Tag: Wisconsin Men’s Basketball

First look at former Wisconsin star Chucky Hepburn in Louisville uniform

First look at former Wisconsin star Chucky Hepburn in Louisville uniform

This story was updated to correct a misspelling/typo.

Former Wisconsin point guard Chucky Hepburn was pictured in Louisville’s team photo on Wednesday.

Hepburn is set to start at point guard for the Cardinals in 2024-25 after transferring from Wisconsin this offseason.

He elected to transfer after three seasons as Wisconsin’s starting point guard. He averaged 9,8 points, 2,8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals in over 32 minutes per game during that span on 42% shooting from the field and 36% from three.

During his last season with the Badgers, Hepburn earned a 2024 All-Big Ten honorable mention distinction, a Big Ten All-Defensive team nod and a Big Ten All-Tournament team honor.

Here’s how Hepburn looks in Louisville Cardinals threads in the official team photo for the 2024-25 slate.

https://twitter.com/LouisvilleMBB/status/1846605720005071314

The star point guard wasn’t the only Badger to transfer following the 2023-24 season. Sharpshooter Connor Essegian made the move to Nebraska and star wing A.J. Storr elected to sign with the Kansas Jayhawks.

Hepburn’s shoes will likely be filled by a committee of point guards this season. Veteran point guard Kamari McGee, top 2024 recruit Daniel Freitag and Central Arkansas transfer Camren Hunter figure to lead the rotation.

The Badgers will open their season on Nov. 4 at the Kohl Center against Holy Cross.

Wisconsin basketball receives votes in Associated Press preseason rankings

Wisconsin basketball receives votes in Associated Press preseason rankings

Wisconsin’s men’s basketball program received five votes in the Associated Press’ preseason men’s college basketball rankings on Monday.

Just a few weeks after being awarded the No. 12 spot in the Big Ten men’s basketball preseason poll, the Badgers landed well outside the AP’s top 25 hierarchy ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

The outlet placed Kansas in the No. 1 spot, Alabama at No. 2, defending national champion UConn at No. 3, Houston at No. 4 and Iowa State at No. 5.

Big Ten rivals Purdue (No. 14), Indiana (No. 17) and Rutgers (No. 25) landed within the AP’s initial list. Illinois received 92 votes, Michigan State and Ohio earned 29, Michigan pocketed 19, Oregon notched 12 and Maryland secured one. Wisconsin’s five votes were the 20th-most among unranked teams in this year’s installation of the preseason rankings.

Here is a full look at the AP’s preseason top 25.

Despite amassing a 22-14 mark a season ago and earning a No. 5 seed in the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, this marks the third consecutive season Wisconsin falls outside the preseason top 25.

This year’s team will welcome a cohort of new faces. True freshman point guard Daniel Freitag will immediately join the rotation alongside transfers John Tonje, Xavier Amos and Camren Hunter. Former point guard Chucky Hepburn (transfer), scoring machine AJ Storr (transfer) and mainstay Tyler Wahl (graduation) will not return to the Kohl Center this season.

Wisconsin will begin its 2024 season against Holy Cross on Nov. 4 at the Kohl Center.

Where Wisconsin basketball lands in KenPom 2024-25 preseason rankings

Where Wisconsin basketball lands in KenPom 2024-25 preseason rankings

Wisconsin basketball was ranked No. 46 in the first installation of the 2024-25 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings on Sunday.

The first version lists Houston as the No. 1 team in the country, Duke at No. 2, Auburn at No. 3, Alabama at No. 4 and Connecticut at No. 5. Purdue was the sole Big Ten team to crack KenPom’s top 10 ahead of the 2024-25 season at No. 10.

Wisconsin landed as the No. 11 team in the Big Ten on the hierarchy. Illinois (No. 23), UCLA (No. 26), Oregon (No. 29), Ohio State (No. 31), Iowa (No. 33), Michigan State (No. 35), Michigan (No. 36), Maryland (No. 37), Indiana (No. 39) and Northwestern (No. 50) rounded out conference teams in the top 50.

