Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Involved With Big Ten Transfer Wing

Madison, Wis. —  Greg Gard and the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball program are getting into the mix for a familiar face from within the Big Ten conference.

A source indicated that the Badgers communicated with and formally expressed interest in Penn State small forward Evan Mahaffey, who recently entered the transfer portal following Micah Shrewsberry’s departure from the Nittany Lions. 

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing, formerly rated as a four-star prospect by 247Sports, appeared in 34 games for Penn State and averaged 2.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 56.9% shooting from the field in nine minutes per game.

Mahaffey, a Cincinnati, Ohio native and top 130-recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, has three years of eligibility remaining.

Why Evan Mahaffey Makes Sense for Wisconsin Men’s Basketball 

Greg Gard knows that the Wisconsin men’s basketball needs some size on the wing that can add another dimension to their offense.

UW recently hosted St. Johns wing AJ Storr on a visit to Madison, so finding the right fit is a high priority for the coaching staff, and they don’t want to waste any time finding someone that can come in and make an immediate impact.

Evan Mahaffey finished last season with an impressive 113.4 ORTG and a 0.9 PRPG, per Barttorvik, which would have been seventh on the Badgers this past season.

To better understand who Mahaffey is as a player, he took 63.1% of his shots at the rim as a freshman and finished at an impressive 75.6%, according to HoopMath. The Ohio native only took 18.5% of shots from beyond the arc but connected on a respectable 33.3%.

Evan Mahaffey with the difficult finish at the rim! 😤@EvanMahaffey5 x @PennStateMBB pic.twitter.com/FuKv09VEkw

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 23, 2023

His length, athleticism, and defensive versatility appeal to coach Gard because he provides a strong presence on the perimeter but can also slide down and defend the “4” in a pinch. It’s also worth noting that he played point guard in high school, so he has a decent handle for someone his size and is a weapon in transition.

It’s also worth noting that Wisconsin may have an in with Mahaffey because he was an AAU teammate of Connor Essegian.

We’ll continue to monitor the situation to see if Wisconsin men’s basketball is a real player in his recruitment. The Badgers have been far more active in the portal this offseason than most people realize.

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