Connect with us

Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball: 2022 Decisions Holding 2023 Team Back

Published

8 months ago

on

Wisconsin Badgers Basketball

A pair of under-the-radar transfers and the loss of a young superstar to the NBA Draft is holding back the Wisconsin basketball program more than you may think.

Remember the names Ben Carlson and Lorne Bowman? The athletic forward and crafty point guard announced their transfer decisions to the University of Utah and Oakland University in April of 2022.

Carlson, who had shown promise as a freshman, before missing extended time due to injuries, couldn’t regain a significant role in 2022 and decided to transfer to the Utes. This season he is averaging 4.3 points per game in 18.7 minutes per game.

Bowman, who had become a solid bench scorer and ball handler during his freshman season, missed significant time due to family issues in 2022 and ultimately decided to transfer closer to home at Oakland. The 6-foot-1 guard has appeared in 10 games in 2023, averaging 3.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.

And then you have Johnny Davis, 2022 Big Ten Player of the Year and first-team All-American for the Wisconsin basketball team. Davis averaged 19.7 points per game last season, and while we all expected him to lead the Badgers, no one could have expected his draft stock to rise like it did.

Despite being drafted 10th overall to the Washington Wizards, Davis has struggled to stay up with the team and has instead spent his time in the G League. Looking back, you have to wonder if he wishes he would have stayed at Wisconsin for another season.

What Could Have Been For Wisconsin Basketball

Despite the lack of production for all three at their new homes in 2023, it’s hard not to think about what the program could have looked like with this additional depth.

Bowman could have filled the vacancy at backup point guard behind Chucky Hepburn. His ball-handling skills and ability to create off the dribble is something UW desperately misses now. To make matters worse, UWGB transfer Kamari McGee and former walk-on Isaac Lindsey have not filled the void here from an offensive or defensive standpoint.

Carlson being gone has also affected the program big time. The 6-foot-9 forward would have been huge defensively and offensively throughout Tyler Wahl’s injury absence. Without him, the Wisconsin basketball team has had to lean on the inexperienced Markus Ilver, a streaky shooter and defender, along with the offensively challenged Carter Gilmore.

And what else can you say about the loss of Johnny Davis? He was the heart and soul of the team in 2022, making his presence known as a scorer and defender. With him on the 2023 squad, he could have been a game-changer. The 6-foot-4 guard would have taken the scoring pressure off of Hepburn, Wahl, and Crowl — allowing Jordan Davis, transfer Max Klesmit, and guard Connor Essegian to play lesser roles off the bench.

Despite Struggles, 2023 Recruits A Silver Lining

Although at times the 2023 team has been fun to watch with the development of Crowl in the post and the playmaking of Essegian, ultimately the team is missing one too many pieces to be a threat in the Big Ten into March. But let’s not put this on Greg Gard, Badger fans. The 2022 Big Ten coach of the year did what he could this past offseason with the late departures of Davis, Bowman, and Carlson.

Looking for a reason to be optimistic about the program? Look no further than the strong 2023 recruiting class of John Blackwell, Gus Yalden, and Nolan Winter — all three and four-star recruits.

Yes, it’s been a tough stretch Badger fans, but let’s lay off coach Gard and the current roster and try to be positive the rest of the way as we watch the young team grow.

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 Trent Tetzlaff on Twitter @ttetz5.

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

Related Topics:

Basketball

Wisconsin Badgers Women’s Basketball 2023-24 Schedule Preview

Published

20 mins ago

on

September 24, 2023

By

Wisconsin Badgers Women's Basketball
Julie Pospisilova (5), Halle Douglass (10) and Maty Wilke (11) are among the Wisconsin players celebrating a basket during the team's victory over Bradley Wednesday Nov. 16, 2022 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. Uwwomen Bradley 2 Nov 16 2022

We are just over a month away from the 50th season of Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball! According to UW’s release about the new schedule, “the Badgers will highlight the program’s rich history and traditions” throughout the season. This is a cool opportunity for fans, both new and old, to learn about the program and the players that paved the way for this year’s team.

UW opens their 2023-2024 campaign with an exhibition game against UW-Whitewater on Oct. 29 at the Kohl Center. With the Big Ten announcing the conference schedule on Thursday, we now have a full slate of games to analyze. So, let’s get to it.

