via youtube
	School: Wisconsin NBA Pos: SG/SF Ht/Wt: 6'7" / 195 lbs Hometown: Sheboygan, Wisconsin Class: Freshman

Has anyone’s buzz has increased over the last year more than Sam Dekker?  After ending his career with a three point shot to win the State Championship for Sheboygan Lutheran, Dekker has continued to turn heads.  After missing out on the accolades usually afforded by a top player (McDonald’s All American /Jordan Brand Classic), Dekker was deterred.  Initially a long shot to be a member of Team USA U-18 squad at the FIBA Champions, Dekker’s impressive performance during tryouts turned heads and earned him a spot on the roster.  He can handle the ball very well on the perimeter and has deep three-point range, with excellent form and arc on his shot.  He has great court awareness and a toughness that Bo Ryan and The Badger faithful will appreciate.  Dekker is also a very good athlete and attacks the creases very well.  

• Wisconsin
• Bradley   
• Wis. Milwaukee
• Northern Iowa
• Valparaiso

• Sam Dekker is going to be a star at Wisconsin
• Wisconsin Basketball: Dekker may get early playing time
• Wisconsin adds Sam Dekker for Class of 2012

Highlights from around the web:

 

 

How Sam Dekker was overlooked many of the major programs remains a mystery.  He was the Wisconsin State Player of the Year and participated in some of the top recruiting events, including the NBPA Top 100 camp.  Yet, despite his accomplishments, Dekker did not generate a lot of interest from the traditional college basketball powers.  Dekker brings a nice combination of size and athleticism to the Badgers program.  He is a tough, hardnosed kid that excels under pressure.  He can shoot the ball well from three-point range and has excellent height and rotation on his shot.   He shoots well off the dribble from three, as well, and is also effective in catch-and-shoot situations. A good ball handler for his height, Dekker is the type of player that can have the ball in his hands and is able to create for himself and his teammates.  

Dekker’s greatest challenge will be adjusting to the physicality of the Big Ten.  His slender frame does not lend itself to adding a lot of bulk, so he may face some challenges guarding some of the more physical perimeters players in the Big Ten.  Although he is very good athlete, and excels in transition game, he is not particularly quick east to west.  With Bo Ryan an extremely demanding coach that will not tolerate defensive lapses, Dekker’s defense will need to be solid to secure playing time.   

Dekker’s skill set is an ideal fit in Ryan’s swing offense that utilizes a lot of screens and values spacing.  Players must be able to play multiple positions for the Badgers and are required to handle the basketball and shoot the three-point shot.  Dekker’s ability to do these things will come in handy for the Badgers immediately.  Wisconsin is returning 3 seniors to this year’s team, but lost forward Mike Bruesewitz to injury for at least the first six weeks of the season.  After this injury, Dekker will play a even a larger role for the Badgers in the upcoming season.  He is the Badgers highest ranked incoming recruit since Joe Krabbenhoft in 2005.  The Madison faithful will be happy to have Dekker and we expect him to be a future All-Conference player and big contributor to the Wisconsin team immediately.  

What do you think? Let us know below!: