Wisconsin Basketball Guard Makes Final Call on Future With the Badgers

I’ll be the first to admit that when Wisconsin basketball shooting guard Connor Esseigan posted an Instagram video about being excited to sign a new apartment lease with oLive in Madison, I thought he was just making good on a NIL deal.

Turns out, I was wrong.

Benjamin Worgull of Badgerblitz.com reported that Essegian “has no interest in putting his name in the transfer portal, saying his loyalty to the Badgers’ program outweighs anything else he might find on the open market and that he’ll return next season.”

This news is a surprise, given that the Badgers are expected to return their top four backcourt players, Chucky Hepburn, Max Klesmit, John Blackwell, and Kamari McGee, next season. Wisconsin will also welcome four-star point guard Daniel Freitag into the mix in 2024.

Connor Essegian Announces Return to the Wisconsin Basketball Program 

Mar 2, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Connor Essegian (3) gestures after scoring a three-point goal during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s take an honest look at the situation here. Essegian’s decision to come back shows tremendous maturity and commitment to the Wisconsin basketball program, especially given how this season has panned out.

Essegian, an Indiana native, would have had no shortage of suitors in the transfer portal. Many programs would have been eager to land the sharpshooting version of Essegian, who started 19 games for the Badgers as a freshman, averaged 11.9 points across 35 appearances, and connected on 35.9% of his 3-point attempts.

A back injury suffered in the Wisconsin basketball team’s season opener caused a substantial setback for the former All-Big Ten Freshman pick. Essegian went from playing 27 minutes a night last season to having a short leash with head coach Greg Gard in a limited role.

Essegian’s defensive shortcomings are glaring, and while they might be more tolerable if he were draining shots at the clip he showcased during his freshman season, unfortunately, that’s not been the case.

One can’t help but sympathize with Essegian’s predicament as he struggles to find his groove. However, some of the responsibility rests on his shoulders. There are myriad ways to contribute on the court beyond scoring points.

Since February of 2023, Essegian’s shooting struggles have been evident. He has hit only 45 of his last 157 attempts from beyond the arc, translating to a mere 28%. This large sample size suggests that he might not be the sharpshooter many Wisconsin basketball fans initially believed him to be — although the potential is there.

Throughout the Badgers’ regular season, Essegian appeared in 31 games, maintaining an average of 3.1 points per game while shooting 37% from the field and 29% from beyond the arc. According to Barttorvik, his PRPG has dipped to 0.4, which is the fourth-lowest on the team.

None of this is to say the book on Essegian with the Wisconsin basketball program has been written — far from it. I’m still a big fan of his game and think the way he’s maintained a positive attitude and accepted Gard’s tough love has positioned him to become a better player.

“I think the most important thing is, he mentally has stayed in a really good place,” Gard said. “He hasn’t gotten into woe is me or feeling sorry for himself; he’s taken on the challenge of, I gotta get better, and here’s how I do that and how I need to do that, and staying positive with it.”

I’m still optimistic that Essegian will continue putting in the work and return next season with a clean slate, ready to contribute to the Badgers in some way, shape, or form. Kudos to him for sticking it out and choosing to put in the work at a place he loves — rather than bolting.

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