son of former Ohio State great Jim Jackson, Traevon has embodied the essence of Ryan’s basketball philosophy. Steady and smart, Jackson managed games perfectly for the Badgers in their run to the Final Four last March. He’ll be counted on to do the same when this season kicks off in less than two months.

It’s been an interesting ride for Jackson, a relatively unheralded guard who first joined the Wisconsin program in 2011. He saw little time during his freshman season before emerging as the team’s starting point guard as a sophomore. Even with his 29 starts in 2012-13, Jackson averaged just 6.9 points and 2.8 assists per contest in the Badgers’ 35 games.

While those numbers might not seem impressive on the surface, Jackson made a strong push late in his sophomore season, averaging 11.2 points and 3.0 assists while making the Big Ten’s All-Tournament team.

The stage was therefore set for a big junior season and Jackson delivered an impressive, albeit quiet, 2013-14 campaign. Even as teammates Kaminsky and Dekker continued to get headlines, Jackson started all 38 games, scored 10.7 points and dished out 4.0 assists. His performance in the NCAA tournament was even more impressive as Jackson averaged 12.6 points per contest in helping the Badgers to wins over American, Oregon and Arizona.

It isn’t Jackson’s scoring prowess that will determine success in 2014-15. Rather, it’s the 6-foot-3 guard’s combination of sound decision making and poise that seem likely to be the biggest keys for Ryan and his team this season.

Like many Wisconsin guards before him, Jackson plays the point with confidence and swagger. He reads defenses well and sets up the Badgers’ vaunted swing offense with precise direction. Once in the offense, he gets the ball to the correct players at the correct times. The result has been accolades for Kaminsky and Dekker and wins aplenty for Ryan and the Badgers.

Perhaps most importantly, Jackson seems completely content with his role. The job of a point guard is rarely glamorous. Counted on for organization on offense and aggressive, on-ball pressure while on defense, point guards set the pace and mood for their teams even as others score points and gain adoration. In that regard, Jackson fits in perfectly with his teammates in Madison.

There’s no doubt Kaminsky, Dekker and fellow-guard Josh Gasser will receive a fair amount of praise when the season kicks off. Everybody loves big stats and each of the three have put up some impressive numbers throughout their careers in red and white.

For Jackson, that will likely lead to one more season of victories and relative obscurity. But if Wisconsin is to reach the considerable heights it longs for in 2014-15, Jackson will be as important as any player on Ryan’s roster. Based on what we’ve seen so far, the Badgers are in fine shape with Jackson captaining the ship.

Matt Johnson is a Big Ten basketball writer for www.rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter at mattytheole or “like” him on Facebook.