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Wisconsin Basketball: It’s Time for Chucky Hepburn to Be a Scorer

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5 months ago

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Chucky Hepburn

We’ve seen plenty of scoring flashes from Chucky Hepburn. A big game here, a big game there. But that likely won’t cut it come March for the Wisconsin basketball program.

It’s tough to say that, as I do truly enjoy the 6’2″ guards’ game. But all allegiances aside, for Wisconsin Basketball to make a legitimate Big Ten title run and have a shot at advancing deep in March, Hepburn needs to take over.

He needs to be more selfish, shoot the three a lot more, attack the hoop more frequently, and hesitate less. However, these are all things that an unselfish Wisconsin Basketball player like Hepburn is unlikely to do anytime soon, nor will Coach Greg Gard allow it.

I get it. The Wisconsin way preaches ball movement, hustle, long possessions, and easy baskets — all things that have helped UW to a 3-1 Big 10 start. But this Badger team is not a group with a ton of depth or scoring prowess. Well, outside of Chucky Hepburns that is.

The sophomore point guard currently is averaging 12.2 points, 3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Solid stats from a player in a low-scoring, methodical UW offense. But Hepburn has the potential to provide a lot more.

 

What’s Behind Hepburn’s Offensive Success?

The only stat I highlighted prior to writing this article was Hepburn’s three-point percentage. 50.9%. That’s good for second in the Big Ten behind Minnesota’s Ta’lon Cooper. I had to double-take. He really is making over half of his attempted three-pointers. An average of 2.2 made on 4.2 attempts per game.

Against Maryland, the Nebraska native attempted four three-pointers. Against Iowa, he took just three, and vs. Lehigh, he failed to attempt one. I should also note that Hepburn has a true field goal percentage of 40.2. This brings me to my burning question, if Hepburn continues to shoot it at such a high clip, will coach Greg Gard give the star point guard a little more freedom in the offense?

Looking at the track record of Wisconsin Basketball during the Gard era, the answer is likely no. Other than Johnny Davis, who averaged 19.7 points per game last season — a lot of which came at the hoop and at the free throw line — no other UW star has had much offensive freedom.

I understand staying within the offense and getting scoring from guys like Tyler Wahl and Connor Essegian — slowing down the game has worked well so far this year. But this style of basketball with such streaky shooters and limited depth is worrisome come March. The perfect example of this was the road loss against Illinois. While the defense had mishaps, the offense struggled mightily with Tyler Wahl out.

This is truly something to keep an eye on as the Wisconsin basketball team heads deeper into Big Ten play. Can Hepburn take over the scoring load, allowing Wahl and Essegian to be true role players? Greg Gard could potentially strike gold if it comes to fruition.

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 basketball news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Jake Maier on Twitter. @ttetz5.

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Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball Lands Blue Chip Point Guard, Knueppel Update, More

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4 days ago

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June 3, 2023

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Wisconsin Badgers Basketbal 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. Pewaukee

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 news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Stay Patient, Land Top 10 2024 Point Guard 

On Friday, Greg Gard got arguably the biggest recruiting win of his coaching tenure when he received a verbal commitment from 2024 four-star point guard Daniel Freitag out of Bloomington, Minnesota.

Per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings, Freitag is the No. 71 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 9 PG in the country.

Not only is Freitag the fifth-highest-rated recruiting in school history, but he’s also the top-rated backcourt player the Badgers have ever landed. The Minnesota native, who held division one offers in basketball and football, chose Wisconsin over a final five, including Minnesota, Baylor, Notre Dame, and Virginia.

Wisconsin basketball was the first program to offer Freitag and never let off in their pursuit. Coach Gard made him a priority, never offering another player at the position despite recruiting Freitag for two years. In the end, his relationship with the top 10 point guard won out.

“The Wisconsin staff has always been great to me; Coach Gard and I are very close,” Freitag told BadgerNotes. “I am also very close to Coach Krabbenhoft and the other UW assistants.”

Wisconsin Basketball Receiving Visit From Top Remaining Target in 2024

According to a report from Mark Miller, Phenom University standout and top 40 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, Kon Knueppel, plans to visit Madison on June 21. 

Per the 247Sports Composite rankings, he is the No. 32 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 11 SF in the country.

The four-star wing has been on a tear this summer, averaging 22.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, shooting 50% from the field and 46.7% from beyond the arc. He will also take an unofficial to Marquette and official visits to Louisville and Ohio State. 

Knueppel, a 6-foot-6 marksman from in-state, currently holds offers from Notre Dame, Stanford, Marquette, Virginia, Miami, and several other Power 5 programs.

A trusted source to BadgerNotes has shared that Wisconsin basketball is very much in the mix for his services and is considered to be in Knueppel’s “top 2” at the moment. “I’m very interested,” Knueppel told 247Sports. The hometown aspect is a big appeal. But it’s also been a very successful program for quite a long time. 

If the Badgers could add him to their 2024 recruiting haul, Greg Gard would have a chance to finish with the best class in program history. 

