Wisconsin Basketball: Five storylines for the 2018-19 season

Offseason development of key players

While the hope is that there is a noticeable improvement from last year up and down the roster, the development of three players in particular- Nate Reuvers, Aleem Ford, and Brevin Pritzl- is what I am most eager to see.

Going into last season, the expectation was that Reuvers would be taking a redshirt year in order to put on some weight and gain strength. However, Gard was forced to throw him into the fire before he was ready because the Badgers desperately needed another body in the post alongside Ethan Happ, and Charlie Thomas and Alex Illikainen were not stepping up to the challenge. While it was clear from the start that Reuvers was not ready to be an impact player in the Big Ten yet, he showed fearlessness and actually performed better than many expected, eventually securing a place in the starting lineup.

I’m excited to see what Reuvers can do this season now that he has one year of experience under his belt and has put 25 pounds on his frame.  The former Top 100 recruit has immense upside as a 6’11 big with the capability to both stretch the floor from behind the arc and score in the post. Reuvers has flashed some great footwork down low and should be much more of a threat near the basket now that he has put on some mass.

Reuvers is really the only reliable post player on this roster aside from Happ, so the Badgers need him to step up in a big way this season. I think he will.

Ford and Pritzl are also potential breakout candidates for Wisconsin this year.

Coming into last season there were plenty of whispers around the program that Ford could explode onto the scene and surprise some people as a redshirt freshman. That promise did not quite materialize, though I would still say the 6’8 wing from Georgia had a successful first season, starting 20 games and emerging as Wisconsin’s top threat from long range.

Like Reuvers, Ford put on some weight over the offseason and should be poised to make a jump this year. One of the most naturally-talented slashers to the hoop on the roster, that physical development should pay huge dividends in helping him absorb contact and convert more baskets. Pair that with continued success from long range, and we could be looking at a double-digit scorer this season.

The same could be said of Pritzl, who has struggled to live up to the considerable potential he flashed as a top recruit so far throughout his career. The 6’3 guard from De Pere, Wisconsin came to Madison with a reputation as one of the top three-point snipers in his class, and while he still has a beautiful stroke mechanically, he has struggled to be a consistent shooting threat.

That being said, Pritzl’s has somewhat surprisingly been a key contributor in other areas for the Badgers. Last season, he led Wisconsin in assist-to-turnover ratio and was third in rebounds while also averaging 8.9 points per game. Pritzl has also become a scrappy player who does the little things that don’t always show up in the box score to help his team, much like former Badger Zak Showalter.

While that is all fine and good, Pritzl has the talent to be so much more, and I still believe the time has not run out for him to live up to his potential. Could this be the year that he makes that jump that Badger fans have grown to expect from players after their first couple seasons?