Chucky Hepburn has all the makings of Wisconsin’s next star point guard

Wisconsin has found their next stud point guard:

The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball program has had a pretty damn impressive run at the point guard position, now spanning more than two decades.

While not all of the point guards were highly rated prospects, Wisconsin’s ability to recruit and develop a specific type of player at the position has been nothing short of impressive.

A run of PG’s that began with Devin Harris, Kamron Taylor, Trevon Hughes, Jordan Taylor, Traevon Jackson, Bronson Koenig, and D’Mitrik Trice appears to have a new addition to the fraternity in Nebraska native, Chucky Hepburn.

Freshman year

Mar 1, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Chucky Hepburn (23) celebrates his last basket to seal his team’s 70-67 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

As a true freshman, Chucky Hepburn was given the keys to the car by head coach Greg Gard, and let me tell you, the early returns were more than promising.

Hepburn started all 33 games for the Badgers and provided a steady presence at point that allowed UW to push the pace whilst remaining under control.

On the season, the Nebraska native averaged 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 steals in just over 30 minutes per game.

The former Bellevue West standout’s on-ball defense ranged anywhere from good to great and made life increasingly difficult on opposing point guards all season long.

Perhaps the most impressive stat for Hepburn wasn’t something he did, but rather what he didn’t do. In 1,020 total minutes played he only turned the ball over 39 times – which was good for an average of just one turnover every 26 minutes. A truly remarkable stat for a true freshman playing in one of the most physical defensive conferences in all of college basketball.

Overall, the freshman point guard finished the year with an impressive 1.97:1 assist-to-turnover ratio – showing masterful control and patience running the Badgers offense.

Future outlook

Last season, Hepburn wasn’t needed to be a consistent scoring option for the Badgers, instead he was simply asked to take what was given to him.

However, all of that changes this season due to the departures of Johnny Davis and Brad Davison. The Nebraska native will now be asked to take on more of a leadership role and add more to his plate in year two, at least in terms of scoring.

I saw more than enough last season to suggest that Hepburn has what it takes to be a scoring threat for the Badgers.

The 6-foot-2, 211-pound point guard see’s the floor really well, flashed playmaking ability, and has the handles to take defenders off the dribble and get to the rim.

Per HoopMath, Hepburn took just 20% of his shots attempts at the rim last season, finishing them at an impressive 60% clip.

I’m of the opinion that Hepburn can find his way inside the lane a great deal more than we saw last season and act as a shot creator for the Badgers.

Despite shooting a disappointing 9-for-37 (24.3%) from beyond the arc in his first 11 games, Hepburn actually proved to be a pretty reliable spot-up shooter last season. Over his last 22 games, Hepburn was 30-for-75 (40%) on three-point attempts to finish the season.

With a full offseason to work on his game, and plenty of additional opportunities coming, I expect him to become a more consistent threat from downtown.

Essentially, I believe Chucky can become whatever it is he wants to be at Wisconsin. He was one of three prospects recruited during the Greg Gard era that I stamped as a can’t miss impact player for the Badgers – the others being Brad Davison and Johnny Davis.

I stand by my initial evaluation, and am expecting big things from the Nebraska native in his career at UW. Hepburn is a terrific young point guard that makes everyone else around him better. The Badgers are in good hands at PG for the next three seasons.

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