Unlike other rankings, the KenPom rankings measure college basketball teams based on metrics including offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency, net rating, tempo and strength of schedule. For context, Monday’s AP Top 25 poll listed Kansas as the No. 1 team in the nation, a difference of five spots when compared to KenPom’s No. 6 ranking for the Jayhawks.

Wisconsin is no stranger to receiving subpar positions in preseason rankings. UW earned the No. 12 spot in the Big Ten’s preseason hierarchy a few weeks ago before being placed well outside the AP Top 25 on Monday.

The placement adds up. Wisconsin will enter the 2024-25 season without veteran point guard Chucky Hepburn (transfer), athletic wing A.J. Storr (transfer) and mainstay forward Tyler Wahl (graduation). The team’s top options include Max Klesmit, John Blackwell and Steven Crowl, a far cry from the glory days with Frank Kaminsky, Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker.

Still, Wisconsin finished last season at 22-14 and earned a No. 5 seed in the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. The crew also welcomed transfers John Tonje, Xavier Amos and Camren Hunter to the fold this offseason.

The Badgers will begin their 2024 season against Holy Cross on Nov. 4 at the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin blanked from Big Ten basketball preseason All-Conference team

Wisconsin blanked from Big Ten basketball preseason All-Conference team

Zero Wisconsin men’s basketball players earned a spot on the 2024-25 preseason All-Big Ten team on Tuesday.

The first-team includes Indiana center Oumar Ballo, Iowa forward Payton Sandfort, Minnesota forward Dawson Garcia, Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer, Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton, Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, Penn State guard Ace Baldwin Jr., Purdue guard Braden Smith, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper and Washington forward Greg Osobor.

Smith, Purdue’s all-world guard and 2023-24 All-Big Ten Team member, was selected as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.

Wisconsin’s absence from the list doesn’t come as much of a surprise, especially given its recent departures. Those include guard Chucky Hepburn (Louisville), wing A.J. Storr (Kansas) and veteran forward Tyler Wahl (graduation). Wahl and Hepburn both earned preseason honors ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

The only remaining postseason nominee from 2023-24 on UW’s roster is sophomore John Blackwell, who earned Big Ten All-Freshman team nods following a his eight-point, 3.2-rebound per-game averages a season ago.

Wisconsin will now look to lean on its senior center, Steven Crowl, alongside its three transfer additions Camren Hunter, John Tonje and Xavier Amos. The crew went 22-14 in 2023-24 and fell in the opening round of the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.

LOOK: Wisconsin basketball full 2024-25 Big Ten conference schedule

LOOK: Wisconsin basketball full 2024-25 Big Ten conference schedule

Wisconsin’s men’s basketball program released its 2024-25 Big Ten conference schedule on Thursday.

A total of 10 Big Ten squads, which features conference newcomers Oregon and Washington, will visit the Kohl Center this season.

Greg Gard’s crew will welcome the Michigan Wolverines for its conference opener on Dec. 3, roughly a month before the Iowa Hawkeyes venture to Madison for a Jan. 3 contest.

Wisconsin will then square off against Minnesota (Jan. 10), Ohio State (Jan. 14), Nebraska (Jan. 26), Indiana (Feb. 4), Illinois (Feb. 18), Oregon (Feb. 22), Washington (Feb. 25) and Penn State (Mar. 8) to close its 2024-25 conference home game slate.

UW will play 10 conference away games this season.

The Badgers will travel to Champaign, Illinois to face the Illinois Fighting Illini on Dec. 10 and Piscataway, New Jersey, for a test against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Jan 6.

Wisconsin will then head west for a two-game trip against the USC Trojans on Jan. 18 and UCLA Bruins on Jan. 21 before flipping coasts for a game against the Maryland Terrapins in College Park on Jan. 29.

The Badgers finalize the away slate with Northwestern (Feb. 1), Iowa (Feb. 8), Purdue (Feb. 15), Michigan State (Mar. 2) and Minnesota (Mar. 5).

