Tag: connor essegian

Former Wisconsin transfer guard makes history for Nebraska in 31-point win

Former Wisconsin transfer guard makes history for Nebraska in 31-point win

Former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian made history in Nebraska‘s 103-72 win over North Florida on Sunday.

In the blowout win, the former Badger transfer went off for 22 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals on 8-of-10 shooting and 6-of-8 from three. Essegian joined Cary Cochran as the second player in school history to nail six or more three-point field goals in back-to-back games.

This was also the second straight game Essegian scored 20 or more points. The former Badger went for a career 29 points of 10-of-22 shooting and 6-of-15 from three in Nebraska’s recent win over South Dakota.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana native’s stellar string of performances now pushes his per-game averages to 21.5 minutes, 14.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 50% shooting and 44.4% from three.

The Cornhuskers certainly hoped to acquire this version of Essegian when he elected to transfer from Wisconsin to Nebraska this April. As a freshman for the Badgers, Essegian averaged 11.7 points per game off nearly 36% from deep in 35 appearances.

His production dropped dramatically as a sophomore with UW, prompting the sharpshooter to transfer to a different program this spring. He’s beginning to hit his groove under head coach Fred Hoiberg, a fellow marksman during his tenure in the NBA from 1995-2005.

The Cornhuskers sit at 7-1 on the season and earned 22 votes on Monday’s AP Poll. Essegian’s team opens Big Ten play on Saturday, Dec. 7 against Michigan State.

Former Wisconsin transfer guard goes off for career high in Nebraska blowout win

Former Wisconsin transfer guard goes off for career high in Nebraska blowout win

Former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian had a career outing in Nebraska‘s 96-79 win over South Dakota on Wednesday.

The former Badger transfer went off for 29 points, five assists and two rebounds on 10-of-22 shooting and 6-of-15 from 3. The 29 points best his previous career high of 24 points during Wisconsin’s overtime loss to Michigan on Feb. 26, 2023.

Related: Updated Big Ten basketball power rankings (Nov. 25): Wisconsin continues to rise

The game marked a further increase in minutes and usage for the junior guard. His 33 minutes off the bench were the most of any game this season, and the most for any Nebraska player in the win — even starters.

Essegian’s big outing pushes his season averages to 21.5 minutes per game, 13.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 44.4% shooting and 37.8% from three.

Essegian is one of many former Badgers having strong seasons elsewhere. A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn are having big impacts at Kansas and Louisville, respectively.

Of all of Wisconsin’s offseason departures, Essegian’s made the most sense. His playing time plummeted from his freshman to sophomore season at Wisconsin, dropping from 27.4 minutes and 11.7 points per game to 7.3 and 3.2, respectively. He has found a sizable role for a strong Nebraska group. His playing time and usage is back to the level from that breakout freshman campaign.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, is off to a program-best 8-0 start. Greg Gard boasts a deep backcourt rotation of Max Klesmit, John Tonje, John Blackwell, Kamari McGee and Jack Janicki. It has not even incorporated top freshman Daniel Freitag and transfer Camren Hunter.

Essegian would likely still have been lost in a crowded rotation with the Badgers. His playing time and production with the Cornhuskers ensures all parties are finding success in this case — an uncommon reality in today’s age of player movement.

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Nebraska guard Connor Essegian reveals why he joined program

Connor Essegian revealed the reasons why he transferred to Nebraska.

Nebraska basketball guard Connor Essegian had high praise for coach Fred Hoiberg following the program’s upset victory over the Creighton Blue Jays on Friday night.

Essegian was a major part of the win. He scored 15 points on 66.7% shooting from the field. He was efficient in how he scored, as he played 22 minutes. The sophomore added a boost off the bench, as the Huskers were able to shut down the Blue Jays for the most part on Friday night.

Scoring the basketball is one of the reasons why Essegian came to Lincoln. He credited Hoiberg following the win, and gave him high praise in the process, as reported by NCN’s Jake Bartecki.

“He’s one of the best, if not the best, offensive coaches in the country.. That’s part of why I came here”

Hoiberg’s system is undoubtedly built on offense and playmaking. Nebraska basketball got a ton of it on Friday night. The win over Creighton could set the tone for the rest of the season. Essegian’s emergence over these last couple weeks is a positive sign for a program looking to build momentum.

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Wisconsin transfer guard has breakout performance in Nebraska win over Creighton

Big night for a former Badger transfer

Wisconsin transfer guard Connor Essegian powered Nebraska to a 74-63 road win over No. 14 Creighton on Friday.

The former Badger contributed 15 points and two rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench, shooting 4-of-6 from the floor and 1-of-2 from three.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s big win over UCF

Those bench points provided a critical boost for Fred Hoiberg’s team in its big rivalry victory. Essegian led several key scoring runs, highlighted by a solo 6-1 run midway through the second half to extend the team’s lead to 14 points.

Only two Nebraska players finished with more points than Essegian: starters Juwan Gray (16 points on 6-of-13 shooting) and Brice Williams (16 points on 4-of-12 shooting). No one on the floor matched his combination of production and efficiency.

The sharpshooter has played a steady role for the Cornhuskers during their 4-1 start to the 2024-25 season. His per-game averages include 19.2 minutes, 10.4 points and 2.6 rebounds on 44% shooting and 36.4% from 3.

Essegian transferred to Nebraska after two seasons with the Badgers. He played a big role as a freshman in 2022-23, averaging 27.4 minutes and 11.7 points per game. His role diminished as a sophomore in 2023-24 as Greg Gard reworked the roster, those numbers falling to 7.3 minutes and 3.2 points per game, respectively.

The Wisconsin transfer appears to have found a strong destination at Nebraska. The Hoosiers are amid a program-great run under Hoiberg. That began with a 23-11 record and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023-24 and has continued into 2024-25.

