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A t the end of each basketball season, Wis- consin strength and conditioning coach Scott Hettenbach will conduct the equivalent of exit interviews with the Badgers' returning players. "We set some goals for the summer and fall,'' said Hettenbach, who's entering his 18th season with the men's program. "Those are goals that we both agree on. It's not me telling the kid what to do.'' Frank Kaminsky was more than willing to lis- ten, though. As a true freshman, Kaminsky ap- peared in 35 of 36 games, including 17 Big Ten contests. He averaged a little over seven minutes of playing time. In late March, the 6-foot-11 Kaminsky — the tallest player on the UW roster — weighed around 245 pounds when Syracuse eliminated the Bad- gers in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. "Last year, it was obvious that I was pretty slow at some points,'' said Kaminsky, who played 10 minutes against the Orange and failed to score or get a rebound in the 64-63 loss at the Boston Garden. "I needed to change my body and lose all that unnecessary weight.'' In April, when Kaminsky sat down with Hetten- bach, he did so with an open mind. "He told me everything I needed to do,'' related Kaminsky, a product of Benet Academy in the Chicago suburb of Lisle, Ill., and a member of the Chicago Sun-Times all-state team as a high school senior. "He said eventually it would be my time here and I needed to prepare myself for when that time comes. I really took that to heart this summer.'' Hettenbach provided him with a plan and the incentive to execute it. "He told me that I was a good offensive player,'' Kaminsky said, "but I needed to be more explosive and just more ath- letic.'' Nutrition was one of the points of emphasis in reshaping his body. "Last year, I was eating pretty unhealthy,'' said Kaminsky, conceding a weakness at times for snacking and fast food. "When I was hungry, I 38 » VARSITY NOVEMBER 8, 2012 went and ate, and it wasn't always the best food.'' Obviously, he had to take assertive steps to change some habits. He did, and the results have certainly been gratifying. He has shaped up — and slimmed down — by losing about 20 pounds. "I feel really different,'' said Kaminsky, whose weight has fluctuated between 225 and 230 dur- ing preseason training camp. "I feel like I can jump better. I'm moving better and my legs feel different. "I had a lot of stress on my knees with all that extra weight last year.'' When he returned home at the end of the sum- mer, he got some double-takes and compliments