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Wisconsin Basketball: Point guard transfer targets for Badgers

By Christian Borman

Mar 2, 2021; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jordan McCabe (5) calls out a play during the first half against the Baylor Bears at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2021; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jordan McCabe (5) calls out a play during the first half against the Baylor Bears at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Wisconsin basketball team is going to look dramatically different next season. The Badgers were a senior-laden team in 2020, most, if not all of the six seniors on the team will be gone for the 2021 season.

Seniors Micah Potter, Nate Reuvers, D’Mitrik Trice, and Aleem Ford have all posted publically on social media that they would be moving on to the next chapter in their lives. Brad Davison and Trevor Anderson haven’t officially posted anything, but it is expected that Davison won’t be back and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Anderson left as well.

That leaves the Wisconsin basketball team with a  lot of youth and inexperience. There would essentially be two players returning with meaningful playing experience: Tyler Wahl and Jonathan Davis.

There is a pile of really good talent coming in with players like Lorne Bowman, Chucky Hepburn, and Matthew Mors, but I’m sure Greg Gard would like to have some experience and veteran leadership on the team, especially at the point guard position.

Having a pair of true freshmen running the point in the Big Ten could cause some issues for the Badgers. Bringing in a transfer point guard who has some college experience could be something the Badgers would want to look into.

Lately, the transfer portal has been blowing up. It seems like there are more kids entering the portal each day. The Badgers should look into it and see if there is someone who could help them in 2021. There are plenty of quality guards in the portal. Here are a few the Badgers might want to look into bringing to Madison.

Jordan McCabe  – West Virginia

You might remember Jordan McCabe coming out of high school in 2018 as the kid who had some really cool highlight tapes of his dribbling and passing abilities.

When Jordan McCabe entered the transfer portal earlier this week, my first thought was that the Badgers wouldn’t be interested in McCabe because he is from Wisconsin (Kaukauna), and the Badgers never even offered him a scholarship out of high school, but apparently they have already reached out to the junior transfer.

At West Virginia, McCabe got more playing time earlier in his career than later. In 2020-21, McCabe averaged just 11.0 minutes per game and 2.2 points per game, down from 18.5 minutes per game and 5.5 points per game his freshman season. In his three years at West Virginia, McCabe averaged 3.8 points per game and 1.9 assists per game.

It feels like McCabe never really got a shot at West Virginia. With Wisconsin’s need for an experienced point guard and McCabe, a Wisconsin native, looking for a shot to play possibly for a bigger program, there could be a sensible match here.

Kellan Grady – Davidson

This may be a bit of a pipe dream for the Wisconsin basketball team. Coming out of high school, Kellan Grady was a four-star recruit who really only got a bunch of mid-major offers. Since he stepped foot on campus, he was a starter. He’s started in 113 of 115 games for the Wildcats.

He averaged at least 17.1 points per game every year at Davidson. He has a career 17.4 points per game average along with 2.2 assists.

As a graduate transfer, Grady has one more year of eligibility. He will likely try to get to a school that will propel him into the NBA, something the Badgers aren’t necessarily known for, especially with point guards.

With his ability to score and hit threes, Grady will be a coveted prospect in the transfer portal. Wisconsin will likely check in on him, but it would surprise me if anything came of it.

Marcus Carr – Minnesota

Marcus Carr was a good chunk of Minnesota’s offense last year. Now that Richard Pitino was let go and brought in a new coach, Carr entered the transfer portal. Carr was a member of the Associated Press All-Big Ten First Team this season. He averaged 19.4 points and 4.9 assists per game in 2020-21 with the Gophers.

It would be tough to see Carr hop ship to a rival, but again, Wisconsin’s need for a point guard could pair well with what Carr is looking for in a new team. This will be the second time Carr is transferring. He transferred from Pitt to Minnesota after his freshman season in 2018.