Wisconsin basketball returns next week! The Badgers open up the season with an exhibition game November 1 against UW-Stevens Point. They will open the regular season November 6 against Arkansas State. The 2023 team will be looking to return to the NCAA Tournament after missing out on the tournament last season. A ton of production returns and some new intriguing faces enter. Here is how I see the Wisconsin basketball depth chart looking right now as we near the beginning of the season.
Wisconsin Basketball Point Guard
- Chucky Hepburn
- Kamari McGee
- John Blackwell
Wisconsin basketball returns their point guard in junior Chucky Hepburn. Hepburn dropped 15 pounds in the off-season and will be looking to keep up with the speed and quickness of other Big Ten point guards. Last year was a down year for Hepburn so he will be looking to rebound in 2023.
The backup role fascinates me as the Badgers have two serviceable players behind Hepburn. Kamari McGee struggled a majority of last season, but came on well at the end of the year. He ended up getting consistent minutes. McGee was also one of the better players in the Red/White scrimmage a few weeks ago. Look for McGee to get minutes right away.
I love the upside John Blackwell brings to the table. Although he is only a freshman, he’s a physical 6’4 defender and has the ability to be a good outside shooter. I could see Blackwell taking a redshirt this year, but I can also see him getting valuable minutes right away. This is an interesting position battle to keep an eye on.
Shooting Guard
- Connor Essegian
- Isaac Lindsey
Shooting guard is obvious as Connor Essegian will likely play 30+ minutes a game. The sharp-shooting sophomore exceeded expectations last year and ended up in the starting lineup in January. Essegian has a chance to break out and can be on of the best shooters in the entire conference.
I have Isaac Lindsey as the back-up, but I could also see Max Klesmit playing this role too if Essegian is on the bench and A.J. Storr is in the game. However, I like Lindsey’s game as he has improved on the defensive side and has the ability to score as well. A good example was against Purdue last season when Lindsey was given early minutes and put up eight points in a hurry. If Lindsey continues to play defense, he could see the rotation.
Small Forward
- Max Klesmit
- A.J. Storr
This is such a tough decision to make for Greg Gard. Klesmit is the unquestioned leader of this team and is a very good defender. He plays the game similar to what Josh Gasser use to play. However, Klesmit is a smaller small forward at only 6’4. Klesmit can also be the primary ball handler if Chucky Hepburn is in the bench.
I love A.J. Storr’s game. He is the closest player to what Johnny Davis was a few seasons ago. At 6’7, Storr attacks the rim with physicality and finishes very well. He can also get hot as a scorer as well.
Both players will play a ton and are two of the six best players on this roster. Right now, I give the edge to Klesmit, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Storr takes the starting spot during the season. It’s a nice problem to have for Wisconsin basketball.
Power Forward
- Tyler Wahl
- Gus Yalden
- Markus Ilver
I think it was the right decision for Tyler Wahl to return for his fifth year. After an injury in early January, Wahl struggled the rest of the season and was not the same. Early in the season, he was playing like an all-conference player. He is exactly what this team needs this season.
I really like Gus Yalden and he will play the Tyler Wahl role next season. He is a great passer and more than capable shooter. It’s hard to see how many minutes Yalden plays, but there is a spot in the Wisconsin basketball rotation for him. He just another good player in this freshman class.
Center
- Steven Crowl
- Nolan Winter
- Carter Gilmore
- Chris Hodges
It’s great news for Wisconsin basketball when we found out Steven Crowl would return next season as well. Crowl is now in this third year as a starter and is getting better as a rim protector. He leads a pretty deep position group.
Greg Gard tells me that Wisconsin freshman Nolan Winter is firmly cemented in the Badgers’ rotation.
Gard on the 6-11 Winter: “He’s in my top eight right now and maybe top seven.” https://t.co/BZgtfzz6Xw
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 25, 2023
No one has had a better start to the season than freshman Nolan Winter. He was Wisconsin’s highest ranked player in the freshman class. I thought Winter would be a good redshirt candidate, but Greg Gard recently mentioned Winter is solidly in the rotation now. He is a similar player to Crowl, but gets the ball out much faster and is a good shooter for 6’11. I see a lot of Nate Reuvers in Nolan Winter.
With the emergence of Winter, I am not sure what this means for Carter Gilmore. Gilmore served as the backup center last year. He is a little under-sized, but plays hard on the defensive side. He doesn’t have much of an offensive presence, but brings a lot of experience back. Either he takes minutes away from Gus Yalden and plays more of the four, or he potentially plays a last whistle before the media timeout kind of player,
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