Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/49586
FRANK KAMINSKY That could be taken two ways: Kaminsky learned how tough it can be to score against quality defenses, and he learned how tough it can be to play quality defense against elite of- fensive players. Against Marquette, he was on the floor for only five minutes. Or just long enough to realize why there was such a discrepancy in rebound- ing. "They really get up fast," he said. Reflecting on the skill level of both the Tar Heels and the Golden Eagles, Kaminsky conced- ed that they were "some of the best athletes I've ever played against." That's part of his ongoing education. "The biggest thing for Frank is to make sure defensively that he's a presence," Gard said. "He's got to make sure that he can anchor the middle and control the glass the best that he can in there. "His basketball IQ is really helping him in terms of understanding angles and the hows and the whys of playing post defense. He's get- ting better at anticipating actions and beating people to spots. "His base is good and he has pretty strong legs. He's hard to move. He frustrated some of BYU's post players. He obviously had his hands filled with Zeller and Henson." Both Tar Heels were named to the Wooden Award preseason list. "I really didn't know what to expect," Kamin- sky said of his introduction to college basketball. "I knew there was a possibility of redshirting if I didn't play as well as I could at the start of the year. "I was ready for anything that was going to happen whether it was a redshirt or getting min- utes like I am. All the coaches have helped and I'm learning from Jared Berggren every day." Berggren took a different path than Kaminsky by redshirting as a freshman. "The things that we thought Frank would be good at it, he has been good at," said UW assis- 52 » VARSITY DECEMBER 8, 2011 "Frank has a tremendous feel for what we want to do as a team," assistant coach Lamont Paris said. "He has a feel for what he's good at, and what he's not as good at it — and he tries to steer clear from those types of things." tant coach Lamont Paris. "He has a very good touch around the basket and a good feel for the game." Almost every- one who has come into contact with Kaminsky says the very same thing. He has a good feel for the game. Expanding on that point, Paris said, "Frank has a tremendous feel for what we want to do as a team, and for what's a good shot and a bad shot. "Most important- ly, he has a feel for what he's good at, and what he's not as good at it – and he tries to steer clear from those types of things." What does having a "feel for the game" mean to Kaminsky? "It means under- standing what to do in the heat of the moment," he said. It was part of his upbringing. "I feel like I know what to do in most situa- tions," he said. His primary teacher has been his father, Frank Kaminsky Sr. "I don't know where I'd be without him," he