Wisconsin Basketball Forward Markus Ilver Forced His Way Into the Rotation

Wisconsin basketball junior Markus Ilver took the road less traveled this offseason, and it’s starting to pay off for the Badgers forward. 

Rather than enter the transfer portal in pursuit of expanded opportunity, Ilver had an honest discussion with head coach Greg Gard. The stretch forward from Estonia loved Madison and felt it was the best place to develop his game — but Ilver also wanted to earn playing time. 

“We had a discussion last spring; he [Ilver] loved the place, but he wanted to play,” Gard told reporters. “I said, hey, you’re trending in the right direction; keep working. It’s up to you. 

“He wanted to stay. He said I love everything about this place. I just gotta get myself where I can play more, and he’s trending in the right direction.” 

Markus Ilver Offers Some Upside in the Wisconsin Basketball Rotation

Nov 27, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Markus Ilver (35) rebounds the ball during the second half against the Western Illinois Leathernecks at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports

Markus Ilver’s decision to remain with the Wisconsin basketball program in the offseason is starting to yield results. 

The 6-foot-9 forward has appeared in 19 games this season, eclipsing the amount of contests he played in a year ago (18). Thus far, Ilver is averaging 1.0 points and 1.3 rebounds on 35.7% shooting from beyond the arc. 

Since the Badgers played Penn State on January 16, where Ilver chipped in three points, five rebounds, an assist, and a block in five minutes, his role has expanded. Ilver has played in all seven games since, playing 5+ minutes in five of those seven games and each of the last four. 

In the most recent game against Maryland, Ilver was the Wisconsin basketball team’s first frontcourt player off the bench instead of junior forward Carter Gilmore, who registered a DNP coach’s decision, potentially signaling a more permanent change in Gard’s rotation.  

“He’s really smart, he picks things up quick, and he’s getting more physical,” Gard said. “I give him a huge amount of credit for staying with it; he’s a great teammate. Whatever role there is… if he’s on the scout team, he never misses a shot on the scout team.”

Those comments affirm what Coach Gard has routinely said throughout the season: he wants to find more minutes for Ilver because of the work he’s put in during practice—and it’s easy to understand why. 

Ilver gives this Wisconsin Badgers team more potential firepower off the bench as a stretch four who can put the ball in the basket and promote better spacing because he can keep opposing defenses honest. 

.@MarkusIlver knocks it down from the corner!

Stream on @BigTenPlus pic.twitter.com/D4nbiGwaJa

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) November 7, 2023

Final Thoughts 

The growth and development of Markus Ilver has been noteworthy for this Wisconsin basketball team and could potentially pay dividends.

As far as advanced metrics go, Ilver has improved in a lot of meaningful categories for the Badgers, spanning from a jump in ORTG (103.1) from 85.8 a year ago to EFG% (52.8) from 36.5, major jumps in offensive and defensive rebounding percentage and a positive PRPG (0.2), per T-Rank.

All of that while improving defensively and lowering his usage, which I think helps signal Ilver is beginning to play within the flow of the Wisconsin basketball offense rather than constantly hunting his shot.

Ilver taking Carter Gilmore’s minutes is a positive sign. It’s not to say Gilmore hasn’t been useful in his role because he has. Still, there’s no denying that Ilver has a considerably higher upside due to his athleticism and could offer more offense for the Badgers off the bench.

“I like Marcus a lot,” Gard said. “I really appreciate his commitment to our program, and he’s going to help us. The rest of this year and going forward.”

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