The offseason does not lend itself to many basketball stories besides occasional recruiting tidbits. Maybe the most frustrating part of the process is that the courting of teenagers routinely makes no sense whatsoever.

Considering the absurd drama of the Jarrod Uthoff saga and the recently concluded Sheldon Jeter recruitment, Wisconsin hoops fans are eager for some good news on the recruiting front. Unfortunately I don't have any right now.

What I can offer is a touch of perspective. I went back over eight years and researched exactly when Badger recruits committed to the program as well as each time there was an unexpected departure. The result is a fairly comprehensive recruiting timeline. Even though the odds favor a slow summer, let's just say the early fall has been generous to the Badgers when it comes to recruiting gems.

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If you are looking for light reading material, this FanPost at Black Heart Gold Pants isn't it. If you're looking for more fodder to throw at your friends that Wisconsin is truly one of the best programs in the country at turning 2 and 3-star recruits into NFL-ready machines, well you're in luck.

The nitty gritty methodology is all in the link. In a nut shell, this UpUpDownDown fellow figured out what fraction of Rivals recruits at the 2-star, 3-star, 4-star and 5-star levels from 2002-2009 actually develop into NFL Draft prospects, and based on that data came up with a list of which programs were making the most efficient use of their talent.

The evidence adds more fuel to the fire that Iowa and Wisconsin are among the best schools in the country, not just the Big Ten, at getting players ready for the next level. The Hawkeyes have had 28 players drafted over the last eight years, and based on their recruiting efforts should have only had 14.7 (Riley Reiff's baby arms account for the fraction). By this measure, Kirk Ferentz' players have an 89 percent chance above average at being selected in April, making Iowa the best developmental program in the country.

Wisconsin came in at No. 12 with 20 players drafted despite only 15 projected, putting them behind Ohio State (No. 4 overall) and ahead of Penn State (No. 13) within the conference. Caveats re: sample sizes and what not, the data is further testament to just how well the Badgers have done with less recently.

The post has a lot of other fascinating tidbits, including a look at conferences (the B1G is tops) and position groups (Iowa and Wisconsin are Nos. 1 and 2 at developing linemen). The data also confirms that recruits tend to head South when given the opportunity, which makes sense.

Two things to note: 1) This could be construed as evidence of regional bias within the rankings of recruiting services and 2) So does this mean Wisconsin is better at developing 2 and 3-star recruits or simply better at evaluating talent at the high school level?

More links after the jump.

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Mike Eaves made his 2012 recruiting class official when he announced the signing of Burnsville, Minnesota native Eddie Wittchow on Tuesday. Wittchow, currently a defenseman for the Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) made his verbal pledge to the Badgers back on December 8th.

A 6'4, 200 pound blue-liner, Wittchow notched 18 points in 60 regular season games for the Black Hawks and was a team best +22. Waterloo is in the middle of a playoff run, and are currently tied 1-1 in the Clark Cup Finals against the Green bay Gamblers. Wittchow has four points in nine playoff games.

In a release today from the University, Eaves noted that the Badgers expect big things from Wittchow right out of the gates.

"Eddie will be able to come in and give us a real physical presence on the blue line," said Eaves. "He's got a big body and moves very well. He's got the propensity to make a good breakout pass and gets back quickly to help get the puck out of the zone. He possesses a really nice shot from the point - a smart shot. He's going to be a real anchor for us on the blue line."

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Less than a month after the NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks' head coach Pete Carroll already said Russell Wilson will get the opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback position. Typically, I would not put much stock in stories like this; we often hear way too much talk based purely on speculation and the possibility of something that may happen. But this story is different.

It may seem obvious to some that Wilson will get the opportunity to start. Coaches often do not like to name their starter early in the offseason and will hold an open competition to avoid doing so. Look no further for an example than last summer, when Wilson did not come in as the "starter" and had to compete with Joe Brennan and Jon Budmayr, but it was obvious from the moment Wilson transferred that he would start.

What makes this story unique is its timing and Seattle's current quarterback situation.

Rarely will you hear a head coach say a newly drafted quarterback, entering at third-string, will compete for the starting job...and in May! Not to mention Seattle just handed out 26 million dollars to free agent quarterback Matt Flynn, who appeared to be the clear-cut starter when the Seahawks signed him in the offseason.

Again, there is no need to over-hype this story, but the fact that Carroll said this means Wilson must have made a quick impression on the former USC coach, especially with his smart decision-making skills on the field.

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Depending on how you look at it, the Wisconsin-Virginia game announced Monday as a part of the 14th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge will either be a dream or a nightmare.

For those who admire and respect what the Bennett family means to Wisconsin basketball, the coaching storyline makes the Nov. 28 tilt in Madison must-see television. To ESPN, the driver of the event, it probably gives an excuse to bury two slow-paced teams with one swoop.

