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The 2020 Wisconsin basketball recruiting class is not only a top 20-class nationally and top-3 Big Ten class according to 247sports, but it also creates a really exciting problem for Greg Gard and Wisconsin’s staff.
The only Badger leaving the 2019-20 team that played meaningful minutes was Brevin Pritzl at 27.1 minutes per game. In other words, the Badgers are returning approximately 88% of their minutes played from last season. Last year, the one man recruiting class of Tyler Wahl did not create any issues in terms of playing time. The freshman forward played just over 15 minutes in Gard’s rotation. A six-man 2020 recruiting class with multiple pieces that are ready to contribute right now creates a totally different issue.
This is an issue of having too much wealth, instead of not enough. It’s a perfect problem for Wisconsin to have, and there is still a lot of practice time, scrimmage time etc. to figure things out. When looking at the six-person class, you have to think that the top two prospects, Johnny Davis and Ben Carlson, will be rotation pieces next season. Micah Potter sliding into Pritzl’s starting role seems to be the most logical choice assuming the Badgers want to play big. If Walt Mcgrory continues to develop in his senior season, it would not be out of the question for him to get consistent time off the bench. The 6-3 guard saw action in 14 games last season, including a few games where he played meaningful minutes.
Lorne Bowman is one of the most interesting questions. Does the Detroit point guard take a redshirt in his freshman season, or will he work his way into the rotation as a primary ball handler? Even preferred walk-on Carter Gilmore looks like he can make an impact during his Badger career. The Hartland, Wisconsin native has the size and offensive game to play meaningful Badger minutes.
While the questions of who will fill Wisconsin’s rotation are up in the air, it’s fair to say that an eight-man rotation, as we saw this past season, is not likely for the 2020-21 Badger squad. This team should go ten or eleven deep, and there could even be players who see minutes only depending on matchup and feel. Expect there to be some experimenting with allocating minutes early in the season. No matter how Coach Gard decides to use the talent he has, the fact is that Wisconsin could have one of the deepest, most experienced rosters in the country next year. How the minutes will be divided is an exciting question to ponder.