Andy Katz from NCAA.com named who he thinks the best returning college basketball players are in the country. Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ made the list.
Andy Katz' Top Returning Players:
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) July 6, 2018
5. Kyle Guy - Virginia
4. Ethan Happ - Wisconsin
3. Caleb Martin - Nevada
2. Luke Maye - North Carolina
1. Carsen Edwards - Purdue pic.twitter.com/V86GEERtzS
Ethan Happ added another accolade to his name this week by being named the fourth best returning player in the nation, according to Andy Katz. Happ is behind Purdue’s Carsen Edwards, North Carolina’s Luke Maye and Nevada’s Caleb Martin. Happ is among some elite company yet again. Being named fourth on this list is impressive, especially considering some of the names behind him: Virginia’s Kyle Guy, Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura and South Dakota’s Mike Daum.
Happ plays a style of basketball that fits perfectly into today’s college game. He isn’t a great shooter, but he helps move the ball on offense and can score when posted up. He’s also an active defender and hustles constantly. It’s difficult to find many that play harder than Happ. He pulled his name out of the NBA Draft to come back to Wisconsin for his senior year, which was expected. Returning for one more year means Happ will continue to grow on his already impressive resume and skillset.
Since Happ got to Madison, he’s improved every year. Last season he averaged 17.9 points, 8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Happ led the Badgers in every one of those categories.
The Badgers had a rough year finishing below .500 and missing the tournament for the first time since 1997-98. Next year was going to be an uphill climb, but having Happ back will make things much easier on the inexperienced roster.
Happ is already on of the all-time greats in Wisconsin history. Adding another full year of stats, awards and memories to his already impressive collection will solidify the point even further. It’s refreshing to see him recognized with some of the NCAA’s elite, even after a down year for the team.
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Wisconsin and Big Ten fans alike know just how dominant Happ is. The rest of the country will soon find out.