My freshman year at UW-Madison, I would play pick-up basketball games on a daily basis. On very rare occasions, a member of the Badgers’ basketball team would grace us with their presence. Usually, it was Ryan Evans, Jarrod Uthoff, or even former player Michael Flowers. Every once in a while, a goofy 6’11” freshman named Frank Kaminsky would show up. As expected, Kaminsky would dominate these pick up games, as no one could match up with his size; all he had to do was camp in the paint. He would wait for his teammates to pass him the ball and he would just drop step and shoot lay-ups. If he didn’t get the ball, he would come away with every rebound and put that back instead. No one was impressed with this display of pick-up game dominance. In our minds, it was a little weird that a Division 1 player would come play with your everyday college student, and seemed to find pleasure in beating down these fellow students who had no chance at stopping him. Maybe he was just prepping himself for the future.

My friends and I watched closely as Wisconsin competed against the top Big 10 teams throughout the year. We loved watching Jordan Taylor, Jared Berggren, Ryan Evans, and especially Bo Ryan. About five to ten minutes every game, that goofy freshman from Illinois named Frank would get into the game, and he spent most of his time hovering around the three-point arc. He would get clean looks, and everything seemed to clang off the rim. None of us had high hopes for this freshman. He seemed soft and very out of place. He was clearly a Wisconsin type player, but we doubted he would ever put it all together.

Sophomore year showed the same thing, a big guy who seemed like he had no interest at playing on the block, but he also didn’t seem to have any visible perimeter skills. He trusted his three-point stroke, but fans watched as he missed again and again. He seemed confident in what he was doing out there, but all the fans seemed to think he needed to step inside. My hopes, and the hopes of many others, continued to shrink.

Then, during Kaminsky’s junior year, it happened. It was November 19^th of 2013, and I was playing my own basketball game in North Park, Illinois. After our game, I pulled out my phone to find some incredibly shocking news. Frank Kaminsky had dropped 43 points against North Dakota. I laughed at this; I figured that this must be a typo. Everyone in our locker room was in shock at this news; Kaminsky dropped how many? After getting a text from my dad also confirming the numbers, I laughed again and sarcastically said that Frank wouldn’t score 43 total points the rest of the season. Although Frank didn’t have another monster game like that the rest of the year, he did stay consistent, and he did score more than 43 total points. I am incredibly happy that I was wrong.

The proof is there, Frank, in fact scored 43 points

After being named First Team All-Conference, Kaminsky’s legacy continued to grow during the NCAA Tournament. Kaminsky helped to lead a dramatic comeback against Oregon in the third round, dominated Baylor’s front line in the Sweet 16, and then carried the team over Arizona to help the Badgers reach the Final Four. Kaminsky was named the MVP for the region, and his goofy smiled showed how happy he was in his team’s success. Unfortunately, Wisconsin ran into the Kentucky juggernaut in the Final Four, and got bounced after a shot in the final seconds. The legacy was not done growing, though.

In the fall of 2014, ESPN released a ranking of their top college basketball players. To my surprise, Kaminsky was voted the best player in the country. I was finally becoming a believer in Kaminsky, but to name him the best player in the country seemed very extreme. I figured that most of the hype was based on the fact that he had a great NCAA Tournament. His tournament performance was fresh in everyone’s mind, and that’s what his ranking was based on. My focus was on his entire career, and I wasn’t very sure that he would make another big leap forward with his game. Once again though, I could not have been happier to eat my own words.

Kaminsky exploded his senior year, leading the Badgers in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, field goal percentage and minutes. He helped to carry the team to a regular season Big 10 championship while being named First Team All-Conference for the second straight year. Additionally, Kaminsky was named Big Ten Conference Player of the Year, further adding to his trophy case. Kaminsky also is a front-runner for the National Player of the Year, which has all of Badgerland buzzing.

I don’t know when it clicked for Kaminsky, but sometime between his sophomore and junior season, everything seemed to come together. His freshman and sophomore season, he spent much of his time hanging out by the three point line, not something you want to see from your center, but also something you’re not surprised by in the Bo Ryan offense. His junior year, he came back clearly with more muscle on his body and he seemed to enjoy playing down on the blocks; he looked like a completely different player. His arsenal of post moves was much more complete, and his three point shot became that much more dangerous in pick and pop situations. He didn’t depend on his jump shot as much, and it became just another weapon in his arsenal, rather than his go-to scoring option.

Not only did he put it together on the offensive end, but also defensively he became an anchor in the middle. Whether it was blocking shots or just contesting them, you could see that his length was disrupting multiple shots every game. Additionally, Kaminsky had become a much more aggressive rebounder, which was important in limiting teams to one shot per possession. His game has truly evolved, and he just might be the best player in the country.

After senior night at the Kohl Center on March 1^st, Tom Izzo, one of the best coaches in the country, had nothing but the highest praises for Kaminsky. After dropping 31 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 assists against the Spartans, a game that clinched the Big 10 regular season championship, Izzo said he had never been so impressed with a Big 10 player since Glenn Robinson, a name that people in Wisconsin know very well. Additionally, Izzo claimed that if he hadn’t been coaching against him, he would have been applauding his efforts along with all the other fans in the Kohl Center. Welcome to the club, Coach Izzo. Every time Kaminsky steps onto the court, he seems to be leaving more and more people in awe of his abilities. Every game he does something different, but he’s still sticking to the key components of his game.

Freshman year, 1.8 points per game. Sophomore year, 4.2 points per game. Junior year, 13.9 point per game. Senior year, 18.4 points per game. Frank Kaminsky was a nobody in college basketball circles after his freshman season. Now as he finishes up his senior year, every college basketball fan in America knows the name Frank Kaminsky. Times have changed for Kaminsky and the Wisconsin Badgers’ basketball team. This team is built on the same Bo Ryan fundamentals, but the offense has taken a huge leap forward, in large part thanks to Kaminsky’s development. Kaminsky is right at the center of all the attention, as he is the best player on one of the top teams in the country. Hopes are high for the basketball team, and might be even higher for Kaminsky. Despite all the individual accolades he has received and will receive, his focus is most likely on team goals rather than individual awards. If I’m Frank Kaminsky, I only want two more things to cap off my college career: a Big Ten Tournament Championship, and a National Championship. If he keeps carrying the team the way he has all year, I think it will be very hard to bet against Wisconsin.

Jim Marose is a huge fan of Wisconsin Badgers’ basketball, and can’t wait to watch them compete for a National Title in the coming weeks. For all sorts of March Madness tweets, follow him on Twitter @jmarose47. On Wisconsin.