Wisconsin Basketball: Who is the second best player on the team?

This year’s Wisconsin Basketball team is talented and has a relatively deep rotation. But who is the next best player behind Ethan Happ?

Winning in March is credited to many different things. Some theorize that a team must have some level of NBA talent to make a championship run, others suggest a team with multiple players who pose a true threat to ‘take over’ a game are what’s needed. Wisconsin basketball is in a peculiar place in regards to these two theories.

First, Ethan Happ is the closest thing the Badgers have to NBA talent at the moment, and even then, he is a late first-round pick at best. So we’ll ignore that theory as it’s not very favorable. The other theory is, however. Happ can absolutely take over a game. He’s one of the best players in the country and somehow manages to score at will without having even a serviceable jump shot. He can do just about anything on a basketball court and carry his team to victory if needed. But, who’s the next best player on the team behind Happ?

The popular answer is probably redshirt sophomore D’Mitrik Trice, who is second on the team in scoring and is lights out from beyond the arc. Even despite his recent shooting slump, he’s still over 45% from deep on the season. The other two Badgers worthy of debate are fellow sophomores Brad Davison and Nate Reuvers.

These four individuals make up Wisconsin’s four leading scorers and are what keeps the program going. When a big play is needed, it’s up to Happ first, then Trice, Davison, and/or Reuvers. But just who exactly is the next best player on the team?

Disclaimer: the following cases against these players are not meant to suggest they aren’t good or talented. This is strictly meant to discuss who is the next best player on the team behind Happ.