Tag: connor essegian

One of Wisconsin’s top guards is questionable tonight vs Tennessee

One of Wisconsin’s top guards is questionable tonight vs Tennessee:

Wisconsin basketball is back at the Kohl Center tonight as No. 9 Tennessee comes to town for a marquee matchup.

The Badgers are no stranger to big-time upset victories on their home court. Tonight the program will go for its fifth top-10 win in the Kohl Center since 2016, the most recent coming in 2021 when Chucky Hepburn hit a three-pointer to defeat top-ranked Purdue and give the Badgers a share of the Big Ten title.

Tennessee is really good, this Wisconsin team looks to be pretty good as well. We should be in store for a great basketball game tonight.

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The Badgers could enter the contest without one of its top guards, however. CBSSports’ Jon Rothstein reports that Badger guard Connor Essegian is questionable for the contest after aggravating his back during the team’s 105-76 opening win against Arkansas State:

Essegian played only five minutes in the Badgers’ opening victory, that after excelling last season as one of the team’s top shooters. This Wisconsin team is deep, but Essegian’s presence may be needed to knock off the Volunteers.

Badgers guard checks in at No. 16 in Andy Katz’s Countdown

Badgers stud ranked in top 20 by Andy Katz

The Badgers men’s basketball season is around the corner and their second-year guard Connor Essegian is considered one of the best players in the Big Ten by analyst Andy Katz.

Katz has been slowly counting down his top players in the conference and Essegian came in at number 16. The guard was a true freshman last season, recording 11.7 PPG and 3.7 RPG while making a program freshman record 69 three-pointers over 35 games.

Essegian started the year as bench player, but by the end of the year, he had started 19 contests in his first campaign with Greg Gard’s squad in Madison. He now returns to Wisconsin for a second season, joining the remainder of the team’s starters from 2022-2023.

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Badgers MBB “Top 8” may be coming to fruition

Badgers MBB rotations coming together

The Badgers men’s basketball team held practice Thursday, which was open to the media and their top unit may have been identified. Last year’s five primary starters Chucky Hepburn, Connor Essegian, Max Klesmit, Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl were all part of it, which comes as no surprise.

Notably though, the rest of the “top eight” was rounded out by forward Carter Gilmore, transfer wing AJ Storr (St. John’s) and freshman big man Nolan Winter. This is by no means the only group of players that will be major contributors for Greg Gard’s squad in 2023-2024, but it does shed light on where the roster is at ahead of their season opener in a couple weeks.

Amongst those who weren’t part of the top unit Thursday was guard Kamari McGee, who will likely be the primary backup point guard this season.

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Badgers MBB set for challenging early schedule

Badgers face early gauntlet on the court

The Badgers men’s basketball team is just a few weeks away from their season opener versus UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 1 and their early schedule is not easy, on paper that is.

Wisconsin will square off with four ranked programs within their first 10 matchups of the 2023-2024 campaign, including in-state rival Marquette on Dec. 2.

Greg Gard’s squad just had their Red-White scrimmage on Sunday with the White team winning 69-51. Most notably, new additions transfer forward AJ Storr (St. John’s) and freshman big man Nolan Winter scored 15 and 13 points respectively.

The Badgers will look to get off to hot start in 2023 to leave their disappointing 2022-2023 campaign in the dust.

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WATCH: Badgers MBB season around the corner

Day one of the Badgers men’s basketball season

The 2023 college men’s basketball season is on the horizon and the Badgers officially marked day one of their 2023-2024 campaign Monday. Greg Gard’s squad missed the National Tournament last year and ultimately fell to North Texas in the semifinals of the NIT.

Wisconsin will see their entire starting lineup return from the 2022-2023 season and they added athletic guard A.J. Storr from St. John’s as well as three talented freshmen Gus Yalden (forward), Nolan Winter (forward) and John Blackwell (guard).