Here’s the program’s schedule release video from Thursday afternoon:

https://twitter.com/BadgerMBB/status/1836873380542201999

The Badgers will also play non-conference games against Holy Cross (Nov. 4), Montana State (Nov. 7), Appalachian State (Nov. 10), Arizona (Nov. 15), UT-Rio Grande Valley (Nov. 18), UCF (Nov. 22) and either LSU or Pitt (Nov. 24) before the holiday.

Chicago State (Nov. 30), Marquette (Dec. 7), Butler (Dec. 14) and Detroit Mercy (Dec. 22) are scheduled as well.

Wisconsin will kick-start its loaded 2024-25 schedule with an exhibition game against UW-River Falls on Oct. 30.

WATCH: Wisconsin basketball true freshman point guard flashes athleticism

WATCH: Wisconsin basketball true freshman point guard flashes bounce

Wisconsin basketball true freshman point guard Daniel Freitag showcased his athleticism in a short clip on Wednesday.

Despite being listed at 6’2”, Freitag got well above the rim to throw down a left-handed windmill after receiving a pass off the backboard. Not bad for someone who began his first day of classes at UW just a week ago.

Freitag was unquestionably Wisconsin’s most prolific recruit of the class of 2024. As one of five finalists for 2024 Minnesota Mr. Basketball, the newcomer captained Breck High School to a 31-1 record and a Class 2A state championship while averaging 26 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2.5 steals per appearance as a senior.

The output also earned him state tournament first team, Elite 8 Player of the Year and all-metro first-team nods. Before his stint at Breck, Freitag became Jefferson High School’s all-time leading scorer in just three seasons. To put it simply, he can hoop.

247Sports considered Freitag the No. 117 overall recruit, No. 12 point guard and No. 3 recruit from Minnesota in the class of 2024. He will join guards Camren Hunter, Kamari McGee, John Tonje, Max Klesmit and John Blackwell as rotational members of the backcourt this season.

Wisconsin opens its 2024 campaign with an exhibition against UW-River Falls on Oct. 30 before its first regular season game against Holy Cross on Nov. 4 at the Kohl Center.

BREAKING: Wisconsin basketball top-ranked 2025 SG target commits to Alabama

BREAKING: Wisconsin basketball top-ranked 2025 SG target commits to Alabama

Wisconsin basketball target Amari Allen announced his commitment to Alabama on Tuesday via social media.

The top-ranked class of 2025 shooting guard was slated to visit UW this weekend when the Badgers squared off against No. 4 Alabama on the gridiron. Instead, he opted to join college basketball’s third-ranked team from a season ago.

In July, the highly coveted 6-foot-7, 180-pound wing listed Wisconsin as one of his six finalist. The others were Alabama, Minnesota, UCF, Mississippi and Nevada. He was also scheduled to visit UCF the weekend of Sept. 28.

To make matters even more heartbreaking for Badgers fans, Allen announced his decision to transfer to in-state Ashwaubenon High School from Florida’s IMG Academy for his senior hoops campaign on Aug. 18. He played his first few years of high school ball at Kaukauna High School in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, before venturing to Florida.

The rising senior ranks as 247Sports’ No. 98 player in the class of 2025, No. 18 small forward and No. 4 recruit from the state of Wisconsin. On3, Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports all consider the prospect a four-star recruit.

https://twitter.com/2amariii/status/1833536163745042895

While certainly disappointing, Wisconsin can shift all of its resources to landing a commitment from ESPN’s No. 22 player of the class of 2025 Davion Hannah. Hannah is still scheduled to visit during Saturday’s football game against the Crimson Tide.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 ranks within the top 10 nationally with commitments from two in-state prospects: four-star shooting guard Zach Kinziger and three-star center Will Garlock.

Wisconsin commit Zach Kinziger moves in latest ESPN100 for class of 2025

Wisconsin commit Zach Kinziger moves in latest ESPN100 for class of 2025

Wisconsin commit Zach Kinziger is now ranked No. 68 in the latest ESPN100 ranking for the class of 2025.

