Sam Dekker's Renewed Swagger May Be What Buttoned-Up Badgers Need for Title

INDIANAPOLIS — He taunted a sea of Arizona fans with a glare and a boastful smirk, trash-talked his defender after beating him off the dribble and strutted down the court following a game-clinching three-pointer.

And yet Wisconsin's Sam Dekker may be regarded as one of the nicest guys in college basketball.

But in Saturday's 85-78 Elite Eight win over Arizona, the Badgers forward was downright cocky.

"I like to play with some energy, some spunk," Dekker told reporters after the game. "Sometimes I have a little bit of a swagger. I don't think there's anything wrong with showing emotion or a little trash talk—as long as you back it up."

Dekker certainly did that against the Wildcats, scoring a career-high 27 points to propel Wisconsin to its second straight Final Four. The basket at the Staples Center must've looked like a hula hoop to Dekker, who made eight of his 11 field-goal attempts, including five of six from beyond the arc.

Standing at midcourt as the final seconds ticked away, Dekker looked toward the Badgers' bench and winked at coach Bo Ryan.

"There are no words to describe what it's like to be in a zone like that," Dekker said. "You feel like you can do anything out there."

The performance against Arizona extended a March Madness hot streak that has seen Dekker average 21.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in four NCAA tournament games. Dekker is shooting 60.4 percent from the field overall during that span and 48.1 percent (13-of-27) from beyond the arc.

National Player of the Year candidate Frank Kaminsky has been Wisconsin's best player all season. But it's the enhanced play of the 6'9" Dekker that gives fans legitimate hopes of an upset against undefeated Kentucky in Saturday's NCAA semifinal.

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"When Sam is playing like this," Wisconsin forward Nigel Hayes said, "there isn't anyone we can't beat."

To those who have followed Dekker's career, his impact this March is no surprise.

As a high school senior, he hit a three-pointer with four seconds remaining to give Sheboygan Area Lutheran its first state title. ESPN.com ranked Dekker as the 17th-best prospect in the Class of 2012. And last summer, he was widely labeled as the best player at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas.

"Anyone who saw him play in high school or in AAU knows what kind of player he is," said Dekker's older brother, John, who is 26. "But for whatever reason, that player hasn't always shown up when he's had on the Badgers uniform."

Dekker hasn't had a poor collegiate career.

Far from it.

He averaged 9.6 points as a freshman and 12.4 points for last season's Final Four squad. Still, while Dekker has been steady, he's rarely had head-turning games that command national attention.

Dekker has reached the 20-point barrier just nine times as a Badger, and three of them occurred in this year's NCAA tournament.

"People are calling me, like, 'Wow, where has this been all year long?'" said Ritchie Davis, who coached Dekker's AAU team. "You don't get to see all of Sam's game at Wisconsin. They've got a system in place and there's no need to question it. It works.

"But Sam's role on that team and within that system…it is what it is."

Dekker can't say he wasn't warned.

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He was a virtual unknown when he committed to the Badgers while attending Ryan's camp before his junior season of high school. One year later, when he became more of a national name, opposing coaches attempting to change Dekker's mind hinted that he may not reach his full potential under Ryan.

Wisconsin had long been known as a low-scoring, slow-paced team that preached balance and discipline, and thus kept players from developing into stars because they didn't have much freedom.

Dekker, though, had grown up as a huge Badgers fan and never even entertained overtures from the big-name programs that attempted to lure him away after he'd committed.

"He takes so much pride in being a Wisconsin guy," said Dekker's father, Paul, who coached his son in high school. "So many other good players from here leave and sign with schools out of state. Sam wanted to stay home and do something special."

As a freshman, Dekker came off the bench for a squad that tied for fourth in the Big Ten before being upset by Ole Miss in its opening NCAA tournament game. A year later, though, Dekker began to make more of a mark, averaging 30 minutes per contest as Wisconsin won 13 of its last 16 games and reached the Final Four before losing to Kentucky. 

Dekker had 15 points in that contest and watched helplessly as Wildcats guard Aaron Harrison made a guarded, 25-foot three-pointer with 5.7 seconds remaining to give Kentucky the win.

The loss was devastating for Dekker, who vowed along with Kaminsky to return for the 2014-15 season instead of leaving school early for the NBA draft, where both were projected as first-round picks.

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"He knew he needed to improve," said Davis, the AAU coach. "The Big Ten isn't a silver spoon league. It made him realize he wasn't where he needed to be (for the NBA). Not yet."

