There is a great deal of excitement surrounding the Wisconsin Badgers basketball program heading into the 2023-24 season. From the amount of returning talent — to the incoming freshman — and even a promising transfer portal addition, fans can’t wait to see the Badgers right the ship.

Not only is the hype warranted, but I also believe that Greg Gard and the Badgers have the chemistry and talent to make it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.

Here are three reasons why.

Wisconsin Basketball Returns All of its Meaningful Contributors

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball team underwhelmed last season, and that’s putting it mildly. The Badgers ended with a 20-15 record, finished No. 11 in the Big Ten, and failed to make the NCAA Tournament. 

However, the Wisconsin Badgers have a remarkable 92% of their scoring and 90% of the total minutes played from last season coming back — which is the most in the conference. 

The lone departure this offseason was Jordan Davis — which was no surprise because of his diminished role late in the year. That said, Tyler Wahl decided to use his Covid year — plus players like Chucky Hepburn, Connor Essegian, Max Klesmit, and Steven Crowl could all take steps forward. 

Wisconsin Basketball has all the right pieces to play their system effectively, and bringing back a hungry & talented roster is a big reason why I’m optimistic heading into the season. 

Wisconsin Basketball Has Improved Front-court Depth 

As previously mentioned, Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl are back in the fold and will be Wisconsin’s starting bigs. But it was the depth, or lack thereof, behind them last year that killed the Badgers. 

For all the heat Carter Gilmore takes, he filled in admirably as the backup big man. The 6-foot-7 former walk-on plays terrific post defense, acts as a connector on offense, and hustles until the whistle blows. However, he was an offensive liability, essentially leaving Wisconsin basketball to play 4-on-5 on that end of the floor. 

UW kicked the tires on a few big men in the transfer portal but ultimately felt comfortable rolling with incoming freshmen Gus Yalden and Nolan Winter to push Gilmore for frontcourt minutes. 

The Badgers also return players like Chris Hodges and Markus Ilver, but neither project to factor into Greg Gard’s rotation this season. 

Regardless of how playing time shakes out in the frontcourt, Wisconsin basketball returns everyone from last season while welcoming a few talented freshmen into the mix. No matter how you look at it — depth is better now than a year ago. 

The Badgers Made a Noteworthy Transfer Portal Addition 

Adding AJ Storr in the transfer portal to the Wisconsin Badgers basketball roster could be a game-changer for Greg Gard and company.  

Storr’s arrival addresses several key deficiencies that became apparent when Johnny Davis left the team after his sophomore year to enter the NBA Draft. This departure threw off the team’s development arc, leaving them with several glaring holes that needed to be filled. 

One of the issues was the need for a player with a combination of height and length on the wing. Storr’s wingspan and defensive potential provide the Badgers with a versatile option who can switch & defend more traditional small forwards.

Another aspect of the team’s game that took a hit was their transition offense. Storr gives Wisconsin basketball a catalyst for fast breaks and quick scoring opportunities. He also provides a significant boost in athleticism, shooting, and slashing shot creation that the team was sorely missing. 

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 basketball news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers basketball coaching staff are in deep with multiple 2025 in-state recruits. One player in particular that the Badgers coaches feel is a perfect fit for their system is Middleton big man Will Garlock — who plays just 12 miles away from The Kohl Center.

UW offered the 6-foot-11 center in July, joining an offer list that now includes Marquette, Penn State, and Virginia Tech. Iowa, Purdue, and Virginia have also been in contact.

But last night, it was announced on social media that Garlock, formerly of the Wisconsin Playground Club, would join Team Herro of the Nike EYBL.

Welcome to the family 💫 pic.twitter.com/94VHsoZeAB

— Team Herro (@team_herro) September 25, 2023

The decision to join Team Herro may appear inconsequential at first glance, but it significantly streamlines the recruiting process for the Wisconsin basketball coaching staff.

Wisconsin Basketball Coaching Staff Will Be Courtside for Plenty of Team Herro’s Games Next Summer

It’s still early in the recruiting cycle, but the Wisconsin Badgers Basketball coaches are heavily pursuing 2025 in-state talent. As it stands, Greg Gard has offered scholarships to 10 players — with six of those going out to prospects from Americas Dairyland.

