Wisconsin MBB: Big Steve Emerging, Essegian Starting, More
It's been a busy week for the Wisconsin men's 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 Has an Alpha, and His Name is Steve
The Wisconsin men's basketball program has stumbled to a (12-5, 4-3 Big Ten) record behind a balanced offensive attack. However, Steven Crowl and his newfound confidence have given the Badgers a potential go-to player in close games.
Over his last seven games, Big Steve has averaged 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 54% shooting from the field.
I've always felt as though Crowl had an immensely higher ceiling than people gave him credit for--the only things holding him back were his weight and confidence. Maybe it's just me, but I sure as hell don't feel like either of those things is an issue anymore.
Wisconsin men's basketball is at its best when consciously getting the ball to Crowl on the low block. Give it time, but this man could become a star in the Big Ten before his career ends.
The Badgers Go With a Different Starting 5
On Tuesday, the Wisconsin men's basketball team welcomed Tyler Wahl back into the starting lineup. But this time, it looked a little different.
True freshman Connor Essegian, who quite frankly has been a revelation off the bench, entered Greg Gard's starting lineup and, if I were a better man, will never leave until his career in Madison is over.
The Indiana native is averaging 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists on a blistering 45.6% from beyond the arc.
According to Barttorvik.com, the 6-foot-4 wing leads the team with a 114.0 ORTG, a 62.5% true shooting percentage, and has the highest BPM among rotation regulars. So, the move makes sense no matter which way you slice it.
Although who starts the game is more of a formality, Essegian has undoubtedly earned the opportunity and is a foundational piece of the program moving forward.
It'll be interesting to see how Jordan Davis handles the transition to a reserve role. Because I'd argue there might be more shots available to him off the pine.