Part of Dekker's offseason was spent attending camps run by NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Dekker was so good at the LeBron camp that, after watching him excel against other collegians from the sideline, James inserted himself into the game and guarded Dekker, who wasn't afraid to drive to the hoop on The King.

Dekker, who is 20, also grew two inches last summer, from 6'7" to 6'9", giving him even more hope for a standout junior campaign. Multiple publications even tabbed Dekker as a preseason All-American along with Kaminsky.

Dekker, though, battled a nagging ankle injury that affected his play throughout the first half of the season. He had just five points in a 10-point home loss to Duke on Dec. 3 and only two points against Marquette three days later. Still, Dekker fought through the injury, refusing to be sidelined for what was shaping up as a dream season for Wisconsin, which won the Big Ten title for the first time since 2008.

Even when he was healthy, Dekker operated with the same team-first mentality that stopped him from trying to take over games. Dekker scored in double figures in 15 of Wisconsin's 18 Big Ten contests but only eclipsed the 20-point barrier on three occasions.

"It's not like he was going to go there and score 30 points a game like he did in high school," John Dekker said. "Bo Ryan is a successful, established coach. He's not going to change his system for one guy. He shouldn't.

"When you look at that system, who is ever going to average 20-25 points?"

Not that Dekker ever complained.

If anything, he was having too much fun. One of Wisconsin's biggest strengths is its chemistry and cohesion—not just on the court, but off it, too. Whether it's poking fun at one another via group texts, playing video games like Super Smash Bros. or filming corny videos on campus, the Badgers' personalities clearly blend.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Dekker is one of the main reasons.

"The only thing he ever talks about is how much fun he's having," Davis said. "He's like Opie Taylor. He doesn't know any different. He's just a fun-loving, goofy guy who is having a blast out there. He doesn't play with any sort of pressure.

"As long as he stays that way, he'll continue to get better."

That's clearly taken place over the past few weeks.

Tight as the reins may have felt in the past, Dekker—for the first time in his career—is playing with a sense of freedom during the NCAA tournament. He's hunting his shot and hoisting up three-pointers that he may not have taken during the regular season.

Kaminsky had a team-high 29 points, but it was Dekker's assertiveness that led Wisconsin to its Elite Eight win over Arizona. Two nights earlier, he scored 23 points in a Sweet 16 victory against North Carolina. Dekker went a combined 18-of-26 from the field in those two games.

"Lottery pick," texted an NBA scout during the waning minutes of the Arizona victory.

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Hayes was asked to describe Dekker's recent play in one word.

"Clutch," said Hayes. "No need to add any fireworks and sprinkles to it. Clutch is the word.

"He's playing with a sense of urgency. You can say what you want about every game being important. But these games are clearly more important. The spotlight will definitely bring out the best in people."

Dekker certainly has reason to be motivated.

Ever since falling to Kentucky in last year's NCAA semifinals, Dekker has been focused on getting back to the Final Four. He even replaced his chair in the Wisconsin locker room with a commemorative chair he brought home from last year's event in Dallas.

With a Final Four logo on the cushion, the chair is a reminder of where the Badgers have been, and where they can go.

"We were stripped of our chance at a title last year," Dekker said. "We don't want that to happen again. We still have the mindset that we have a lot more basketball to play."

Almost poetically, Saturday's NCAA semifinal will be a rematch against Kentucky. At 38-0, John Calipari's squad is clearly better than the team Wisconsin faced in 2014, when Kentucky was a No. 8 seed. But make no mistake: The Badgers are better, too.

"We're not going to back down from anybody," Dekker said. "Obviously, they're a great team, the best team in the nation right now. But I think we're a pretty good team, too.

"People are going to talk about revenge, revenge, revenge. But that's not going to be the case. We're just going to try to get a win and go to the national title game."

Whatever happens, Dekker will make sure to enjoy the moment. He realizes he'll have a decision to make after the season regarding the NBA draft, but for now, he's embracing what has already been accomplished.

Wisconsin had been to the Final Four just twice in school history before Dekker arrived. Now, it's making its second straight appearance. The Badgers' lone national title came in 1941.

"He helped take Wisconsin basketball to the next level," John Dekker said. "They've had some good seasons, but this has kind of put them over the hump. Sam's proud of that.

"Maybe he could've gone to a different school and put up bigger stats. But when you ask him, he'd say going to two Final Fours and winning the Big Ten is better than putting up individual numbers.

"He's had a fun college career. He got to win a lot and enjoy his teammates—and I think he's going to get to play in the NBA someday, too. He's definitely getting the best of both worlds."

Jason King covers college sports for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JasonKingBR.