Breaking the Wisconsin men's basketball rotation down into tiers
Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers are beginning to settle on a more consistent rotation. Here is a look at where each player currently stands.
Madison, Wis. – Head coach Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten), picked to finish 9th in the conference, are off to an impressive start to the season –collecting KenPom top-100 wins over Stanford, Dayton, USC, Marquette, Maryland, and Iowa.
Although coach Gard mixed + matched lineups early and often to begin the season, the Badgers have finally settled on a semi-consistent rotation because of the uptick in competition.
I've always thought that quality supersedes quantity – especially as it pertains to rotation depth in college basketball. However, when you have a group as inexperienced as this Wisconsin team, sometimes you have to sort things out through trial and error.
Here's a look at where each player currently stands ahead of the full-time conference slate – broken into tiers:
"The Big 3"
Chucky Hepburn
Tyler Wahl
Steven Crowl
This year's rendition of the Wisconsin basketball team centers around three returning starters – Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl, and Steven Crowl.
The trio has taken a noticeable step forward in 2022-23 and has adjusted nicely into their new roles.
Hepburn and Wahl have shouldered more of the scoring load, while Crowl has acted as a facilitator out of the low post – leading the team in assists. These three players are the engine that drives the program, and they will be all season long.
The future
Connor Essegian
True freshman Connor Essegian has lived up to the hype and then some. He's currently 3rd on the team in scoring (10.4 PPG), shooting 46% from beyond the arc, and has become an offensive sparkplug for Greg Gard off the bench. More importantly, he's worked his tail off on defense. It hasn't always been perfect, but Essegian has shown effort and knows the rules – although lumps are to be expected.
The Indiana native has an incredibly bright future in Madison – there is star potential here if he can continue his development. He could become the No. 1 scoring option on a good team down the road.
Gorilla-glue guy
Max Klesmit
Talk about a home run addition in the transfer portal. Max Klesmit has consistently played scrappy defense, knocked down open threes (40% from beyond the arc), and been a vocal leader for the Badgers.
I firmly believe Klesmit could score in double figures every night if he wanted – but he chooses to do the dirty work it takes to help UW win games. He's a hometown kid that knows precisely what It means to don the cardinal and white, and he's the Badgers gorilla glue guy in 2022-23.
Role-playing starter
Jordan Davis
Jordan Davis has slowly but surely found a niche in his first year as a starter. I've appreciated Davis' willingness as a defender, the way he moves/cuts without the ball, his taking care of the ball, and his rebounding.
Despite struggling with his three-point shot (28%), I'm convinced he can be an average to above-average shooter for the Badgers. The La Crosse, Wisconsin native, hasn't been spectacular by any stretch of the imagination, but he knows his role and plays within the confines of the offense.
Core rotation members
Carter Gilmore
Jahcobi Neath?