Wisconsin ranked dead last in the country last season in adjusted tempo, averaging 58.5 possessions per contest. Virginia, coached by former UW assistant Tony Bennett, ranked 338th out of 345 teams (60.6). Yet the two schools combined to go 48-20, so the quality of basketball should not be in question.

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Please allow me to get misty eyed for a moment. One of my favorite things about my fair Alma Mater is its unwillingness to move away from the little antiquated things that make it charming. Those things include but aren't limited to: Beer from a rathskeller, oompa-playing tubas, and a brand of football that hasn't fundamentally evolved much beyond what modern rules and safety requirements say they must.

The offense is pure, simple, rock-paper-scissors-style fun. Run the ball, lull them into the false sense of security that is rock, then play-action paper their asses. It's easy to understand, and it has been way more successful than it has any right to be the last few seasons. And the offense should in theory become more effective as defenses prepare for more and more spread offenses.

We've been doing old school so long that it has become new again. Isn't that sort of the definition of cool? Like the last guy playing vinyl looking fresh while the other kids spend their time one step behind technology? I think that makes sense.

Anyway, Andy Staples wrote one of the 20 articles you'll read this season about Wisconsin being big and beefy and manly and tough, among other things. As much as I like Andy Staples, there isn't much to glean from it that you don't already know except this, one of the better Bret Bielema quotes I think I've read (though I would love to be reminded of other choice nuggets):

"We're a very unique preparation," Bielema said. "When you've got seven days to get ready for an opponent, it's not the easiest thing to prepare for. I've read comments in papers where coaches have said, 'We're getting ready to play Wisconsin. We've got to be tough this week.' Well, you can't tap somebody on the head on Monday and say, 'You're tough.' It's something that's in the program 365 days a year."

That about sums it up, right?

Links after the jump:

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The inaugural Wisconsin Sports Awards took place last night at The Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee. Sportcenter's John Anderson, a Green Bay native, hosted the exclusive invite-only event that included about a 400-person audience.

The cool thing about the event is it connects high school, college and professional sports in the state of Wisconsin. In the same evening, high school basketball phenom Sam Dekker and Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers accepted awards for their accomplishments. It is an event that brings together the best athletes Wisconsin has to offer, connecting current and future Wisconsin greats.

Of the 13 awards handed out, The University of Wisconsin-Madison heard its named called just once, when Montee Ball took home the Colliers International College Player of the Year.

Ball was not in attendance, but had a video recorded for his acceptance of the award.

"It was an honor just to be nominated with the other great college players from around the state," Ball said. "I am humbled to accept the college player of the year award and I want to thank all the voters. None of these individual awards would have been possible without my teammates and the tremendous coaching staff we have here at Wisconsin."

Although the university only earned one award, future Badger stars won awards at the inaugural event. Dekker, UW's highly touted basketball recruit, won the Building Advantage Boys High School Basketball Player of the Year (yes, every award has a annoying sponsor name attached to its it). And Vince Biegel, the four-star linebacker recruit from Wisconsin Rapids, earned the honor of the state's top high school football player.

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It was mentioned tangentially that Barry Alvarez participated a couple weeks ago in the meetings among conference commissioners, media members and BCS mafioso to begin hashing out a college football playoff format. How Alvarez got a seat at the table is still unclear. He made his way on Entourage somehow, so by comparison this is far less weird and not worth much thought. What was interesting was that Alvarez kept his opinions on the BCS and a revamped postseason to himself during the hullabaloo, at least publicly.

He finally broke the silence Wednesday, speaking to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel to advocate a four-team playoff, and in particular the use of a selection committee to choose the teams.

"I like a committee and I like a committee that might be diverse enough that maybe you have some national sportswriters in it," Alvarez said.

For example:

"(Kirk Herbstreit) is neutral, is on top of it, talks to coaches around the country. And every week you come out with your rankings and possibly explain the process."

For what it's worth, I think our fearless leader is probably right. Whatever method used to choose semifinalists will meet controversy, because it will have to leave out a No. 5 team that will more often than not be a title contender, unlike the 69th team in basketball. Better to outsource the selections to analysts that fans think are relatively intelligent, and have them give clear rationales for their decisions and actually spark something like intelligent discussion.

Computers tend to make people throw up their hands and say "gah, COMPUTERS." The Coaches Poll is a joke even to those who participate in it, and the Harris Poll is as likely to randomly select some nob like Gus Frerotte as it is a coaching legend or HEY PAT RICHTER.

A bunch of guys in a room aren't going to deviate that far from what the computers or polls would spit out anyway, and with a committee fans can sleep a bit better knowing the thoughts and faces behind their team's postseason hosing. It is an imperfect solution, obviously, but as Alvarez points out, at least we would understand the process.

Links after the jump:

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