BadgerNotes Basketball Mailbag: August Edition
BadgerNotes dives into both Twitter and Facebook questions from subscribers of the Newsletter in this week's Wisconsin men's basketball mailbag:
BadgerNotes dives into both Twitter and Facebook questions from subscribers of the Newsletter in this week's Wisconsin men's basketball mailbag:
I'll start by saying I'm genuinely shocked at how UW struck out in the portal after they landed Max Klesmit and Kamari McGee, who are terrific fits for the program.
After losing Johnny Davis to the NBA, Brad Davison and Christ Vogt to graduation, and several other contributors to the transfer portal, I felt the Badgers required some serious veteran reinforcements.
I still think UW will find another big man before the season starts, but I'm growing less optimistic that external candidates will fill both scholarships this late in the cycle.
That said, I expect that Isaac Lindsey, who is entering his second year with the program, will get placed on scholarship if they don't bring in another wing.
The coaching staff holds the 6-foot-4, 184-pound wing in high regard and could even push for time this upcoming season.
Question one: WLKG, the first part of your question could ultimately dictate UW's success this upcoming season. It's hard to imagine the team shooting worse than the .306% from beyond the arc, which was good for 319th in the country last season. In other words, completely unacceptable.
This season, incoming Wofford transfer Max Klesmit is my pick to be Wisconsin's go-to three-point shooter. He's coming off a sophomore campaign where he made 68 threes for the Terriers as a high-volume shooter.
Klesmit brings UW many of the same offensive strengths they are losing in Brad Davison, and I'd argue that he's one of the best shooters on the Badgers roster.
Other options I think will see an uptick in their three-point shooting are: Chucky Hepburn, who, over his final 22 games, shot 30-for-75 (40%) from beyond the arc. I also believe Steven Crowl and Jordan Davis will be able to provide healthy options for the Badgers with expanded roles in 2022.
Question two: Last season, Hepburn wasn't needed to be a consistent scoring option for the Badgers; instead, he took what the defense gave him.
However, all of that changes this upcoming season due to the departures of Johnny Davis and Brad Davison. The Nebraska native will now need to take on a more prominent leadership role and add more to his plate in year two as a scorer.
I saw more than enough last season to suggest that Hepburn has what it takes to be a scoring threat for the Badgers, at all three levels, no less.
The 6-foot-2, 211-pound point guard sees the floor well, flashed playmaking ability, and has the handles to take defenders off the dribble and get to the rim.
Per HoopMath, Hepburn took just 20% of his shots attempts at the rim last season, finishing them at an impressive 60% clip.
I believe Hepburn will find his way inside the lane far more than we saw last season and act as a shot creator for the Badgers. I'm expecting big things in his sophomore season.
Given the current state of the roster, my starting lineup would likely consist of Chucky Hepburn, Max Klesmit, Jordan Davis, Tyler Wahl, and Steven Crowl if the season started today.
Klesmit is essentially a plug-and-play starting shooting guard for the Badgers this upcoming season. In the starting lineup, they'll need his experience, shot creation, and three-point shooting.
Jordan Davis seems like the most logical option to step into his brother's vacated role in the starting lineup - and I believe he's ready to be a relied-upon contributor for UW.
Good chance that Jahcobi Neath, who's now healthy after getting surgery in the offseason, also pushes for the third guard spot.
The clock is getting closer and closer to striking midnight on Greg Gard's window of opportunity to land another big man, which is something UW desperately needs in 2022-23.
If Wisconsin doesn't land another big, the answer is quite simple: Chris Hodges will need to grow up in a hurry.
I viewed Hodges as a bit of a project with some upside when he committed to UW, so even if he hadn't sat out his senior season, I wasn't expecting him to see the court until he had some time to refine his game.
Expecting the 6-foot-9 big man to step into an important role like the one Chris Vogt vacated seems like too much of a leap for me to buy into right now.
That’s why I'm holding out hope that UW can still find a fit, whether that be on the recruiting trail, or in through the transfer portal.
Trenton, thanks for your question. This is where I shamelessly plug my newsletter, BadgerNotes, and encourage you to become a paid subscriber.
In the next week, I'll be publishing two deep dives using film/analytics to dissect the things Jordan Davis and Jahcobi Neath did well last season, where they can improve, and the role I expect them to play in 2022-23.
That said, I give the edge to Jordan Davis, and if you'd like a more specific answer, I encourage you to check those articles out.
Contact/Follow me @DillonGraff on Twitter, visit the BadgerNotes Store, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis.