Wisconsin has 4 clear candidates to be scoring leaders, but don’t overlook these 2

The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team was forced to go through a flurry of roster turnover this offseason, losing eight players from last year's roster, including their two leading scorers. As a result, the Badgers and Greg Gard were left scrambling to find replacements for each of the players lost and, in the end, did a good job filling out the roster.

Now, however, a new problem has arisen in Madison, as the team is searching for who will step up and fill the scoring vacancy that Nick Boyd and John Blackwell left behind. Last season, Boyd and Blackwell combined for 39.8 of the team’s 83 points per game, meaning the new crop of Badgers has its work cut out. With that said, a few players stick out as particularly likely to take the leap and jump into scoring stardom.

The Likely Suspects

A recent poll amongst Wisconsin fans came back with 46% of voters believing that senior forward Nolan Winter will lead the team in scoring next season. Although Winter is talented and will likely be the Badgers’ most impactful player, scoring comes as more of a second thought to him, as he primarily impacts the game through interior physicality and perimeter versatility. There is a chance that Winter levels up his game as a post scorer and ball handler, resulting in him leading the team in points, but the odds of that happening seem slim.

The other two most commonly mentioned names in the poll were Miami (OH) transfer Eian Elmer and returning junior forward Austin Rapp. Elmer’s skillset best reflects that of Wisconsin’s most recent scoring leaders, as his athletic, sturdy frame and outside shooting touch make him a dynamic threat. However, Elmer’s limited ball skills and lack of playmaking nuance mean he has an uphill battle ahead of him if he wishes to become the team’s go-to guy — although it’s far from an impossible hill to climb.

Rapp is a name that has a lot of fans buzzing this offseason, particularly after what he showed during the closing stretch of last season. The 6-foot-10 big man was the Badgers’ most efficient post scorer, along with showcasing the ability to take over games as an outside shooter. Rapp would have to level up his game in several ways if he wishes to become “the guy” for Wisconsin next season, but it’s far from impossible considering what he flashed late last year.

Owen Foxwell was the other name mentioned in the poll and is a player many fans are likely underrating. Foxwell has spent the past five years building an impressive professional résumé in the NBL, a notoriously physical league, and now looks ready to make the leap stateside. His skillset isn’t exactly that of a pure scorer, however, as Foxwell projects more as a true point guard than a dynamic shot creator. Still, he has proven himself more than capable of scoring at a high level of basketball, so who’s to say he can’t scale that production down to the college level.

Longshots and Wildcards

Although the four names previously mentioned are the most likely to make the leap, it’s far from set in stone that they will be the guys. Players like Zach Kinziger and Jackson Ball were brought to Wisconsin to score the basketball and could very easily take over the team’s starting two-guard spot if the opportunity presents itself. However, with both Kinziger and Ball still being as raw as they are based on the most recent action they’ve seen, it seems unlikely they will immediately make that leap.

Nonetheless, plenty of names will be given opportunities to make their mark with the team next season.

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