Wisconsin Basketball: Free-Throw Emphasis, Lineup Combinations, More

MADISON, Wis. – With the Badgers season-opening exhibition against UW-Stevens Point on the horizon, Greg Gard met with the media to discuss the Wisconsin basketball team’s preparations for the upcoming season.

One area that Coach Gard made it abundantly clear the Badgers are determined to improve this season will be at the charity stripe. In fact, he envisions it being a vital component of their game this season.

“Getting there is probably priority No. 1,” Gard emphasized, and it’s a goal that holds great importance.

Last season, Wisconsin basketball finished 13th in the Big Ten in free-throw attempts in league games. The Badgers attempted only 261 free throws in conference play (13.1 per game) and 501 in total (14.3 per game). Gard’s target for this season is 25 attempts per game — something he noted happened in the secret scrimmage vs. Northern Iowa.

Gard elaborated on achieving this goal, saying, “There’s different ways to do that. It’s not just throwing it inside. It’s driving it and playing more aggressively in transition. Getting there is priority No. 1, and then we’ve got to finish the deal.”

In theory, Wisconsin should be a decent free-throw shooting team. However, they ranked 12th in the Big Ten for free-throw percentage in Big Ten play (64.8%) and 11th in all games (69.1%). Only time will tell if the Badgers can take this weakness and turn it into a strength. 

Wisconsin Basketball Still Exploring Lineup Combinations 

With the season fast approaching, Greg Gard is still assessing various lineup combinations and evaluating the Wisconsin basketball program’s overall depth. 

It’s no secret that Chucky Hepburn, Max Klesmit, Connor Essegian, Tyler Wahl, Steven Crowl, and AJ Storr will play significant roles this season. 

But the real question is, who else fills out the rotation behind them? 

We learned last week that true freshman forward Nolan Winter has secured a spot in the rotation, which is noteworthy. His athleticism, length, and perimeter shooting should provide a nice boost to the Badgers frontcourt this season. 

Additionally, Carter Gilmore should also be entrenched in the Wisconsin basketball team’s rotation. He put on a considerable amount of good weight and, by all accounts, has improved his jumper during the offseason. If he can provide any amount of offense to help complement his strengths as a defender, Gilmore could be a nice bench piece. 

A few other candidates who will likely get a look and have a chance to contribute for the Badgers are true freshman combo guard John Blackwell and junior Kamari McGee. Both bring upside as defenders and can provide minutes in the backcourt when Hepburn needs a breather. 

Greg Gard is still in the process of finalizing the rotations, with many players still vying for minutes. Still, Wednesday’s exhibition will allow the coaching staff to observe how certain players respond to adversity & perform when the lights go on.

Markus Ilver Making a Case for Playing Time 

In addition, Greg Gard mentioned that junior forward Markus Ilver has put himself in a position where he might receive more playing time this year. 

Although he has played sparingly in his first two seasons for the Wisconsin basketball team, Ilver’s strong performance in practice has positioned him as a legit contender for increased minutes.

Gard stated, “Markus Ilver has had a good camp. He has become much more consistent. He is one that I’ve got to take a serious look at.”

Ilver could provide the Badgers a scoring punch off the bench as another frontcourt option that can stretch the floor. Ultimately, it will all come down to his ability to rebound and defend opposing bigs — but this is one worth paying close attention to. 

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