Chucky Hepburn is a very important recruit for the Wisconsin basketball program. With D’Mitrik Trice and Brad Davison both set to graduate at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, the three-star point guard will likely step on campus with a big role to play as a true freshman.

A 6-foot-1, 175-pound senior from Bellevue High School in Nebraska, Hepburn told BadgerBlitz.com he picked Wisconsin because of the coaching staff.

“(I committed to Wisconsin because) the authenticity of every single coach,” Hepburn said. “They showed love to everybody and I loved to see that.

"I am very comfortable speaking with every coach. They have made me feel like family instead of just a player.”

Coming off a regular season Big Ten championship, Hepburn, who averaged 17.3 points, 6.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game as a junior, thinks Wisconsin is trending in the right direction.

“The future is really bright for the program," Hepburn said. "Every commit from the 2020 and 2021 classes are coming from winning teams, whether it was AAU or high school. So we all know how to compete and win. The goal is to win a few championships, but we know it won’t be easy.”

Greg Gard and company would feel even more confident about the future if they are able to snag one more commit in a 2021 class that currently includes Hepburn, Matthew Mors and Chris Hodges.

When asked who he is currently recruiting to UW, Hepburn said, “As of right now, Lucas Taylor is the main focus of adding that fourth commit to the class.”

Because Hepburn committed to Wisconsin last September, this summer wasn’t quite as important to him. Even though COVID-19 forced some major changes to the AAU season, the guard still felt that he played well.

“For me I think it went really well," he said. "Dealt with a few injuries but, overall, I think I played well, especially defensively. I really was everywhere on defense this summer.”

Hepburn, Mors Hodges have some pretty lofty goals. And if they are going to accomplish those, chemistry will be very important.

“I’m real close with both of them," Hepburn said. "I’m a little closer with Matthew because I’ve known him longer, but I enjoy talking to both of them.

"I haven’t looked back once since I’ve committed."