Connect with us

Basketball

How Can Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Right the Ship?

Published

2 months ago

on

Wisconsin Men's Basketball Team Forward Tyler Wahl
Jan 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Tyler Wahl (5) reacts to a foul call during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball program (13-8, 5-6 Big Ten) are in a rut. The Badgers have lost six of their last eight games and are in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in 24 years. 

Perhaps the most troubling part is that UW hasn’t played with the same passion, grit, and cohesion we’ve seen that helped the Badgers overcome talent gaps in the past. 

With the Big Ten season halfway through, here are a few areas Wisconsin men’s basketball can clean things up to right the ship.

Get Tyler Wahl Back on Track 

Honestly, I don’t see a route for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team to figure out things on offense—scoring will continue to be challenging. But UW can be markedly better/more efficient if they figure out how to get Tyler Wahl back on track. 

Wahl’s regression in the low post has been a real head-scratcher, to say the least. 

According to Synergy, Wahl averaged 0.992 points per possession on post-touches last season – placing him in the 80th percentile among all division one players. He was one of the best low-post scoring options in the Power 5 from an efficiency standpoint. 

The Minnesota natives shooting splits went from an impressive 51.6% from the field and 57% on two-point baskets last season to an underwhelming 41% and 43.4% in 2022-23.

Some of Wahl’s struggles could be explained by his ankle injury, increased role in the Wisconsin men’s basketball program, and being the top player on the scouting report. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward has also seen a substantial uptick in usage — going from 20.7 USG% to a team-high 29.6% this season. 

Potential Solutions

But on the other hand, Wahl simply needs to be better and stop forcing the issue. Greg Gard needs him to play within the framework of the offense, improve his shot selection, and take a back seat to his teammates if he doesn’t have a great matchup that night. 

“You don’t have to force things when we don’t get exactly what we want,” UW head coach Greg Gard said. “The post is – as you’ve heard me call it so many times – a playmaking position. That doesn’t mean you have to shoot it.”

His teammates must also move better without the ball on offense to allow him room to work in one-on-one situations.

Wahl is the best and most versatile defender in the Wisconsin men’s basketball program, and nobody is disputing that. But if the offense is going to find its way, UW will need more from its senior forward. 

Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Must Stay Together + Lock In Defensively

Like it or not, the best way for the Wisconsin men’s basketball program to start winning close games has more to do with defense than offense. 

Before Tyler Wahl’s injury, the Badgers defense held opponents to 61.2 points per game. Since then, UW has allowed 66.3 points per game on a much higher field goal percentage. 

If Wisconsin men’s basketball is going to turn their season around and make a push for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the toughness and grit we’ve seen this group play with needs to become consistent again. 

“I think the No. 1 thing is you got to get back to being who you are,” Gard said after a recent loss. “That was a conversation we’ve had with these guys; we talked about where have we strayed from who we are. You can’t fix everything, but the number one thing … was what we were not doing defensively.”

Even though the rotation is tight, UW has to ride its horses and play with a sense of urgency every night — knowing the outcome of a close game could be the difference between them going dancing or making the NIT.

Get to the Charity Stripe

It was Bo Ryan’s golden rule that Wisconsin men’s basketball needed to make more free throws than their opponents attempted. 

And although UW is a low-possession team, that hasn’t been the reality for the Badgers this season. UW has shot fewer free throws than its opponents – and they’ve also made less. Not exactly a recipe for success. 

Wisconsin is No. 348 in the country in free throw attempts and No. 13 in the Big Ten in both FT attempts and makes. And if the low number of trips to the FT line wasn’t enough — the Badgers are ranked No. 12 in the Big Ten in free throw percentage as well (65.8%).

The offense as a whole isn’t going to be fixed with one wave of a magic wand, instead, it will come from cleaning up areas on the margins. More attempts from the charity stripe would go a LONG way in helping this offense — especially in close games. 

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

Related Topics:
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting Roundup: Frontcourt Transfer Portal Targets

Published

12 hours ago

on

March 25, 2023

By

Wisconsin Basketball
Oct 12, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, US; Wisconsin Badgers men's head coach Greg Gard speaks to the media during the Big Ten Basketball Media Days at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program have been active in the early stages of the offseason, reaching out to numerous transfer options, particularly in the frontcourt.

Wisconsin had a severe lack of depth among post options in 2022-23 following the departures of Chris Vogt (graduation) and Ben Carlson + Matthew Mors (transfers).

Unable to land a viable option in the portal last offseason, the Badgers were forced to make do with former walk-on Carter Gilmore as its top forward off the bench and unproven options like Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges to fill in whenever necessary.

Senior forward Tyler Wahl has yet to decide if he’ll exercise his COVID year and return for a fifth season in Madison (I think he will), which could leave the cupboards awfully thin if he chooses to pursue a pro career.

With the roster lacking any proven options behind him, there is a significant need to bring in at least one experienced frontcourt option that can immediately slot into minutes for the Wisconsin basketball program.

Here is an early list of some notable players Wisconsin has contacted this offseason.

Payton Sparks (6-foot-9 forward; Ball State)

National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Dushawn London from 247Sports, reported that Wisconsin was one of the teams that inquired about Ball State center Payton Sparks, who recently entered the transfer portal. 

Notre Dame, Arkansas, Florida, Butler, Ohio State, and others are involved. 

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center was an All-Mid-American Conference Second Team member this past season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 58% shooting from the field. 

Sparks started all 31 games he appeared in for the Cardinals this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

John Hugley (6-foot-9 forward; Pittsburgh)

Perhaps the most notable frontcourt target of the Wisconsin basketball program, Pittsburgh transfer forward John Hugley, who Joe Tipton of On3Sports reported the Badgers expressed interest in. 