Wisconsin Women’s Basketball 2023-24 Schedule Preview

First up, a few key dates:

  • Tuesday, Nov. 7, season opener vs. Milwaukee
  • Friday, Nov. 24, Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off vs. Arkansas
  • Saturday, Nov. 25, Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off vs. Marquette/Boston College
  • Sunday, Dec. 10, Big Ten opener vs. Iowa
  • Sunday, March 3, final game of regular season vs. Michigan State
  • Wednesday, March 6, Big Ten Tournament starts in Minneapolis
  • Sunday, March 10, Big Ten Tournament final in Minneapolis

Wisconsin has 29 games on their schedule, including 18 Big Ten games, and will be looking to improve upon last season’s 11-20 (6-12 Big Ten) record that saw them win four of their last five regular season games, including an upset of No. 12 Michigan, and earn a bye in the Big Ten Tournament.

The Badgers have 15 games at the Kohl Center and 14 games away from home, which includes two down in Fort Myers at Thanksgiving. Wisconsin’s non-conference schedule is a bit more forgiving than last year’s slate, but there are still many challenges for a young, inexperienced team.

Based on last year’s Her Hoops Stats rankings, the Badgers should be favored to win their first two games of the season, before a tough home test against the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State. SDSU, who finished last season as the 14th best team in the nation per HHS, lost two starters from last year’s offensive juggernaut, but they will still pose a challenge to a leaky Wisconsin defense.

After playing Kansas State at Miller Park (I’ll NEVER call it AmFam Field) last season, the Badgers make the return trip to the Little Apple and play the Wildcats before heading off to sunny Florida for the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Arkansas and, most likely, Boston College await UW in the holiday tournament, but a potential matchup with in-state Marquette would be very fun.

UW rounds out their non-conference slate with various directional Illinois’ and a trip to St. Paul to play St. Thomas in a game I hope to attend. Wedged into the end of the non-conference schedule is the Big Ten opener against…ah shit, against national runner-up Iowa and Caitlin Clark. Not to sound glib, but keeping that one within 30 should actually count as a win for Wisconsin.

The Badgers play the Hawkeyes, Purdue, Northwestern, Minnesota, and Rutgers twice this season. As far as single plays, they travel to Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, and Maryland while getting Nebraska, Penn State, Indiana, and Michigan State at home.

All things considered, this is a pretty favorable schedule for Wisconsin. Of their home-and-home series’ the only one in which they’ll be heavy underdogs for both games is against Iowa. Their “road only” games all look like losses to me and, in an ideal world, they’ll split their “home only” games.

Per UW, single-game tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 9 a.m. (CT). The pre-sale for single-game tickets for donors and season ticket holders is set for Tuesday, Oct. 10. Student tickets are available through Area Red.

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 women’s basketball news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Drew Hamm on Twitter @DrewHamm5

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

*Subscribe to BadgerNotes After Dark on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the official Wisconsin Badgers podcast of the Big Banter Sports Network.

Continue Reading

Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball News: Badgers Miss on Blue-Chip Recruit, Scrimmage Announced, More

Published

21 hours ago

on

September 23, 2023

By

Wisconsin basketball; Badgers coach Greg Gard talks to Max Klesmit
Mar. 2, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Max Klesmit (11) talks with head coach Greg Gard during the second half of their game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a busy week for the Wisconsin basketball program, ladies and gents, but you’re in luck because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important Badgers hoops news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Basketball Misses on Five-Star In-State Recruit 

Five-star shooting guard Kon Knueppel, out of Milwaukee (WI), has been Greg Gard’s top target in the 2024 recruiting class for over two years. 

According to the industry-generated composite recruiting rankings, the 6-foot-6 sharpshooter is the No. 16 player in the country, the No. 7 SF, and the No. 1 recruit in America’s Dairyland. 

After taking official visits to Marquette, Alabama, Virginia, Duke, and UW earlier this month, the Badgers learned on Thursday that Knueppel was taking his talents to Durham and joining Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils. 

While the news is undoubtedly disappointing, Wisconsin basketball did everything they could in this recruitment — and even put together a “substantial” NIL package. 

As it stands, UW has the No. 22 ranked recruiting class in the country, holding verbal commitments from Daniel Freitag and Jack Robison in the 2024 cycle.

Wisconsin Badgers Announce Red-White Scrimmage Date 

On Thursday, the University of Wisconsin basketball program put out a press release announcing that the annual Red-White scrimmage will take place on Sunday, October 15, at 4 PM central time. 

Per usual, the Badgers scrimmage will be free, with seating awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. The gates will open at 2:30 PM for anyone wanting an up close and personal look at this year’s squad. 

