Wisconsin basketball has made some moves this week, signing three players from the portal. Before we get into the new roster and what a potential starting 5 could look like, I want to share my thoughts on some of our departing players.
AJ Storr
AJ leaving was to be expected, no matter how much we might have hoped he would stick around for one more. There have been some reports that he was shopping around with different programs in the middle of the season (right when we hit our slump), which definitely wouldn’t surprise me. Despite any tampering that may have been going on, AJ is obviously an electric player with an NBA future once he improves his decision-making and ball handling. His departure doesn’t hit me too hard considering he’s played at 4 different high schools and now 3 different colleges in 7 years. But I can’t lie, he will look good in that Jayhawk blue.
Connor Essegian
Connor’s utilization this year angered lots of normie fans, whom they used as their new poster child for the Fire Gard train. Don’t get me wrong, I get it. He’s an awesome shooter and a fun personality, of course he’s going to be a fan favorite. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that he didn’t put in the off-season work to better himself as a Big Ten defender and overall player. If you think that making him a starter or 6th man would’ve helped us win more games… well, sadly, you don’t know ball. Moving forward, Nebraska could be a perfect fit for him. They’re looking for a new Tominaga and he could very well be that. I’m sure he will be a local star in Lincoln just like he was in Madison. Good luck to Connor.
Gus Yalden
Gus Bus leaving was pretty much a guarantee before the season even started. My dog loves some booze and doobies – who can blame him? The Seton Hall landing was a little surprising to me but I’m excited to see what he can do there.
Chucky Hepburn
Chucky. Where do I start with Chucky? As an owner of the “Chucky Special” t-shirt from his freshman year buzzer-beater against Purdue, this one hurt. I honestly thought it was a joke when I first saw the announcement of him leaving. I mean, the guy literally has a badger tattooed on his bicep. He would’ve been a 4-year starter and beloved for life by Wisconsin fans. Instead, he cashes a check and finishes his college career as a Louisville Cardinal. Of course, it’s easy for me to call him out as a betrayer when I didn’t have $750k being waved in my face. And maybe this was the perfect move from Chucky. Say he has a massive season at Louisville, puts himself in a great position to play at the next level, and cashes life-changing money in the process. How can I be mad at a guy for putting himself in that position? Maybe it will work out like that or maybe it won’t. Time will tell 😉
Starting Five and Roster Preview
In the current landscape of college basketball, we can no longer afford to grow too attached to our players. It is now professional basketball without contracts; they’re being paid to represent the University for the season and then that’s it, they’re off into the wind. With that being said, I am ready to get extremely attached to this year’s roster.
1. Daniel Freitag
That’s my PG right there. The Badgers beat out the likes of Baylor, Notre Dame, Minnesota, and Virginia to secure Daniel’s commitment. He’s a wiry-fast, ultra-athletic guard, but that’s not what excites me the most about Freitag. Just from observing his social media and various interviews, I think Freitag’s mentality is what’s going to make him really special. He wants the expectations, he wants the attention, and he wants the opportunity. I just know that he was jacked when he got the call from Greg saying Chucky was transferring. I can’t wait to see what he does in Madison.
2. Max Klesmit
Where my Klesbians at? I am so high on Max this year. He had a great season and single-handedly won us a couple of games. I’m calling it now that he will have a massive season in 24-25. And it wasn’t his 21-point half versus Marquette or his game-winner against Purdue that convinced me of this. No, it was our first-round exit against James Madison. Overall, that game was beyond frustrating to watch. Wahl had the worst game of his career, AJ couldn’t dribble, we were missing layups, the refs were allowing physical hand checks on the perimeter, etc, etc. In the midst of all that, there was one guy who was fighting with everything he had to keep us in it. That guy was Max Klesmit. Yes, he’s cocky, but a little swagger combined with his tenacity makes for somebody that you want on your side.
3. John Tonje
Tonje is our 6’6 graduate transfer from Mizzou where he only played a few games due to an injury. In his last year at Colorado State, he averaged 14.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and shot 38.9% from deep. He’s got a big body, not super explosive, but knows how to get to his spots. With the addition of Tonje, we are going to have some DANGEROUS shooters on the floor. His perimeter defense could be an issue as I’m not seeing a ton of quickness, but his size will definitely help. I’m excited to see what he can do.
4. Xavier Amos
Amos is our 6’8 Junior transfer from Northern Illinois where he averaged 13.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.3 BPG, and 38.5% from deep. A big and athletic 4 that can SHOOT THE BALL. Our spacing is going to be amazing. As an opposing coach, who are you going to leave open? A player like Xavier was the missing piece to this roster and we filled it. I thought it would be Franky Fidler, but I’m more than happy with this pickup.
5. Steven Crowl
Big Steve. As a first-hand witness to Steve’s 36 point game last year, I feel comfortable saying that he has the capability to take over a game. He didn’t have his best season this year, but I don’t believe that will carry over into the next. We are a better team when he is being aggressive and he knows that. It will be easier than ever for him to do just that next year because of how much we can spread the floor. We will be hitting some shots and letting Steve go to work down low. And don’t think that I just want him in the post either. Be confident and let that ball FLY, Steve.
6. Cam Hunter
Cam Hunter is a 6’3 guard coming to us from Central Arkansas where he averaged 16.9 PPG and 3.4 Assists in his Sophomore season. While I don’t have him listed as a starter here, it is very possible he gets himself in that lineup over the summer. Even if he doesn’t, he will be getting plenty of minutes in the rotation. This guy has a special finishing ability and can fill up the box score in a hurry. What also excites me is his ability to be physical. You can tell he is strong in this picture, but it’s not doing him enough justice. He’s got some serious quads on him and I’m intrigued to see what type of defender the staff can turn him into.
The Bench
John Blackwell is an absolute pitbull who could have a massive season loading. I love his game and especially his competitiveness. He’s a guy who won’t only make himself better but also everybody around him. I don’t think he’s going to take it easy on you in practice, that’s for sure.
Nolan Winter has got some big boy experience under his belt now and I will be curious to see what his development starts to look like. As Stephen Bardo would say, “If he gets in the weight room this summer, he will be dangerous.”
Markus Ilver is a guy you can tell can really stroke it but hasn’t gotten the confidence to do it in a game yet. He’s going to have a big game and I will be here for it when it happens.
Kamari McGee is our spark plug and I love seeing him sprint around out there. There’s always a place on the court for a guy like that.
Carter Gilmore put back dunk?