UW, Michigan, Oregon, Miami, Rutgers, Xavier, Arkansas, LSU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Maryland, Nebraska, Butler, Georgia, and several others are also involved.

The 6-foot-9, 265-pound forward played eight games this past season before deciding to sit out the remainder of the season to focus on his mental health. 

In 2021-22 however, he led the Panthers in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game and 7.9 rebounds on 47.1% shooting en route to All-ACC honorable mention honors.

Hugley has up to three years of eligibility remaining.

Dame Adelekun (6-foot-8 forward; Dartmouth)

The first frontcourt player Wisconsin basketball reached out to was Dartmouth forward Dame Adelekun, according to a report from Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers. 

Arkansas, Ohio State, Wichita State, Boise State, Clemson, Arkansas, Seton Hall, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, Loyola Chicago, and several others are also in the mix. 

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals on 56.3% shooting from the field this past season. 

Adelekun has up to two years of eligibility remaining. 

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to Locked on Badgers on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the only daily Wisconsin Badgers podcast on the internet.

Continue Reading

Basketball

Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Connected to Ball State Transfer

Published

4 days ago

on

March 22, 2023

By

Wisconsin Men's Basketball target Payton Sparks.
Ball State men's basketball sophomore center Payton Sparks smirks after turning over the ball during a game against Indiana University South Bend at Worthen Arena Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Ball State won 86-72

Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball coaching staff have recently checked in on a MAC big man that entered the transfer portal. 

Earlier this week, National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Dushawn London from 247Sports, reported that Wisconsin was one of the teams that inquired about Ball State center Payton Sparks.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play at the highest level of college basketball,” Sparks said in the Twitter post. “With that being said, I feel like it’s in my best interest to chase my dream and enter the transfer portal. There will always be a place in my heart that is Ball State!”

Along with UW, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Utah, Oklahoma, Seton Hall, Dayton, Arkansas, Iowa State, Loyola Chicago, Florida, Butler, LSU, Georgetown, Ohio State, and several other schools expressed interest in Sparks. 

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center was an All-Mid-American Conference Second Team member this past season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 58% shooting from the field. 

Sparks started all 31 games he appeared in for the Cardinals this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Why Payton Sparks Makes Sense for Wisconsin Men’s Basketball 

Dating back to the last offseason, Wisconsin men’s basketball had a clear need in its frontcourt following the departures of Chris Vogt (graduation) and Ben Carlson + Matthew Mors (transfer). 

However, UW never found a good fit in the portal and instead relied on former walk-on Carter Gilmore as his backup “big man” and unproven options like Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges. 

Coach Gard has already made it abundantly clear that he knows what his team needs and intends to fix this glaring hole going into 2023-24. 

I expect the Badgers to be heavy players in the portal as they pursue options to improve their front-court. 

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to Locked on Badgers on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the only daily Wisconsin Badgers podcast on the internet.

Continue Reading

Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball in Contact with 2023 Recruit, New Transfer Target, More

Published

5 days ago

on

March 21, 2023

By

Wisconsin Basketball
Dec 14, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders fly the banners across the court before the game with the Green Bay Phoenix at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin defeated Green Bay 73-59. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a busy week for the Wisconsin basketball program, ladies and gents, but fear not because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Continuing to Keep Tabs on 2023 Forward  

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball program might be open to a late addition in the 2023 recruiting class.

After de-committing from Notre Dame in late January, top 150 prospect Brady Dunlap is back on the market, and Wisconsin is one of the schools that expressed interest in the sharpshooting forward, along with Villanova, Seton Hall, Oregon, UCLA, TCU, Saint Mary’s, and Butler. 

Arguably the top unsigned prospect in his class, Dunlap is the No. 147 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and the No. 22 player in California, according to the 247Sports composite.

Although the Badgers would seem to have no available scholarships, already holding commitments from four-star big man Gus Yalden and three-star prospects Nolan Winter and John Blackwell, a source indicated that Wisconsin has been enamored with Dunlap for quite some time and felt the need to kick the tires. 

With plenty of roster changes expected to occur once the season concludes, it’ll be interesting to see if UW tries to make a real run at a talented late addition to its class. 

Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Showing Interest in AAC Transfer Guard 

Speaking of players that Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball coaching staff have been in contact with, add a high-scoring combo guard from the AAC into the mix. 

Last week, Joe Tipton of On3Sports reported that Wisconsin was among the teams that expressed interest in Temlple transfer guard Khalif Battle. 

Along with UW, there is plenty of suitors for Battle because Villanova, Arkansas, Arizona, Ohio State, Memphis, Florida, USC, UCLA, and several other schools have also reached out. 

The 6-foot-5, 175-pound guard appeared in 27 games, starting eight, and led the Owls in scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game and 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals on 41% shooting from the field. 

The former four-star recruit has up to two years of eligibility remaining.

Other Wisconsin Basketball News

Well, it finally happened; St. Thomas leading-scorer, freshman guard Andrew Rohde has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. 

The Milwaukee native averaged 17.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this season en route to becoming the Summit League Freshman of the Year. 

There were rumblings throughout the season that Greg Gard and company would make Rohde a high priority if he became available — and now that he is, Wisconsin will undoubtedly make a serious play for his services.

Rohde would fill an immediate long/short-term need within the Wisconsin basketball program as a wing with the ideal size to play the “3” that can score the rock and has three years of eligibility remaining.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to Locked on Badgers on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the only daily Wisconsin Badgers podcast on the internet.

Continue Reading

Trending