The Wisconsin Badgers have always been an NCAA tournament contender in the Greg Gard era in Madison. The 2024-25 Badgers are going to look very different than last season. Wisconsin was able to finish fifth in the Big Ten in 2023-24 and 22-14 and received a bid to the Big Dance. That appearance was very brief as they were upset by James Madison. Coach Gard and the Badgers have their eyes on getting back to the top of the Big Ten.
The team is going to need to find some guys to step up. Wisconsin has relied on upperclassmen for many years now. Those older players aren’t in Madison anymore. Tyler Wahl, who it feels like was a Badger forever, finally used up his eligibility. He’s gone, as is starting point guard Chucky Hepburn. Hepburn hit the road in the portal.
Overall Wisconsin lost eight players from last season, and they will have to make a lot of adjustments if Badgers fans hope they can compete for the Big Ten Championship this season. They last won it in 2022. A lot has changed since then. One thing is true though, Wisconsin has lots of new faces on their roster.
Wisconsin Big Ten Basketball Preview 2024-25: Plenty of New Faces
Losing Hepburn was a tremendous loss, especially when he played so many minutes per game for the Badgers. Wisconsin looked to be set for the future, especially with how strong AJ Storr was last season. Storr averaged nearly 17 points per game and likely would have been in contention for Big Ten Player of the Year this season. That was all for naught, as he got a big NIL offer from the Kansas Jayhawks, and went to the portal. Losing out on Frankie Fidler to Michigan State certainly didn’t help either.
Wisconsin had to go back to the drawing board on a lot of things for 2024-25. Though they lost a lot of impactful players through the portal, Wisconsin was able to bring in three players of their own. John Tonje tops that list as a 6’6 guard from Missouri. The other portal additions included Xavier Amos (Northern Illinois) and Cam Hunter (Central Arkansas). All three players come in after averaging double-digit scoring last season. Hunter was a sought scorer for Central Arkansas as he averaged 16.9 points per game last season.
Shooting will need to be a focal point for the Badgers this season, as overall Wisconsin lost four players who have been impactful scorers for the team over the last several seasons. Lost in the departures was former All-Freshman Big Ten player Connor Essegian, who transferred to Big Ten foe Nebraska.
A closer look at the work Wisconsin has been putting in was shared on the team’s X page.
Keep stacking days pic.twitter.com/gaPUWkNc9r
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) June 26, 2024
Mixing New Faces With Experience Will be a Key
The best news is Wisconsin brought back experience despite the roster turnover. Max Klesmit and Steven Crowl are both back for their senior years. Everyone knows how big seniors are especially at Wisconsin. Crowl’s size and shooting have been a huge reason Wisconsin has been in the Big Ten hunt during his career. John Blackwell is a returning sophomore, who was in a full backcourt room as a freshman. He learned plenty of lessons last season and was coming on at the end of the season. He earned a Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor late in the 2023-24 season, becoming the first Badger since Ethan Happ in 2015-16 to do so.
The three transfers aren’t the only new faces in town, as Wisconsin was able to bring in a pair of guards in their freshman class. Daniel Freitag is a point guard from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The other is Jack Robison a wing also from the state of Minnesota. Freitag won’t be expected to start right away, but have to believe he’s going to get a look at point guard, especially with Hepburn gone.
Schedule Gives Badgers Chance To Shine
There are just some teams in the Big Ten that like to test their strength in the non-conference. Wisconsin is one of those teams. The Badgers have a huge November 15th home game against the Arizona Wildcats. That game will be a must-see as those teams famously faced each other on several occasions in the NCAA tournament with a spot in the elite eight on the line. A trip to Marquette for an in-state rivalry match-up isn’t a game to overlook either.
As for the four new teams in the Big Ten, Wisconsin will have to visit both USC and UCLA and get Oregon and Washington at the Kohl Center. The rest of the conference slate isn’t easy breezy either. Road visits to Illinois, Michigan State, and Purdue are three very hard venues. With that schedule, Wisconsin looks like it will have a say in how the Big Ten plays out in 2024-25.
A complete look at the Badgers Big Ten Slate was posted via social media.
Our Big Ten opponents in '24-25 🏀👀
Two B1G new matchups in Madison
INFO | 📰 https://t.co/JmkJh6IgJj pic.twitter.com/INLgi0xUsN
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) May 1, 2024
Badgers Are Warriors
Wisconsin showed it throughout the 2023-24 and more often than not every season under Coach Gard. They won’t go quiet. They swept Michigan State last season, in both meetings. Drawing Illinois twice is not a bad draw at all, for Purdue going into Mackey is a death trap. One game against Indiana in Madison is a strong draw as well. Hopefully, with a home game with Michigan, no coaches get in a fight. Wisconsin can still contend near the top of the Big Ten in 2024-25 despite all their new faces.
