Nonsensical Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Ramblings for Sickos Vol. 1

As a lifelong, die-hard fan of the Wisconsin men’s basketball program, I often find myself consumed with thoughts about the Badgers hoops team and having no one willing to listen to them or nowhere to dispose of them.

So, I did what any delusional male would do and created a forum (for myself) to get these musings off my chest, and if anyone chooses to participate in some positive discourse afterward — even better.

Before I lose you (if you’ve even bothered to read to this point), let’s dive into volume one — where I share a few opinions that won’t flow together, but I feel strongly about enough to share with the other UW hoops sickos.

Let’s begin.

Gus Yalden will play immediately and make a major impact as a true freshman.

A few people were clamoring for Wisconsin basketball to add an experienced transfer portal big man this offseason — to no avail. 

Let me start by saying I get it. The backup five was Carter Gilmore last season, and that’s not good enough if the Badgers are going to be a serious contender in the Big Ten. 

But it’s not that big of a deal, and I’ll tell you why. Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl are back, leaving minimal opportunity to sell a player in the portal. Because of that, finding a Chris Vogt-level replacement option wasn’t likely to present itself (but UW looked anyway). 

The biggest reason I’m not worried is incoming four-star center Gus Yalden. He’s already a polished player on the court and has worked his ass off to get into better shape. 

At 6-foot-9, 240 pounds, Yalden brings an advanced skillset and fiery competitive spirit, joining a program known for its gritty style of play and development of inside-out big men. His fit systematically should be seamless — and he’s more than capable of slotting into 10 minutes a night as the Badgers seventh man. 

The Appleton native plays below the rim but offers a blend of physicality, touch, and vision as a passer, plus Yalden can give you buckets on the low block. Wisconsin basketball didn’t feel pressured to add a veteran center because the program had two players in the 2023 recruiting cycle, offering an immediate upgrade over last season’s options. 

I firmly believe the GusBus will be a rock-solid option off the bench this season and use the experience he gains this year as a springboard into the starting lineup the following season. 

AJ Storr Will Be the Difference for Wisconsin Basketball in 2023-24

Greg Gard made a major addition in the transfer portal this offseason for Wisconsin basketball that I don’t feel is getting the attention it deserves. 

AJ Storr joined the Badgers after a standout season with St. Johns. The Rockford, Illinois native made the Big East All-Freshman team after averaging 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists on an impressive 40.4% shooting from beyond the arc in just over 21 minutes per game for the Red Storm. 

At 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, Storr provides everything Wisconsin desperately missed after losing Johnny Davis to the NBA after his sophomore year. He gives Wisconsin a true “3” with plus length defensively that can slash/finish around the basket + create for himself, and get out and run in transition.

Wisconsin was on the cusp of the NCAA Tournament last season despite never truly having an identity. UW lost Jordan Davis to the transfer portal this offseason, essentially swapping him out for Storr (a former top 100 recruit in 2022) on top of a nice recruiting haul. 

This team will be much better, and Storr is a big reason why. He provides them with an elite-level athlete that can play above the rim, get out and run, plus shoot the lights out beyond the arc. 

AJ Storr has the highest ceiling of any player in the Wisconsin basketball program and has three seasons of eligibility remaining. I’m fucking stoked. 

Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting Efforts—HS and Transfer Portal Have Improved

Admittedly, I have less issue with Greg Gard’s recruiting efforts for the Wisconsin basketball program than most. There’s a lot more that goes into recruiting than just rankings. You must account for fit, playing style, personality types, and more than anything — they have to want to play for you too.

However, there is plenty of room to grow here — my long-time readers know I don’t think Gard has cast a wide enough net and has been too patient waiting on his plan A recruits — only to be left scrambling at times.

But after missing the NCAA Tournament last season, the talks of Gard’s seat getting warmer heated up, and this offseason was considered a big one for the program.

Since then, he’s landed AJ Storr in the transfer portal, as previously mentioned — which can’t be understated. His skill set fits what the team needed last season 10x more than anything a backup big man would have provided Wisconsin basketball.

Additionally, Wisconsin landed their highest-rated point guard recruit in school history, four-star Daniel Freitag, out of Bloomington, Minnesota. This addition was a massive recruiting win for the Badgers, arguably their biggest of the Greg Gard era.

There is still plenty of time left, but UW is also in a good spot for five-star shooting guard Kon Knueppel and four-star power forward Jackson McAndrew. If Wisconsin lands even one of them, this would instantly become one of the best recruiting classes in school history. If he lands both…well, let’s just wait and see what happens, but I think you get my point.

He needed to improve recruiting efforts and provide the Wisconsin basketball program with an influx of talent — and you’d be hard-pressed to find me someone upset about this offseason without getting nit-picky.

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