Additionally, this will be the first Wisconsin men’s basketball event in which alcohol will be available for purchase — which is a massive win for Badgers fans. 

One last thing of note: the Red-White scrimmage takes place on a bye week for the Green Bay Packers, a savvy move by the athletic department. 

Other Wisconsin Basketball News

Although Wisconsin basketball is more than likely done in the 2024 cycle and moving on to the 2025 recruiting class, the Badgers coaches are still keeping tabs on top 150 big man Jaden Smith out of Chicago, Illinois.

According to the composite rankings, Smith is the No. 146 overall player in the 2024 recruiting cycle, the No. 26 C in the country, and the No. 5 player in Illinois.

As it stands, Smith holds offers from Georgia Tech, Arizona State, Dayton, Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, St. Louis, TCU, and others. However, Wisconsin Badgers assistant coach Dean Oliver has kept in contact with the 6-foot-11 big man and plans to attend an open gym later this fall to watch Smith again up close.

Smith isn’t your traditional Wisconsin basketball big man. He’s a rim-running shot blocker with above-average athleticism who can make plays above the rim.

His game is still a big raw, but there’s enough untapped potential to warrant maintaining contact in recruitment that is “wide open,” according to Smith. There’s also some mutual interest — so we’ll continue to monitor their relationship now that the Badgers have their answer on Kon Knuppel.

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.

Follow this link and use promo code: BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

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

*Subscribe to BadgerNotes After Dark on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the official Wisconsin Badgers podcast of the Big Banter Sports Network.

Continue Reading

Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball Fans React: Badgers Miss on 5-Star Recruit

Published

3 days ago

on

September 21, 2023

By

Wisconsin Basketball; Badgers recruiting target Kon Knueppel
Wisconsin Lutheran guard Kon Knueppel (33) handles the ball against Pewaukee guard Nick Janowski (25) on Tuesday January 3, 2023, at Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Badgers basketball program was in the thick of the recruiting battle for in-state prospect Kon Knueppel. The five-star prospect out of Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee) officially visited UW earlier this year. A sharpshooting wing and top-20 prospect in the nation, the leading scorer on Nike’s EYBL circuit was a highly coveted prospect. After official visits with the Badgers, Marquette, Alabama, Virginia, and Duke, he has made his decision.

Top Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting Target Commits to Duke

The 2024 recruit announced his commitment to the Duke Blue Devils on the website formerly known as Twitter. Wisconsin basketball fans used the same website to voice their opinions on his decision. Some took it in stride. Others, not so much.

Despite what you might think, some level-headed people are on the internet. Even people in college basketball fandom. I know, shocking, right?


At the end of the day, these are teenagers trying to make the best decisions for the future. It is important to remember that. Watching Wisconsin basketball fans take a commitment to another program in stride is always a welcome sight.

Wisconsin Basketball Fans Have Harsh Reaction to Recruit’s Decision

Not all fans took the high road this time. Some had to get some pretty negative feelings out there.


Getting my head checked aside, these last two are so odd to me. “I am not saying this 17-year-old I have never met before is dead to me, but I did want to say it.” Or do you prefer, “I want to say a lot of mean things, but do not fret! I am showing restraint at this time!” Who asked? At least they make for good content for me to riff on!

Wisconsin Basketball Fans Want Greg Gard Fired

Check your watch! What time do you have? Mine must be broken because it says it is once again time to fire Badgers head coach Greg Gard. The Wisconsin basketball head coach, who has won two of the last four Big Ten titles, simply cannot manage to do anything right.


Maybe this was a bad metaphor. A broken watch is still right twice a day, after all. Oh well, it stays in.

Wisconsin Sports Celebrities Comment On Kon Knueppel Committing to Duke

Okay, “celebrities” (multiple) may be pushing it. I mean no disrespect to the Don – the one real celebrity here. Scary Alvarez and Packers beat reporter Rob Demovsky added their thoughts on Knueppel’s commitment Thursday night.


Despite losing out on Knueppel, Wisconsin basketball still has a solid 2024 recruiting class. The group ranks 22nd nationally and fifth in the Big Ten according to the 247Sports Composite. It is comprised of two commits, Daniel Freitag and Jack Robison.

Wisconsin Football Fans React: Badgers Defeat Georgia Southern

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 Kedrick Stumbris on Twitter @KedrickStumbris.

Follow this link and use promo code: BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

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

*Subscribe to BadgerNotes After Dark on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the official Wisconsin Badgers podcast of the Big Banter Sports Network.

Continue Reading

Trending