As the team attempts to rebound from a disappointing campaign in 2022, the team has been working on their chemistry as a unit, as seen in the video below.

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Badgers MBB Big Ten schedule released

Badgers’ MBB Big Ten schedule has arrived

The 2023-2024 men’s basketball season is around the corner and the Badgers released their Big Ten schedule for the upcoming campaign Tuesday. Wisconsin will begin their conference play Dec. 5 versus the Michigan State Spartans.

Their season will begin with a contest with UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 1 and the Badgers will officially turn the page on a disappointing 2022-2023 campaign.

Last year, Wisconsin finished with a 20-15 overall record, missing the NCAA Tournament. In conference contests, they finished 9-11 and were 11th in the Big Ten.

Now in 2023, the whole starting lineup will return as well as additions like A.J. Storr (St. John’s) and freshmen Gus Yalden, Nolan Winter and John Blackwell.

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LOOK: Badgers MBB non-conference schedule released

How will the Badgers fair in their non-conference schedule in 2023?

The 2023 college basketball season is still a couple months away, but the Badgers men’s basketball non-conference schedule has been announced.

Greg Gard and his Wisconsin squad are looking to return to the National Tournament after missing it last year. They did end up advancing all the way to the semifinals of the NIT though, losing to the eventual winners North Texas 56-54.

Now with the entire starting lineup returning in 2023 in addition to some add-ons like A.J. Storr and the four incoming freshman, they’ll look to get the train back on track.

The non-conference slate includes top squads like Tennessee, Marquette and Arizona.

ESPN expects the Badgers to be back in March Madness this year

Can Wisconsin return to the National Tournament?

The 2023-2024 college basketball season is still a couple months away, but ESPN dropped their latest bracketology, listing the Badgers as a seven seed in their projections.

Greg Gard and his squad missed the National Tournament last year for the second time in five campaigns, finishing with a 17-14 regular season record. The team struggled in close games, dropping six contests decided by three or less points.

They went on to advance to the semifinals of the NIT, losing to North Texas 56-54. It was a positive end to a difficult year, though the final loss was another close one that they let get away.

Now operating with their entire starting lineup back in Madison, the Badgers have added transfer guard A.J. Storr and a trio of impressive freshmen (Gus Yalden, Nolan Winter and John Blackwell), amongst others.

The familiar Wisconsin squad seems to be expected to return to their winning ways again in 2023.

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WATCH: Which Badgers’ shot was better?

The 2023-2024 MBB season is still a few months away, but two of the athletes filmed each other making some trick shots in the Kohl Center.

The 2023-2024 men’s basketball season is still a few months away, but two of the athletes filmed each other making some trick shots in the Kohl Center. Entering his second season in Madison, Connor Essegian along with freshman forward Nolan Winter both made shots from the bleachers.

Essegian averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in his freshman season in 2022-2023, making a Badger freshman record 69 three-pointers over 35 contests. He’s quickly become a fan-favorite and his Twitter presence has certainly allowed him to gain popularity.

Winter on the other hand will be entering his first year in Madison, entering the program as a three-star recruit from Lakeville, Minnesota. The 6-foot-10 athlete won the 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year award and will look to become the next Wisconsin star from his home state.

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LOOK: Badger MBB season tickets for sale

The return of Badger men’s basketball is still a few months away, but fans of Greg Gard and his squad now have the chance to buy tickets.

The return of Badger men’s basketball is still a few months away, but the team’s season tickets are for sale on Wisconsin’s website. Fans of Greg Gard and his squad now have the chance to secure their seats for 2023-2024.

All five of the Badgers’ starters from last season are returning again this year, as well as transfer guard AJ Storr (St. John’s) and freshmen Gus Yalden (forward), Nolan Winter (forward) and John Blackwell (guard).

Gard and his players will look to rebound after missing the NCAA Tournament last year, ultimately losing to North Texas 56-54 in the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament in Las Vegas.

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