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Wisconsin Basketball: No Badgers in NBA Draft

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 will not be represented in this week’s NBA Draft.

Sorry to spoil the fun, but there won’t be any Badgers taken in this year’s draft. Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker were clear-cut pro prospects, and guys like Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig still gave Badger fans something to pay attention to on draft night. This Thursday, there won’t be any Badger-related news to report on.

The Wisconsin Basketball program has been one of the most consistent in the entire country. Last season was the first time since 1998 that the Badgers missed the tournament. As Brad Davison made sure to let everyone know, that’s a long time. The Badgers don’t always put dynamite prospects into the draft, but there’s usually some reason to follow along for Badger fans. But not this year.

Usually Wisconsin doesn’t develop players for the NBA. Bo Ryan, and now Greg Gard, play a different style of basketball that usually doesn’t translate directly to the pro level. That doesn’t mean Badgers can’t make it in the pros, but it can make it more difficult to some.

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After Ethan Happ decided to return to school for his senior season, the Badgers lost any hope of having a player drafted, or even signed afterwards, this year. For a lot of programs that can carry a  negative connotation. For Wisconsin, it’s a bittersweet blessing in disguise.

The Badgers certainly struggled last year and aren’t without questions going into next season. But they showed signs of improvement late in the season. Being able to return every player from a team that saw lots of ebbs and flows together is greatly beneficial in the college game. Having Happ back means the Badgers get one more year of one of the best players in program history too.

Happ may not have even gotten drafted had he kept his name in the draft. He was told he needed to develop a more consistent jumpshot if he wanted to increase his chances of being selected. So he opted to return for one more year of school.

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With Happ’s defense and passing skills, if he develops a jumper he can definitely be a draft pick next year.

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