Badgers Film Room: Connor Essegian is HIM
Freshman shooting guard Connor Essegian has quickly proven himself to be a diamond in the rough for head coach Greg Gard.
(Photo: Courtesy of UW Athletics)
Madison, Wis. - Entering the 2022-23 season, Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers had just one scholarship player in the incoming recruiting class - three-star shooting guard Connor Essegian, out of Albion, Indiana.
Per the 247Sports composite, Essegian was the No. 230 overall prospect in the 2022 class, the No. 35 shooting guard in the country, and the No. 10 player in Indiana (I bet they'd rank him a bit higher knowing what they know now).
The three-star SG committed to Wisconsin over offers from Creighton, Butler, Wake Forest, George Mason, Belmont, and several others.
Everyone with two fully functioning eyes knew the 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard could shoot the lights out. However, his path to playing time at UW had to come by offering at least average minutes on the defensive side of the ball.
"I knew a little bit about defense," Essegian said. "But the rules, the principles … I have learned so much day by day. It's definitely getting better. There is still a little bit of thinking. At this point, I know our rules. It is just a matter of doing it (consistently)."
Clearly, coach Gard felt he had done the work during the offseason and trusted Essegian enough to find him meaningful minutes. It hasn't always been perfect on the defensive end, but from what I've seen, he's worked his ass off, plays with energy, and fights through screens. Effort on defense is half the battle, and I've seen plenty of it.
Through the first six games, Essegian is sixth on the team in minutes played (19.8), averaging 9.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting a blistering 54.2% from beyond the arc.
According to Synergy, he's averaging a team-high 1.208 PPP among rotation players and a ridiculous 62.8 EFG%.
In short, it couldn't be going any better.
I can't remember a true freshman that exuded the amount of confidence -bordering on cockiness that he's played the game with from day one. It's truly remarkable - and it quickly turned him into a fan favorite.
"He is not one that is bothered by pressure," Gard said. "I've learned that about him. He is a really confident kid."
On a team still working to find its offensive identity, the Indiana native has helped bridge the gap by becoming the team's No. 3 scoring option behind Tyler Wahl and Chucky Hepburn.
There are a million different ways to tell you how impressed I've been with Essegian, but in all honesty, it'd be easier for me to show you...let's get into the film.
Badgers Film Room:
First things first, Essegian is what I consider a five-tool shooter: he can knock down the three with no rhythm, on the move, off the dribble, with limitless range, it doesn't matter.
In the clip below, with the shot clock winding down, Essegian sees his man cheating toward the lane, anticipating a drive to the bucket, so he takes one dribble, pulls back, and hits him with a stepback - creating just enough space to knock down a three.
Then, a possession later, Wisconsin brings it down the court, runs him baseline, and tries to set a screen to give him enough space to get another look from beyond the arc. His defender cheats overtop the screen; Carter Gilmore gets in his way, and Essegian slips under and knocks down the off-balance three in the corner...Impressive stuff.
In the next clip, his defender goes underneath Steven Crowl's screen; Essegian sees this, takes a dribble to his left, and hoists one up from NBA range without hesitation and...butter.
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