Wisconsin Basketball: Badgers reach out to BU grad transfer forward

Looking to add depth to the roster ahead of the season, Wisconsin Basketball has reportedly reached out to Boston University grad transfer Tyler Scanlon.

Down to just nine scholarship players due to the graduation of three seniors and a couple of transfers out of the program, Wisconsin is in dire need of an additional piece or two to help fill out Greg Gard’s rotation next season. The Badgers had been involved with some graduate transfer players earlier this spring to help in this regard, but those efforts were placed on hold as the staff went all in on its failed attempt at landing Sam and Joey Hauser.

Now that the Hauser brothers are out of the picture, Wisconsin is once again kicking the tires in the transfer market on some instant-impact talent for the upcoming season. While the market is understandably pretty depleted at this point considering it’s now June and summer workouts will be starting up soon for most programs, there still are some solid options that remain and could provide a boost to Gard’s rotation.

One such option is Boston University grad transfer Tyler Scanlon.

It was reported earlier this week that Wisconsin was one of several schools that had reached out the 6’7 forward upon his decision to enter the transfer portal, along with Illinois, Belmont, George Washington, Minnesota, Richmond, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and St. Louis. Given the Badgers’ need for depth in the frontcourt now that Ethan Happ, Khalil Iverson, and Charlie Thomas have exhausted their eligibility and Taylor Currie has transferred, as well as his versatile skill set that matches Wisconsin’s style of play perfectly, and it’s not difficult to see why the Badgers are interested in Scanlon’s services.

Scanlon fits the profile of the well-rounded swingman that tends to thrive in the type of offense the Badgers like to utilize, in which fundamentals and long-range shooting are often key. He averaged 13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game last season while shooting 34.2 percent from three and 80 percent from the free throw line. Scanlon was the first Boston University player in at least 40 years to record at least 400 points, 150 rebounds, and 100 assists.

That’s a fairly impressive stat line, but keep in mind that the competition in the America East isn’t exactly comparable to what Scanlon would encounter in the Big Ten. For example, it would probably be a long shot for him to average five boards per contest against the physical athletes he would be going up against at his position. No, what the Badgers would be most hoping to get out of a season with Scanlon is his three-point prowess.

Sure, his 34.2 percent clip from last season isn’t great, but it’s also not indicative of his track record as a shooter: Scanlon shot 39.2 and 40.4 percent as a sophomore and freshman, respectively. You can never have too many shooters on your squad, and if he can get himself back within that range from his first two seasons of college ball, he would be a tremendous addition to Wisconsin’s rotation, either in the starting lineup until Micah Potter is eligible in December or off the bench.

So, how likely is it that Scanlon ends up a Badger? Unfortunately, it’s pretty tough to try to answer that question right now, because we don’t know what exactly he is looking for in his destination. For example, if winning at the highest level in college basketball is important, you would think that Wisconsin would be right up there with Florida, and to a lesser extent Illinois and Minnesota, in its ability to offer that opportunity next season. Also working in the Badgers’ favor is the obvious compatibility between their style of offense and Scanlon’s skill set, as we touched on already. However, if a primary reason for his transfer is a desire to be closer to his hometown of Centreville, Virginia, then Richmond and George Washington could have a leg up on the rest of the competition.

While it remains to be seen how serious of a contender Wisconsin will be to add him, in my opinion, it is clear that this is a guy the staff should be all in on pursuing considering the team’s obvious need for another impact player in this rotation, specifically in the frontcourt, and the scarcity of other options in the transfer market right now. Stay tuned for further developments here.

All stats courtesy of Sports-Reference.com