When super senior Brad Davison decided to return to Wisconsin, he did so with the intention of soaking in all the knowledge Greg Gard had to offer in pursuit of a coaching career when his playing days were over.
He’s made his intentions of wanting to coach basketball well known throughout the years, and what better opportunity then coming back to help lead an inexperienced Badgers team with an average age of just 19.5 years old.
Davison has been asked by Coach Gard to “lead from the back”, allowing players such as Johnny Davis and Tyler Wahl to find their voices and become the leaders of the program.
Brad has also been given the opportunity during games and practices to pull players aside and teach specific aspects of the game so Gard can focus on big picture tasks.
On the court is where things have changed the most drastically for Brad Davison. He’s been asked to carry a much heavier scoring load this season, and he’s responded.
As it stands, Davison is averaging a career high 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.
As an offense, this young Badgers team is relying heavily on consistent scoring output from Johnny Davis and Brad Davison. This has been a significant ask due to the lack of a consistent third scoring option behind them.
Not since Brad Davison’s freshman year has he been asked to be one of the primary scoring options. In fact, Davison currently has a career high 23.8 USG% – which is higher than his 22.4% as a true freshman.
Knowing that he has to hunt his own shot and create offense on a more regular basis, we’ve seen the super senior show a willingness to let it fly – attempting 7.4 three-point attempts per game and connecting at a .358% clip, which is right around his career average.
Davison is beginning to look comfortable now that he’s settled into his new role as a preferred scoring threat – instead of the 3&D option on the wing that he’s been asked to play the last three seasons.
It’s hard to imagine where Wisconsin would be had Brad Davison not returned for his extra year of eligibility. He’s become an integral part of the Badger’s offense while still acting as the quarterback of the defense. His value to this team cannot be overstated.