Wisconsin’s lone scholarship recruit in the 2022 recruiting class Connor Essegian out of Albion, Indiana is set to join the Badgers for summer workouts this upcoming week.
Per the 247Sports composite, Essegian is the No. 230 overall prospect in the 2022 class, the No. 35 shooting guard in the country, and the No. 10 player in the state of Indiana.
Despite missing out on several of their top targets on the recruiting trail, the Badgers were able to secure a verbal commitment from one of the best pure shooters in the entire country – which filled a significant need within the program.
The three-star SG committed to Wisconsin over offers from Creighton, Butler, Wake Forest, George Mason, Belmont, and several others.
“It was the people there. When I finally got on campus for my official visit and got to see how everyone was – I was hooked. I had already loved the basketball, campus, community, and everything else. Once I got to see how everyone was off the court as people – that was what fully made me decide,” Essegian told BadgersWire.
Standing at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, the Central Noble High School standout leaves behind a storied prep career where he scored 2,526 points, which ranks No. 10 on the all-time scoring list in the state of Indiana.
When he arrives in Madison, Essegian has his eyes set on personal growth in year one.
“A goal of mine as a true freshman is to see a considerable amount of growth in my game and body throughout this next year. I want to be able to contribute to helping the team win with whatever it takes to bring championships back to Madison.”
What exactly should Badger fans expect from the Indiana native during his career at UW?
“A gritty, hard-working player. Someone who can space the floor with three-point shooting but also find ways to make the extra pass and get into the lane as well. Someone who will do whatever it takes to win – diving for loose balls, charges, and rebounding,” said Essegian.
During his memorable senior season, Essegian worked on finding different ways to score the ball outside of his three-point shooting. That said, he acknowledges he’ll need to work on a few things to prepare for the physicality of the Big Ten.
“Even though I’ve gotten faster and stronger, I’ll need to improve my strength, speed, and athleticism as well as defending and finishing above the rim.”
Essegian should be a seamless fit into the Wisconsin men’s basketball program from an offensive standpoint, but how does he see himself fitting into Coach Gards’ offense?
“Watching film with Coach Gard and watching their games all the time I can see that the way I move without the ball, my ability to space the floor, and being a versatile scorer work well with how he already runs his offense. Not only that, but just how hard and together everyone plays fits what I do as well,” Essegian told BadgersWire.
Wisconsin is set to begin an eight-week summer workout program that begins on June 13, where the Badgers will get in the weight room and gain extra practice in preparation for their trip to France in August.
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