MADISON, Wis. — Upon an initial glance at Wisconsin’s remaining opponents, the Oregon Ducks don’t seem like a substantial challenger. They’re 19-8 and have completely fallen from grace, relative to where they were just a few weeks ago.

However, their recent three-game winning streak has sparked new hope in Eugene.

The main reason they’ve been able to rebound is due to the rise of sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad, who’s averaging 17.3 points over his last six games.

Shelstad entered Eugene as the No. 21 player and No. 6 point guard in the 2023 class. He committed to his home school early in his recruitment and never wavered, even after getting offers from schools like Kansas and Houston.

The 6-foot guard almost certainly received offers in the transfer portal after a strong freshman season, in which he started 30 of 32 games, averaged 12.8 points and made the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team

There was belief that he could enter this season and become one of the best guards in the Big Ten. This eventually happened, but it took some time. The first half of his season was rather up and down.

It wasn’t until these past few weeks that we’ve seen his potential as a top scorer realized on a more consistent basis. Over the past six games, he’s shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from 3.

“I’m just trying to do what I always do. Just trust my work,” said Shelstad. “I started off this season a little slow, but I feel like I put in a lot of work and my teammates and coaches always encourage me just to play my game. I didn’t let up and played my game and just [stayed] confident and got hot out there.”

While the Badgers have faced smaller guards this season, Shelstad has perhaps the most sheer talent. The small guard’s quickness and burst is nearly unparalleled in the Big Ten. He’ll be able to zoom past anybody the Badgers put on him.

The combination of his athleticism and willingness to shoot makes him a nightmare matchup. Many of Oregon’s possessions begin with Shelstad receiving a screen behind the arc and either driving or shooting based on how he’s defended. If he has any room at all, he’s going to shoot.

To top it all off, Shelstad is an incredibly sharp passer. The Badgers won’t be able to double team him, despite Oregon’s lack of other scoring threats.

So who gets the privilege of guarding him?

The immediate name that comes to mind is Kamari McGee. Also standing at 6-feet with a similar level of burst, McGee is the most comparable Badger player to Shelstad. He’s also become one of the best defenders on the team.

“I think everyone on our team would say he’s our most consistent and peskiest defender,” forward Jack Janicki said.

“When you assign him a player, you can almost count on him being neutralized in a way. It’s comforting to be out on the court with a presence like that.”

Defending a player like Shelstad will require such a substantial amount of energy that it’s possible they turn to someone with less offensive responsibility, like Janicki. The redshirt freshman was instrumental against Purdue after McGee was ejected. Another opportunity to play valuable minutes could be a major confidence boost heading into the postseason.

Ultimately, defending Shelstad will have to be a team venture. Especially with how much he leans on screens and matchup hunting.

“Defensively, we’ve gotten better as the year’s gone on. It’s not necessarily always or exclusively the guy on the ball. We’ve gotten better in terms of ball screens,” coach Greg Gard said.

“Holistically, defensively, we’ve gotten better. In terms of, better on the ball. Better with the initial ball screen. Better around it, helping those two guys initially in the ball screen.

“Shelstad’s a handful.”

The Badgers’ recent ascension has made a Big Ten title feasible. But Michigan and Michigan State are still in their way, so it’s gonna take perfection.

After Oregon, the Badgers will prepare to face the Spartans on Tuesday in what is their most important remaining game, by far. Given that colossal pressure, Saturday is ripe for disappointment.

Shelstad is the exact type of player who can kill an entire state’s morale.

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