Wisconsin Basketball Non-Conference Slate Offered Valuable Insights

Greg Gard and the No. 24-ranked University of Wisconsin basketball program exited a grueling non-conference slate, holding a 9-3 overall record, which includes a notable Big Ten Conference road win against Michigan State in East Lansing. 

Although the Badgers found themselves in a similar position heading into conference play a year ago and wound up missing the NCAA Tournament, there are several reasons to believe Coach Gard and company are among the league’s top contenders. 

The Wisconsin Badgers own four wins over programs rated in the Barttorvik top 60 teams. Conversely, two of their three losses have come against teams ranked inside the top 10 (Tennessee/Arizona). To their credit, their other loss (Providence) is rated inside the top 40. 

Before Wisconsin basketball resumes Big Ten play on January 2 against Iowa, here’s a closer look at what we’ve learned about the Badgers during its brutal non-conference schedule.

Aj Storr is the Wisconsin basketball team’s offensive focal point.

Johnny Davis threw the Wisconsin men’s basketball program’s development arc for a loop when he declared for the NBA Draft after his breakout sophomore season. 

Thankfully, Greg Gard found everything Wisconsin was missing from an athletic standpoint when he added AJ Storr from the transfer portal. 

It took some time for Storr to let the game come to him and start feeling comfortable in the Badgers’ offensive system, but the early results have been promising. According to Barttorvik, Storr leads the team in usage, commanding a 28.6% share of Wisconsin’s offensive possessions. 

That number is substantial when you consider the well-rounded nature of this team. Storr currently leads Wisconsin in scoring with 15 points per game and has reached double figures in 10 of the Badgers’ 12 games. 

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— Badgers Film Clips (@Badgers_Film) November 18, 2023

It’s worth noting that the Illinois native’s 3-point shooting has dropped from his freshman season at St. John’s, down to 31.7%, but his overall field goal percentage has improved (44.3%). 

He’s given the Wisconsin basketball team someone to manufacture touches for in the low post, a scorer who can get to the rim at will and get out in transition while also getting to the free-throw line. Storr’s addition cannot be understated—and his coach-ability has been impressive.

Steven Crowl has taken a big step forward. 

Junior center Steven Crowl has quietly emerged as an absolutely pivotal player for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. 

In addition to being second on the Badgers in scoring at 12.8 points per game, he’s also averaging career highs in rebounds per game (7.3) and field goal percentage (60.2%). Not to mention, Crowl has established himself on the offensive glass, making a substantial jump in OREB percentage from 5.2 to 13% this season. He’s averaging three offensive rebounds per game thus far, which doubles last year’s output. 

The 7-footer has also become a more consistent scoring presence. Crowl has scored in double figures in nine of Wisconsin’s 12 games. It’s also worth mentioning that Big Steve currently leads UW in PRPG (5.4), which is a healthy jump from his team-leading 2.9 a year ago. 

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— Badgers Film Clips (@Badgers_Film) November 22, 2023

Wisconsin basketball getting a more aggressive and efficient version of Crowl this season has paid dividends — and it feels like this isn’t getting the attention it deserves. 

Chucky Hepburn is the straw that stirs the Badgers’ drink. 

Chucky Hepburn has transitioned into a more facilitative role for the Badgers in his junior season, and it’s helped unlock the entire Wisconsin basketball offense as a result. 

Reducing his offensive burden has allowed him to push the pace and lean into his playmaking abilities, improving the play of everyone around him. Notably, Hepburn has seen his USG dip from 23.9% a year ago to 18.3, which is sixth on the team. All while improving his assist-to-turnover ratio. 

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— Badgers Film Clips (@Badgers_Film) November 7, 2023

I believe this is the role Greg Gard intended for Hepburn to play for the Wisconsin basketball program. However, personnel forced him and Tyler Wahl to focus more on scoring last season. 

The Badgers’ offense has improved tremendously this season, jumping from No. 131 in adjusted offensive efficiency a year ago all the way to No. 11, according to Barttorvik — and Hepburn is a big reason why. 

Wisconsin basketball still has concerns about its 3-point shooting.

Wisconsin basketball hasn’t taken the step forward as a three-point shooting team that many had hoped for this season. 

After shooting just 34.2% from beyond the arc a year ago, which was good for No. 164 in the country, the Badgers have dipped slightly to 32.9% on the season — placing them at No. 191. 

I’ll be honest: in most seasons, I’d be more concerned about Wisconsin not shooting well from three. But this year, I don’t see a reason to think it’ll make or break the Badgers, and I’ll tell you why. 

Obviously, having more balance in scoring distribution would be a good thing. But as previously mentioned, Wisconsin men’s basketball is currently the No. 11 rated team in adjusted offensive efficiency. That’s because they’ve been scoring in more sustainable ways that plagued them a season ago. 

First, UW has gone from finishing at a 46.3% clip on 2-point attempts, which was 320th in the country a season ago, to a far more respectable 52.3% — which places them at No. 111. Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl, and Steven Crowl have all improved in this category, and additions like AJ Storr and John Blackwell have only helped that number. 

Second, Wisconsin basketball is taking a lot more free throws this season. More importantly, they’re also making them. 

Last season, the Badgers took 14.3 attempts and made 9.9 free throws per game on average, connecting on just 69.1% of those attempts. They finished No. 286 in the country in that respect. 

Greg Gard made it abundantly clear Wisconsin needed to correct that this offseason. 

Fast forward to today, and they’re taking 20.3 shots from the charity stripe each night, making 15.6 of them on average while making them at an impressive 76.6% clip — good for No. 25 in the country. 

So yes, while Wisconsin basketball isn’t shooting the ball any better from beyond the arc this season, it’s at least less concerning, given how the Badgers are scoring in 2023-24 and how efficiently they’re doing it. 

Wisconsin basketball found a gem in John Blackwell.

At this point, I don’t know what I can say about freshman combo guard John Blackwell that hasn’t already been said. Simply put, he’s a stud.

Greg Gard takes a lot of heat as a recruiter, which is an argument I’ll say for another day, but there’s no denying that Blackwell was a terrific find. When Wisconsin basketball offered the Michigan native, his only other offers were from Central Michigan, Cleveland State, Northern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Oakland, Toledo, and VCU.

UW closed Blackwell’s commitment early because the Badgers staff trusted its evaluation and didn’t wait until the live periods to confirm what they already knew. Blackwell rewarded that belief by becoming the first 2024 recruiting commit — and he’s already paying massive dividends.

Through 12 games, the 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.7 assists on 48% shooting from beyond the arc in just over 18 minutes per game. In addition, Blackwell is third on the team in PRPG (3.8) and leads the Badgers in ORTG (132.8) while consistently getting to the charity stripe.

That’s why Blackwell has already won Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice, and if I were a betting man, he’ll probably win another one before the season ends. The moment has never proven too big for him, and that’s saying something when you consider the gauntlet the team’s Wisconsin men’s basketball program has faced in non-conference play.

John Blackwell is an absolute DAWG. That’s the last thing I have to say on the matter.

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