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How Wisconsin transfer guard has fared through Nebraska’s first three games

How former Wisconsin guard has fared through Nebraska’s first three games

Former Wisconsin Badgers guard Connor Essegian started his first career game with the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Wednesday night.

In more than 16 minutes of action, Essegian logged eight points in an 86-60 victory over the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. The former Badger nailed two of his seven 3-point field goal attempts and notched two rebounds.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s big win over Arizona

Through three games of the 2024-25 season, Essegian is averaging 9.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game off nearly 36% shooting from beyond the arc. In his debut for the Cornhuskers, Essegian logged 13 points and four rebounds with three made looks from outside.

At 3-0, Nebraska is tied with Penn State, Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Wisconsin, Oregon, USC and Maryland atop the Big Ten.

Essegian transferred to Nebraska in April after two years in Madison. In 2023-24, he averaged 7.3 minutes and 3.2 points per game after falling in Greg Gard’s rotation.

His ceiling, however, is much higher. Essegian averaged 27.4 minutes and 11.7 points per game on 40% shooting and 36% from 3 during his freshman year in 2022-23.

Nebraska’s next game is Sunday against St. Mary’s (California).

Nebraska guard to play for Armenia this weekend

Connor Essegian will play for Armenia in the Los Angeles International Basketball Cup. 

A Nebraska guard will play international basketball this weekend. Connor Essegian will play for Armenia in the Los Angeles International Basketball Cup.

Armenia will play Guatemala on Friday and Ireland on Sunday afternoon. This is the second straight summer that Essegian will play for Armenia.

In 2023, he averaged 11.5 points in two games against France. Essegian joins the Huskers after spending the last two seasons at Wisconsin. The Indiana native was selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman team two seasons ago.

The guard struggled as a sophomore in 2023-24, averaging only 7.3 minutes and 3.2 points per game. As a freshman, he averaged 27.4 minutes and 11.7 points per game on 40% shooting and 36% from the three-point line.

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A closer look at the career of new transfer Connor Essegian

Connor Essegian announced his commitment to the Cornhuskers on social media.

Nebraska basketball added their fourth player from the transfer portal on Sunday afternoon. Connor Essegian announced his commitment to the Cornhuskers on social media.

Essegian was a member of the All-Big Ten freshman team during the 2022-23 season for the Wisconsin Badgers. He appeared in 35 games, making 19 starts while averaging 11.2 points on an average of 27 minutes per game

As a sophomore he would appearing 33 games while making 0 starts on only seven minutes per game. He was also reportedly considering Indiana and Maryland as transfer destinations.

Find a photo gallery of Connor Essegian’s collegiate career below.

Wisconsin transfer Connor Essegian commits to Nebraska

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have landed a transfer guard from a fellow Big Ten program.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have added a Big Ten transfer to their roster for the 2024-25 season. Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian announced his commitment to the Badgers on Sunday afternoon.

The rising junior played 68 games for the Badgers over the last two seasons including making 19 starts as a freshman in 2022-23.

After averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists as a freshman, Essegian saw his averages drop to 3.2 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.2 rebounds while also seeing his minutes per game get slashed from 27.4 to 7.3.

Essegian is the fourth transfer to commit to the Huskers this offseason joining North Dakota State big man Andrew Morgan, Utah guard Rollie Worster, and Rutgers guard Gavin Griffiths.

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BREAKING: Former Wisconsin Badgers guard commits to a Big Ten rival

Reaction to Connor Essegian committing to a Big Ten rival?

Former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian announced his transfer commitment to Nebraska on Sunday afternoon.

The fan-favorite Badgers guard had also visited Big Ten rivals Maryland and Indiana, but opted for the Cornhuskers in the end.

Related: An updated list of Wisconsin basketball’s transfer portal targets

Essegian struggled in 2023-24 after falling far in the rotation, averaging just 7.3 minutes and 3.2 points per game. Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg hopes he returns to his freshman year form — 27.4 minutes and 11.7 points per game on 40% shooting and 36% from three.

He joins a Nebraska program that made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 in 2023-24. Hoiberg has the Cornhuskers headed in the right direction, and is now looking to take the next step into contention.

The now-former Badger is sure to play more at his new home. He transfers with two years of eligibility remaining.

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard must replace the departed production of Essegian, Chucky Hepburn, A.J. Storr and Tyler Wahl. He and his staff are hard at work in the transfer portal to mitigate those losses, though they are yet to receive a commitment.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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Former Wisconsin guard to announce transfer commitment later today (Sunday, April 21)

Former Wisconsin guard to announce transfer commitment later today

Former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian will announce his transfer commitment at 3 p.m. central, 4 p.m. eastern on Sunday, April 21.

The fan-favorite guard earned plenty of interest after entering the transfer portal on March 24. He’s taken official visits to Ole Miss and to Big Ten rivals Nebraska, Maryland and Indiana.

Related: An updated list of Wisconsin basketball’s transfer portal targets

Essegian recently received an On3 transfer prediction to choose the Big Ten rival Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The sharpshooter struggled in 2023-24 after losing much of his playing time, averaging just 7.3 minutes and 3.2 points per game. There remains promise from his freshman season, however, which saw the guard average 27.4 minutes and 11.7 points.

Essegian is one of numerous Wisconsin Badgers to have entered the transfer portal since the end of the season. A.J. Storr has already committed to Kansas, while Chucky Hepburn, Gus Yalden and others remain uncommitted.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin is still working to replace the minutes, production and experience of departed starters Hepburn, Storr and Tyler Wahl. Essegian is another loss to add to that list — as his role would’ve likely increased in 2024-25.

All signs now point towards him suiting up for a Big Ten rival.

UPDATE: Essegian committed to Nebraska at 3 p.m. central

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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