Other Wisconsin Basketball News

Speaking of the 2024 Wisconsin basketball recruiting class, Badgers commit Jack Robison out of Lakeville North HS has put together an impressive summer of his own playing for Howard Pulley in the EYBL. 

The 6-foot-6, top-150 recruit went off during session 4 in Memphis, averaging 22.5 points per game. Per 247Sports, he’s considered the No. 142 player in the country and the No. 3 player in Minnesota. 

Robison is a lanky, gritty wing that can really shoot it from beyond the arc and has the positional versatility as a defender to guard two through-small-ball four that Greg Gard and his staff covet. 

Robison is your prototypical hard-nosed Wisconsin basketball player that is intriguing in his own right and was a nice complimentary pickup by the coaching staff early in the 2024 cycle.

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.

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Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball: Top 2024 In-State Target Taking Second Visit

Published

4 days ago

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June 3, 2023

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Wisconsin Basketball head coach Greg Gard

Madison, Wis. –The Wisconsin basketball staff is expected to host one of the top in-state recruits in the coming days following his impressive Spring season.

Kon Knueppel, a rising Junior at Wisconsin Lutheran, is a 2024 four-star recruit. Knueppel is the top prospect in the state of Wisconsin for the 2024 basketball recruiting class. The small forward also ranks as the No. 11 player at his position and the No. 32 recruit overall in the class.

Knueppel is arguably the best shooter in the class and has recently included the Badgers on his list of unofficial visits.

Wisconsin Badgers Heat-Up Race For Kon Knueppel

The talented small forward Kon Knueppel is by far the best recruit that Wisconsin has tied themselves to in the 2024 recruiting class. The forward is an incredible shooter with a particular interest in shooting long range shots. Knueppel can pull-up from anywhere on the court and threaten the defense with his ability to score. This past season for Wisconsin Lutheran, Knueppel developed into a truly strong shooter as he led his team.

Wisconsin basketball coach Greg Gard has been eager to make a splash in the recruiting world to help boost the Badgers team. Recently, Gard was successful at landing St. John’s transfer guard AJ Storr. However, he also lost fellow transfer Noah Reynolds to the portal before he officially joined the team. Gard has been heavily scrutinized since taking over as the Wisconsin basketball head coach due to his lack of success in the position. The Badgers have struggled under Gard, but perhaps with the right recruits Wisconsin can turn themselves around.

Now, after shaking up the 2024 recruiting class by landing four-star Daniel Freitag, Gard may continue to set his sights on top recruits. Knueppel is one of the highest rated recruits left on the board for the Badgers. With an upcoming visit at the end of June, Wisconsin expects to make a heavy push for the recruit. Thus far in the Spring EYBL sessions, Knueppel has dominated the competition and put his deep-range shooting on display. Knueppel has shot 47.9% from long range while averaging 28.2 points per game during the most recent session in Memphis. The recruit earned offensive Most Valuable Player honors during this past session.

Another Massive Commitment Could Pull Wisconsin Closer To Top Recruits

There is no doubt that just between Freitag and Storr, Gard has added plenty of future talent in a short period of time. The new additions to the program could also serve as building blocks for Gard as he continues to hunt down top recruits. For Kon Knueppel, coach Gard will certainly try to use the upcoming visit as a major recruiting pitch. New Badger Daniel Freitag cited the environment and experiences that Madison provided contributed to his commitment.

Perhaps the Wisconsin basketball staff will try the same pitch on Knueppel in hopes of adding another star-studded recruit.

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 Jarrett Guerrera on Twitter @JarrettGuerrera.

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Basketball

Twitter Reacts to Wisconsin Basketball Landing 4-Star Point Guard

Published

5 days ago

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June 2, 2023

By

Wisconsin Men's Basketball

Madison, Wis. – On Friday afternoon, the Wisconsin basketball program picked up one of its biggest recruiting wins under Greg Gard.

Four-star point guard Daniel Freitag took to Twitter to announce his commitment to Wisconsin.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Freitag is the No. 69 player in the nation, the No. 8 point guard, and the No. 1 player in California. The Badgers beat out Minnesota, Baylor, Virginia, and Notre Dame for the four-star prospect.

The Wisconsin basketball staff made Freitag a priority, as he was the only point guard offered in the 2024 cycle. The risk paid off, and now, the Badgers will have a dynamic floor general headed to Madison in 2024.

Incoming recruits and former players took to social media to celebrate the announcement. Here are some of the best reactions.

Twitter reacts to Wisconsin basketball landing Daniel Freitag

Current teammate and Wisconsin basketball commit Jack Robison congratulates Freitag

2023 Wisconsin basketball commit Nolan Winter chimes in

Wisconsin basketball legend Sam Dekker is pumped up

The Gus Bus welcomes Freitag to Madison

Tough day for the “Gard can’t recruit” crowd

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter. Additionally, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here. Also, like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. Lastly, follow Jake Maier on Twitter @JakeJMaier.

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