Published Oct 27, 2022
Observations: Wisconsin basketball opens practice to the media
Raul Vazquez  •  BadgerBlitz
Staff Writer
Twitter
@VazquezRivals

MADISON -- The third of three preseason practices open to reporters took place Wednesday afternoon. The session was made up of mostly five-on-five work with the group going through some zone work before reverting back to man at the end of the session.

Defense from the top unit and Steven Crowl's role stood out among other things.

The top two groups for the most part during the practice were Crowl, Tyler Wahl, Chucky Hepburn, Max Klesmit and Jordan Davis going up against Connor Essegian, Chris Hodges, Isaac Lindsey, Markus Ilver and Kamari McGee.

Jahcobi Neath and Carter Gilmore were working with the third team to start and saw some reps with the second team mixed in throughout.

Steven Crowl bulk up noticeable... role on offense will be instrumental 

Advertisement

Any recipe toward Wisconsin finishing better than its project likely includes a breakout from Crowl. As one of a "big three" returning along with Wahl and Hepburn, his role will be magnified.

Over the off-season, the junior added 10 pounds or so to get up 245, and it's been noticeable.

Of the three practices that have been open to reporters, Crowl has had an emphatic dunk in a pair of them. In each practice, he's also been able to move bodies down low and keep possessions alive with offensive rebounds.

Crowl's role in the offense has been noteworthy when watching practice as well.

As noted earlier, as one of three returning players with a good amount of Big Ten experience, Crowl will undoubtedly be one of the top contributors on the team. That said, he's being used as a key cog and connective piece on offense.

Head coach Greg Gard has been looking to use his ability as a passer from the high post, elbow, and at the top of the key with handoffs. Crowl will have his touches to work in the post, but his usage rate should be high this season in all facets. Look for Crowl to be a consistent facilitator as a screener, in hand offs, in the high post, at the top of the key and as someone who can pop or roll after setting a screen.

Top unit will be stingy on defense 

The top unit seems to be solidifying. The last two practices, the first unit has been a group made up of Hepburn, Klesmit, Davis, Wahl and Crowl.

Wahl and Hepburn have shown they are willing and capable defenders during their time. Crowl's length as a 7-footer can be tough to deal with. The duo of Davis and Klesmit have been scrappy defenders as well. Klesmit's energy has fit right in thus far. He's hard nosed in the same manner of Brad Davison and Zak Showalter to name a pair of guys.

That peskiness was on display during a five on five period where the group practiced running a zone and, naturally, practiced beating a zone. The second unit was made up of Essegian, Hodges, Ilver, McGee and Lindsey.

When the aforementioned top unit was on defense, the group dominated and forced four turnovers during the period. The free throw line is the soft spot of a zone and there were multiple instances when entry passes for Hodges or Ilver were batted down. Another possession that stood out was when Essegian, who was defended by Klesmit, drove baseline and was trapped by Klesmit and Crowl before losing the ball.

The team has a number of guys who can contribute

The first few games of the season will be crucial for Gard and his staff to figure out a rotation with a number of guys who can provide solid minutes and few roles locked up. He'll have a number of options from night-to-night, though.

When speaking to reporters during the preseason, Gard has noted that he won't be able to play 12 guys, of course, but he likes the depth of the group. Earlier this week, he mentioned that the 8 through 10 of a rotation will likely be fluid and change from game to game dependent on who is playing well.

From what has been available to reporters, it appears 11 guys can see the floor and contribute: Hodges, Crowl, Hepburn, Lindsey, Klesmit, Wahl, Essegian, Gilmore, McGee, Davis and Neath.

Quick Hitters 

- Essegian will be thrown into the fire as a freshman. His scoring ability is an aspect that will get him on the floor and be an asset for the Badgers, but there will likely be a couple times he gets beat on defense.

During the practice, there was a possession where Crowl dumped an entry pass into Davis, who was posting up Essegian. Davis took two dribbles to get some deep position and scored easily.

- Ilver is in a similar position. Much like Essegian and other young players, he'll have to bulk up. During five-on-five work going against zone, he worked as the big looking to create a crease in the middle of the defense. He was bumped and turned it over a couple of times. Fine and normal with his progression as a player, but noteworthy.

- McGee and Klesmit are vocal throughout. Both transfers were brought in, in part, to bring in experience. Throughout three practices, the two were heard often.

_________________________________________________

*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den

*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel

*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)

*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @TheBadgerNation, @RaulV45, @pete_brey12, @seamus_rohrer

*Like us on Facebook