With Will Garlock’s recent decision to join Team Herro, he officially joins forces with Wisconsin Badgers commit Zach Kinziger and newly offered forward Xzavion Mitchell.

Having all three in-state recruits, each of whom is very much in play for Wisconsin basketball, housed within the same program presents a unique opportunity. It allows a committed Badgers prospect to communicate with them directly and offers the chance to be present court-side, streamlining recruiting efforts and evaluations.

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 basketball news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Follow this link and use promo code: BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to BadgerNotes After Dark on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the official Wisconsin Badgers podcast of the Big Banter Sports Network.

We are just over a month away from the 50th season of Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball! According to UW’s release about the new schedule, “the Badgers will highlight the program’s rich history and traditions” throughout the season. This is a cool opportunity for fans, both new and old, to learn about the program and the players that paved the way for this year’s team.

UW opens their 2023-2024 campaign with an exhibition game against UW-Whitewater on Oct. 29 at the Kohl Center. With the Big Ten announcing the conference schedule on Thursday, we now have a full slate of games to analyze. So, let’s get to it.

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for!

Our schedule is 𝗦𝗘𝗧.

We open up Big Ten play at home on Dec. 10 against Iowa!

INFO | 📰https://t.co/nWa3TZ0Nm1#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/oNiXxJyz4l

— Wisconsin Women’s Basketball (@BadgerWBB) September 21, 2023

Wisconsin Women’s Basketball 2023-24 Schedule Preview

First up, a few key dates:

• Tuesday, Nov. 7, season opener vs. Milwaukee
• Friday, Nov. 24, Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off vs. Arkansas
• Saturday, Nov. 25, Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off vs. Marquette/Boston College
• Sunday, Dec. 10, Big Ten opener vs. Iowa
• Sunday, March 3, final game of regular season vs. Michigan State
• Wednesday, March 6, Big Ten Tournament starts in Minneapolis
• Sunday, March 10, Big Ten Tournament final in Minneapolis

Wisconsin has 29 games on their schedule, including 18 Big Ten games, and will be looking to improve upon last season’s 11-20 (6-12 Big Ten) record that saw them win four of their last five regular season games, including an upset of No. 12 Michigan, and earn a bye in the Big Ten Tournament.

The Badgers have 15 games at the Kohl Center and 14 games away from home, which includes two down in Fort Myers at Thanksgiving. Wisconsin’s non-conference schedule is a bit more forgiving than last year’s slate, but there are still many challenges for a young, inexperienced team.

Based on last year’s Her Hoops Stats rankings, Wisconsin women’s basketball should be favored to win their first two games of the season, before a tough home test against the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State. SDSU, who finished last season as the 14th best team in the nation per HHS, lost two starters from last year’s offensive juggernaut, but they will still pose a challenge to a leaky Wisconsin defense.

After playing Kansas State at Miller Park (I’ll NEVER call it AmFam Field) last season, the Badgers make the return trip to the Little Apple and play the Wildcats before heading off to sunny Florida for the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Arkansas and, most likely, Boston College await UW in the holiday tournament, but a potential matchup with in-state Marquette would be very fun.

UW rounds out their non-conference slate with various directional Illinois’ and a trip to St. Paul to play St. Thomas in a game I hope to attend. Wedged into the end of the non-conference schedule is the Big Ten opener against…ah shit, against national runner-up Iowa and Caitlin Clark. Not to sound glib, but keeping that one within 30 should actually count as a win for Wisconsin.

The Badgers play the Hawkeyes, Purdue, Northwestern, Minnesota, and Rutgers twice this season. As far as single plays, they travel to Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, and Maryland while getting Nebraska, Penn State, Indiana, and Michigan State at home.

All things considered, this is a pretty favorable schedule for Wisconsin women’s basketball. Of their home-and-home series’ the only one in which they’ll be heavy underdogs for both games is against Iowa. Their “road only” games all look like losses to me and, in an ideal world, they’ll split their “home only” games.

Per UW, single-game tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 9 a.m. (CT). The pre-sale for single-game tickets for donors and season ticket holders is set for Tuesday, Oct. 10. Student tickets are available through Area Red.

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 women’s basketball news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Drew Hamm on Twitter @DrewHamm5

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to BadgerNotes After Dark on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the official Wisconsin Badgers podcast of the Big Banter Sports Network.