Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics

Varsity - June 20, 2013

Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.

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championship teams at Montini Catholic. Addressing the Johnson sisters, Kelsey said, "They're both long and lean; mom and dad gave them that. Malayna might even be a little taller than Mickey (Michala's nickname). "Both are very capable of getting up and down the floor. They're light on their feet. They run like deer. They don't plod. They're very graceful, they're long and they can block shots. "It's just that one (Michala) is going to understand the physicality of the game better than the other (Malayna). But that just comes with time and experience.'' There are some things that simply can't be rushed. "You never know what you're going to get from freshmen,'' Kelsey said, "so you really don't count on them until you can see it.'' Joining the younger Johnson in the Wisconsin's freshmen class are Mikey Crall, a 6-3 post player from Olathe, Kan., and Carly Truesdale, a 5-9 guard from San Antonio, Texas. What's next for them? Kelsey expects them to contribute to whatever degree. At least that is the hope. The reality is that inexperienced first-year players represent such an unknown variable. "We just want them to come in and soak up the knowledge,'' Kelsey said. "Follow the lead of those who have been here and then lead where they can. Freshmen are hit or miss. "If you get a lot out of them, great. But they do hit a wall and I don't care who they are, I've seen the best in the country hit walls just because they don't know, they haven't played college basketball.'' Senior guard Taylor Wurtz is at the other end of the spectrum. She has played in 97 career games. But what's next for Wurtz, who took a medical redshirt last season after back surgery? As a junior, she led the Badgers in scoring (16.1) and rebounding (7.6). "I anticipate her not taking so much on her own this year,'' Kelsey said. "My first year she had to do a lot because she was our best perimeter scorer; she was not the only one, but she was the best one. "But she's going to have a lot of help this year. Again, her challenge is not to try to do it all by herself. When you sit out, like she has, you're eager, you're hungry, you're thirsty. "You want to get back out there and show what you can do ― show that you're not hurt and show that you're 100 percent. That's Taylor's mindset anyway; she's going to give 100, if not more.'' Kelsey plans on picking up the pace this season by running more. "It's not going to be running for running's sake,'' she said. "It's going to be running because we understand that it's a weapon.'' In this case, the Badgers need to utilize all of their weapons, especially Michala Johnson. "I like to run up and down the court a lot,'' she said. "Transition was my strength. I'm looking forward to that.'' "Both are very capable of getting up and down the floor," Kelsey said of the sisters. "They're light on their feet. They're very graceful, they're long and they can block shots." One of the perks in opting for the Badgers is that Michala will be reunited this season with her younger sister, Malayna, an incoming UW freshman. 35

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