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Wisconsin Basketball: Owen Hamilton transfers to Wisconsin

By Tanner Nestle

BLOOMINGTON, IN - JANUARY 03: Thomas Bryant #31 of the Indiana Hoosiers defends against Ethan Happ #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half of the game at Assembly Hall on January 3, 2017 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN - JANUARY 03: Thomas Bryant #31 of the Indiana Hoosiers defends against Ethan Happ #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half of the game at Assembly Hall on January 3, 2017 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Wisconsin Basketball picks up transfer commit from Owen Hamilton of Northern Illinois.

Owen Hamilton will be the latest addition to the tradition that is Wisconsin Basketball big men. Hamilton committed to, and played a year at, Northern Illinois last year. He will be a walk-on and have to sit out the 2018-19 season with the Badgers, but have three years of eligibility remaining, according to Evan Flood of 247.

Hamilton was a dominant big man in high school averaging 25 points, 12 rebounds and over 3 blocks per game his senior year. He played as a true freshman at NIU, but only was able to put up 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds. His per-40 minute averages are 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Hamilton has a long way to go before he can make an impact in the Big Ten. He struggled to find the floor at NIU averaging 6.8 minutes per game, though he did play in 27 of the team’s 32 games and that’s a positive sign.

The NCAA’s transfer rule mandates Hamilton must sit out a year before he can play. In that year Hamilton will become a key part of Wisconsin’s scout team. He’ll be able to play against the Badgers everyday in practice while also getting individual attention from the coaching staff outside of practice. He won’t have to prepare for opposing teams allowing him more time to get in shape and improve the finer points of his game.

At 7 feet, 255 pounds, Hamilton has a good body for the Big Ten. He will still have to prove his talents at the high major level. His size and passion for playing for the Badgers should be good jumping off points.

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Wisconsin’s big men didn’t live up to expectations last year forcing Greg Gard to pull the redshirt off Nate Reuvers. They currently have two commitments from big men in the class of 2018.