There is no question that Frank Kaminsky is the best player on the Wisconsin Badgers, however, most people would agree that their second best player is Traevon Jackson. Bad news hit Madison as they found out that Jackson will have surgery on his fractured right foot that he suffered during their upset loss to Rutgers on Sunday. The Badgers don't have a timetable on when Jackson will be able to return but said that he will begin rehab in two to three weeks. The senior, Jackson, did say that he was looking forward to finishing off the season with his team, a good sign for Badgers fans. Head coach Bo Ryan also said that he expects Jackson to be back on the court this year. Wisconsin definitely wants Jackson back as he is a big part of their team. He is one of Wisconsin's most experienced players, and a leader. While Jackson might not have a future in the NBA, he has been very impressive during his time at Wisconsin. Jackson is coming off the best year of his career and has followed it up with another big year. He is playing 27.4 MPG, scoring 9.4 PPG, while also adding 2.9 APG and 1.1 RPG. His real strength is defense however as he averages 1.1 SPG, a career high. Jackson has also set a career high in field goal percentage this year as he is shooting a very good 45.6%, and also a career best 85.4% from the line. Besides his freshman year, Jackson has averaged over 25 MPG every year while at Wisconsin, including 30.8 MPG last year. Sophomore Bronson Koenig will take over starting point guard duties while Jackson is out. Koenig has seen a good amount of action as a backup this year, 20.5 MPG. In that time he averages 4.9 PPG, 2.1 APG and 1.2 RPG. Koenig is a better scorer than Jackson but is no where near the defensive player Jackson is. Defense is the one big thing Jackson brings to the table and the Badgers will surely miss it. Koenig played 31 minutes against Rutgers on Sunday, scoring 12 points. Jackson is not a household name but is a huge loss for Wisconsin. This is arguably the best offensive team Bo Ryan has coached, so it's not like they are dying for the extra offense Koenig brings; they would much rather have the extra defensive help. Wisconsin lost to Rutgers this past Sunday, their second loss of the season. The Badgers are now 15-2 but dropped to #7 in the AP Poll after the loss. While Jackson is a huge loss they are still waiting for their star, Frank Kaminsky, to return after he was dealing with concussion symptoms. This is a very good team and I hope Jackson has a speedy recovery and is able to play in a few games before the tournament so he can be eased back in. Either way the Badgers are one of the best teams in the nation and there is a good chance that they could make a second straight Final Four.
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