Ben Carlson
Don’t let the injury-plagued freshman season let you forget about Ben Carlson. Carlson was the highest-rated recruit in the 2020 class, per 247. The Minnesota native did suffer through an unspecified back injury that kept him out most of the season, but before that, he was a member of Gard’s rotation. This is definitely noteworthy considering he had players like Potter, Reuvers, Ford, and Wahl ahead of him. Coach Gard thought highly enough of him and where he was at in his development to find him minutes.
Everything Carlson does well is everything the Wisconsin basketball program typically looks for in their big men. He also possesses above-average athleticism for the position, something Coach Gard will certainly look to take advantage of. With the game trending more and more towards small-ball, it’s tough to know just how Coach Gard is going to rotate his big men. What I do know is Ben Carlson is more than capable of playing either the four or five spots on the floor.
Assuming Carlson is able to make a full recovery, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Carlson isn’t either starting or logging starter minutes down low. He should be able to step in and immediately contribute on the glass while giving the lineup another floor stretching big man. With all of the outgoing offensive production that needs to be replaced, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Carlson fit a niche in this offense and be a strong contributor next season.
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