Wisconsin Basketball Has a Depth Problem, But It’s a Good One to Have

The Wisconsin basketball program is off to a strong start in the 2023-24 season, as the No. 21-ranked Badgers currently sit at 10-3 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play.

The Badgers took down Iowa on Tuesday 83-72, behind big nights from Tyler Wahl, Steven Crowl, and AJ Storr, plus some big contributions from the bench. 

The second unit has been a bright spot for UW through the first 13 games of the season, with players like John Blackwell, Carter Gilmore, and Kamari McGee carving out roles for themselves as sparkplugs off the bench. With even more talent behind those three vital bench contributors, the Badgers are loaded on the depth chart, but that results in some players who need some time on the court for development to not get those minutes.

Wisconsin Basketball Has a Depth Problem, but It’s a Good One to Have

On paper, Wisconsin has a fantastic depth chart. Outside of the starters, the Badgers have John Blackwell, Carter Gilmore, Kamari McGee, Nolan Winter, Connor Essegian, and Markus Ilver, all of whom have seen real playing time this season. That’s six players you can pick through, providing tons of flexibility for Greg Gard, who touched on Wisconsin’s depth following the win over Iowa.

“Our depth has obviously been talked about, and it’s helped us immensely already. I mean, I got two or three guys sitting on the bench that I didn’t get in the game that I wanted to. It’s a blessing and a curse to have this depth,” Gard said in postgame media availability. 

Connor Essegian was notably left out of the rotation against Iowa and checked in with just 21 seconds left. The sophomore has seen dwindling minutes this year, but he did have a season-high 18 minutes in the last matchup before the holiday break against Chicago State. Essegian suffered a back injury in the season opener that resulted in him seeing less time, plus some struggles on the defensive end made his minutes take a hit even more.

Gard touched on Essegian during his press conference.

“Connor has practiced much better, and I think he’s really trending in a good way.”

Markus Ilver did not check in on Tuesday, but he was one of the players Gard wanted to get out there. Isaac Lindsey, who seems to be on a good trajectory at the moment, was also mentioned.

“Markus Ilver has been practicing terrificly, and Isaac Lindsey has done a lot of good things. I told them (and Essegian) after the game this is not indicative of anything you have or haven’t done. I need the game to be longer. But they understand they’re here for the right reasons and want to be part of success.”

If you’re going to play basketball at Wisconsin, defense is the key. Essegian has notably struggled on the defensive end, and Ilver isn’t refined in that area just yet. Gard said that he “never felt completely comfortable” on the defensive end, which was a factor in his decision to keep the bench at four deep this time around.

Depth hasn’t always been a strong suit for Wisconsin. Think back to when Johnny Davis was in Madison. When he went to the bench, the Badgers had tons of struggles. This season, UW has five solid starters rather than one or two star players, and the way this team has blended together through the first stretch of the season has been a very encouraging sign for the future. 

It will be interesting to monitor which fringe rotation players will get some more time on the court as the season progresses. Wisconsin hopes that Connor Essegian can return to form, and some tangible development from Markus Ilver and Isaac Lindsey, specifically defensively, would also be great to see.

Regardless, Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers basketball program are in a great place with their depth chart, and it could be what takes them on a potential tournament run.

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