What Badger basketball fans can expect from the incoming freshman class

The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team went under quite a bit of roster turnover this past season, losing four players to graduation and four others to the transfer portal. Among that group of eight players were the Badgers’ two leading scorers and four starters. In short, head coach Greg Gard and the recruiting staff had their work cut out for them this offseason in hopes of reloading the depleted roster.

Wisconsin did its due diligence in the transfer portal, acquiring multiple players who will either start or play starter-level minutes for the team next season. The real questions for the Badgers lie in the depth, as with the way things are shaping up, it seems as if they will have to rely heavily on underclassmen to fill major minutes next year. More than likely, the returning sophomore crop will absorb a majority of those minutes, but odds are a couple of “freshmen” will have to rise to the occasion.

Guarantees

The only incoming freshman who is virtually guaranteed a heavy spot in the rotation is Australian guard Owen Foxwell. The 22-year-old is, of course, older than the typical freshman, and by the time the season rolls around, he will likely no longer be categorized as one. However, one thing is certain, and that is his hefty role with the team, as he will likely open the year as the team’s starting point guard.

Luckily for Badger fans, Foxwell should be able to back up these expectations from day one, as he has already proven himself to be an impact player at one of the highest levels of basketball. Foxwell has spent the past five years of his career playing professional basketball in the NBL, which many consider to be a higher level of competition than college basketball. As a result, the 6-foot-2 guard should have no problem transitioning over, likely opening the year as one of Wisconsin’s better players.

Wildcards

Beyond Foxwell is where things begin to break down, as no other freshman on the team has cemented themselves as a positive impact player yet. Jackson Ball and LaTrevion Fenderson have both shown very intriguing skill sets that, in the right context and with the right development, could easily turn them into great players. However, both are still relatively raw as talents, meaning that their minutes will likely be fairly scarce in the early days of the season.

There is always the chance that one or both of them could stand out from the moment they step on campus and assert themselves into the rotation, but considering the amount of resources Wisconsin has allocated to the guard and wing spots this offseason, it seems unlikely that they will be trusted to carry a huge burden next season. Either way you cut it, the Badgers will have their work cut out for them this offseason in finding players who are ready to fill out the back end of the rotation.

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