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UW’s Krabbenhoft learned gritty play from his father

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Photo by AP Photo/Brennan Linsley

Wisconsin's Joe Krabbenhoft, center, covers San Diego's De'Jon Jackson, right, during a game in the Paradise Jam basketball tournament in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008. Wisconsin won 64-49.

MADISON — Joe Krabbenhoft was only 2 or 3 years old, but he knew the routine.

His father would be hanging out with some of his buddies, guys who coached basketball at the high school or college level, and he’d say, “Ask Joe what’s the most important word in basketball.”

When they did, the boy didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Finish!”

Krabbenhoft had no idea what that meant at the time but over the years learned that lesson applied to more than just basketball.

“It did mean make your layup, but it meant so many other things, too,” he said. “Finishing the play on a loose ball. Everything. In life, finish. The word finish really got nailed in my brain as a young kid.”

That explains why the 6-foot-7 swing man was as dejected after a defeat as he’d ever appeared after the University of Wisconsin’s 74-69 loss to No. 9 Texas last month. Not only did UW fall, but Krabbenhoft directly contributed to the result with a turnover that led to the Longhorns’ go-ahead basket with 2 minutes 42 seconds left.

Some finish. The moment ran contrary to what Krabbenhoft has been about, especially this season. It’s his senior year, and along with classmate Marcus Landry, he has taken the lead in trying to get a young team to play beyond its years and compete for a second straight Big Ten title.

Krabbenhoft was supposed to show the underclassmen how to win tight games, not lose them.

“There is no excuse for it. I’m a senior,” he said that night. “I’ve been in games like that before. I’ve handled the ball. I take 100% responsibility for that.”

Krabbenhoft’s parents, Kelby and Heidi, would have been proud but not surprised to hear such talk. The Krabbenhofts pride themselves not only on finishing the job but also getting right back up after taking a hit.

It was one of the many lessons Krabbenhoft learned from his father that helped mold his game.

“He got my heart and soul into this game,” he said. “Definitely inspired me to play hard and play basketball the way I do. I guess it’s a credit to him.”

Since Krabbenhoft stepped on campus three seasons ago, he has been a unique combination of skill and toughness.

His willingness to mix it up can be seen in the scars on his face that split open as easy as an old prizefighter’s. However, few players his size pass or dribble as well or are capable of matching up on defense with a 5-11 guard like Texas’ A.J. Abrams or a 6-10 forward like former Kansas State star Michael Beasley.

Kelby Krabbenhoft wasn’t nearly as talented as his son but he exhibited some similar traits during his days at Concordia College, a Division III school in Moorhead, Minn. A 2-guard in high school, the 6-6 Kelby was moved to the post in college and liked the banging and scraping that went on there.

“Back when I played, the saying was you get five fouls, you’re supposed to use them,” he said. “Well, that clearly has changed with the game. I led the conference in fouls and had an average of 4.5 fouls per game so that meant half the time I was patting the referee on the rear end on the way to the bench.”

Kelby would do whatever it took to win, a trait he passed on to his three children. Beyond that, there was the expectation that, as Kelby said, “You do the right thing. You’ve got to be a leader, too.”

The message was received loud and clear.

Sarah, Joe’s sister, played basketball at Concordia and was a co-captain in 2006-’07, her senior season. Louis, his brother, is a redshirt freshman offensive lineman at Division II Augustana College in their hometown of Sioux Falls, S.D., and, according to Kelby, is a favorite of the assistant coaches to host recruits.

At UW, Joe is not afraid to speak up but leads primarily by example.

“Guys like to be around guys that are tough and competitive and willing to pay the price and Joe doesn’t take any shortcuts . . .” UW assistant Gary Close said. “So I think the guys appreciate the lunch-pail approach he brings each time he steps on the floor.”

Kelby helped mold that approach in Joe, coaching him until he started high school, giving him his first hard hit—Kelby hip-checked Joe to the ground as the unsuspecting second-grader went up for a layup and then told the boy, “C’mon, take a hit, let’s go”—and, as the years passed, talking to Joe about those who weren’t tough enough to bounce back.

If you didn’t know better, you’d look at Joe’s approach to the game and picture him the son of a meat packer or a factory worker rather than someone whose father runs the largest employer in South Dakota. That’s just the way Kelby Krabbenhoft likes it.

Kelby is the president and CEO of Sanford Health, which employees 12,000 people. However, as the son of two teachers and the son-in-law of a plumber, he hasn’t forgotten the blue-collar side of life.

“But you really can’t overcome perceptions until you get to know people and I think the people of Wisconsin have come to know Joe as a guy that’s a lot like those who get up and milk the cows before they head into the office,” Kelby said. “To me, when we come over here from South Dakota, we’re always humbled by how much people have adopted him as one of their own.

”He’s as Wisconsin as Wisconsin dairy, it seems to me.“

Joe, who averages eight points per game, leads the Badgers at 6.4 per rebounds contest and ranks second at 2.64 assists.

He is normally a good decision-maker, though his judgment failed him in the waning minutes of the Texas game.

The Badgers were ahead by a point with the ball when he tried to hand the ball off to Trevon Hughes only to see Texas steal it and convert it into a layup.

Wisconsin never regained the lead.

”I told him, ’It should be hard on you; you should feel how you feel,’ “ Kelby said. ” ’The good thing is you’ve got to take it in context.’

“I feel sorry for the other Big Ten opponents he’s going to have to play because he’s not going to make that turnover for the rest of his college career.”

Since then, Krabbenhoft has bounced back nicely as UW (11-3 overall) opened the Big Ten play with a 2-0 record.

He had nine points and eight rebounds in a 73-61 victory over Michigan on Wednesday and was the primary defender on Michigan’s Manny Harris, who entered play as the league’s leading scorer (19.8) but finished with nine points.

Saturday, he posted his second double-double of the season (10 points, 10 rebounds) and dished out a team-high five assists in a 65-61 victory over Penn State.

“Where would we be without him, without his energy, without his toughness?” UW coach Bo Ryan said. “He’s as tough as they get. I’m just glad he’s with us.”