Wisconsin Badgers

2023-2024 Result: 22-14 record (11-9 Big 10), NCAA tournament appearance

Projected Starting Lineup

Head Coach: Greg Gard (10th season)

Guard: Camren Hunter (JR)

Guard: Max Klesmit (SR)

Guard: John Blackwell (SO)

Forward: Xavier Amos (JR)

Center: Steven Crowl (5th year)

Key Additions

Camren Hunter (Central Arkansas)

Xavier Amos (Northern Illinois)

John Tonje (Missouri)

Key Losses

Chucky Hepburn

AJ Storr

Connor Essegian

Tyler Wahl

Wisconsin lost its best player, AJ Storr, to the transfer portal, and key starters for the last several years in Chucky Hepburn and Tyler Wahl. Greg Gard only brought in three transfers this year in Camren Hunter, Xavier Amos, and John Tonje. Max Klesmit and Steven Crowl will be asked to do a lot more this season, but it feels like a go-to scorer is certainly missing this season for the Badgers.

The defensive principles of Greg Gard’s teams are always strong. They are in the right places and force teams to take tough shots causing low-scoring games. None of their players jump off the board at you as a defensive force. In fact, transfer from Northern Illinois, Xavier Amos, will be the first player from last year’s team or this year’s to have averaged at least one block per game last season. Gard’s teams are fundamentally sound and typically hold teams to just one shot. Last season, the Badgers held their opponents to the 8th fewest offensive rebounds per game. Losing Chucky Hepburn will be crucial to the backcourt defense, but Camren Hunter will do a solid job filling the void there. The Badgers might have more rim protection than they have had in a few years, but expect another middle of the pack defensive year for them with nothing really earth-shattering about it.

Offensively, Wisconsin is lacking a go-to scorer. After AJ Storr and Chucky Hepburn left in the portal and Tyler Wahl graduated, it left their scoring in question. All three of those guys were go-to scorers in some games at some point last season, especially Storr, so without them, there are some big shoes to fill. The Badgers will need to play through Steven Crowl more and will need to get the same production from Hunter and Amos that they got at their previous schools. The three-point shooting of the Badgers should be the strength of their offense, with four of their projected starters shooting over 38% behind the stripe last season. Oddly enough, their point guard, Hunter, had the lowest percentage of any of the five projected starters. The depth of the offense is a concern, with the bench showing a severe lack of experience.