Two months ago, Kinziger was ranked No. 67 in the midst of a hectic summer with De Pere High School and Team Herro in the AAU circuit.

The De Pere, Wisconsin native is considered a four-star recruit by 247Sports, On3 and ESPN. 247Sports ranks the 6’3,” 175-pound shooting guard as the No. 128 overall player in the class of 2025, No. 24 shooting guard and No. 4 prospect from Wisconsin.

While Kinziger and three-star center Will Garlock are Wisconsin’s lone commitments in the class at the moment, four other in-state class of 2025 prospects were included in ESPN Recruiting Director Paul Biancardi’s latest hierarchy.

That list includes four-star center Kai Rogers (undecided), four-star forward Xzavion Mitchell (Iowa State), four-star shooting guard Jamarion Batemon (Iowa State) and four-star combo guard Davion Hannah (undecided).

While Kinziger has already offered his pledge to join Greg Gard’s program, both Hannah and Rogers could eventually end up in Madison. On3’s recruiting prediction machine awarded UW a 15.3% chance to land Rogers and a 22.8% chance to secure a commitment from Hannah, ESPN’s No. 22 prospect for the class.

Former Wisconsin basketball international signee signs with Oklahoma State

Former Wisconsin basketball Serbian signee signs with Oklahoma State

Former Wisconsin men’s basketball signee Andrija Vuković signed with Oklahoma State on Sunday, per a report from DraftExpress.com’s Jon Chepkevich.

Vuković initially signed with the Badgers on June 10 after a stint with KK Vršac of the Basketball League of Serbia. With the club, the 6-foot-11 big man averaged 13 minutes, 6.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists on a 66% clip from the floor.

Prior to that stop, he suited up in the Eastern European Junior ABA League with Crvena Zvezda’s U-19 squad. In a more expansive role, Vuković tallied 17 points, 7.5 rebounds off a 65% shooting mark.

Vuković initially figured to join Wisconsin’s front-court rotation behind starter Steven Crowl and primary backup Nolan Winter. It became clear he would not be joining the program when the Badgers added Italian center Riccardo Greppi.

All reports indicated Vukovic was unable to join the Badgers due to “paperwork issues.”

With experience on the Italian national team in the 2022 and 2023 U18 European Championships, Greppi can certainly fill the depth position behind Crowl and Winter.

The Badgers begin their season with an exhibition match against UW-River Falls on Oct. 30 at the Kohl Center. UW went 22-14 a season ago and dropped its opening-round game to No. 12 James Madison in the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.

Wisconsin men’s basketball releases 2024 non-conference schedule

Wisconsin men’s basketball releases 2024 non-conference schedule

The Wisconsin Badgers’ men’s basketball program released its 2024 non-conference schedule on Thursday.

Greg Gard’s group will open the season against Holy Cross on Nov. 4 at the Kohl Center. The Badgers will follow their first regular season match with four consecutive non-conference home contests in Madison.

Montana State (Nov. 7), Appalachian State (Nov. 10), Arizona (Nov. 15) and UT-Rio Grande Valley (Nov. 18) will each venture to Wisconsin in the opening month of the 2024 season.

The first-ever Greenbrier Tip-Off follows the local action shortly thereafter. Wisconsin will face UCF and either LSU or Pittsburgh on Nov. 22 and Nov. 24, respectively.

A quick Kohl Center tune-up vs. Chicago State on Nov. 30 follows before UW makes its way to Milwaukee for its annual I-94 rivalry game against Marquette on Dec. 7.

The final roadblock arrives during the recently announced Dec. 14 match against Butler at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, home of the Indiana Pacers. The Detroit Mercy Titans will also play Wisconsin at home on Dec. 22.

On top of the non-conference campaign, which figures to be one of the more challenging slates across the college basketball landscape, Wisconsin will also face a bevy on conference opponents in Madison and across the country.

UW will host 10 Big Ten opponents this season and travel to Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Rutgers and USC for road conference games.

Prior to the chaos, Wisconsin will play host to UW-River Falls in an exhibition on Oct. 30 at home.