Three takeaways from Wisconsin's first open practice

MADISON — The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team held their first open practice of the season on Thursday, offering the media a look at their multitude of new faces as well as returning stars.

Here are my three biggest takeaways from Wisconsin’s first open practice.

Daniel Freitag, the Badgers’ highest rated recruit from the 2024 class, had an impressive first showing, but it was ultimately the kind of day one might expect from a talented freshman.

He showed plenty of promising flashes, especially when it came to scoring and sheer athleticism. His mixture of speed and physicality should make him a viable scorer and appease the transition to a Chucky Hepburn-less offense.

One of the highlights of the day came when he attacked the paint and scored despite being sandwiched in between Carter Gilmore and John Blackwell.

“He’s obviously pretty well put together for a freshman. You can see his burst, his stop-start, some of the hesitation stuff he does. The athletic ability is there. It’s a matter of just maturing in terms of how you see the game,” Greg Gard said of Freitag after practice.

Yet, as is expected for such an eager freshman, he also made his fair share of mistakes. There were a few bad passes and communication mix-ups with his teammates, but it’s only natural for a player’s maturation process.

“Daniel did some good things today, but the game has also slowed down for him. He got a lot of speeding tickets in the summer. He was going way too fast for what relates to success in college,” Gard said

“You gotta know when you’re in the school zone and when you’re on the interstate. That’s something that he’s gotten better at since June.”

What’s most important is that he took chances.

Ultimately, the most promising trait we saw from Freitag was his lack of fear. He drove into the paint and took tough shots over seven-footers. Less than 20 minutes into practice, he attempted a baseline reverse layup over two players and barely hit the rim. But he tried it.

After a disappointing 2022 recruiting class in which guard Connor Essegian was the only freshman addition, Gard rebounded in 2023, bringing in two players who were essentially ready from day one — guard John Blackwell and forward Nolan Winter.

They finished sixth and seventh on the team in minutes per game, respectively, and each played important roles in the rotation deep into the season.

Winter played next to Steven Crowl for most of Thursday, offering a sample of what Wisconsin’s two best big men look like alongside one another. The pair essentially made the paint an off-limits zone for anybody who tried to penetrate, which was often Kamari McGee.

The sophomore seven-footer looks smarter, more patient and even gained 15 pounds over the offseason, according to Gard.

“That’s why I like to give freshmen [playing time] if they show signs of being ready, at least a little bit of run, because it helps them into year two. It gave him a better idea of how to prepare in the offseason,” Gard said of Winter after practice.

In the backcourt, Blackwell had perhaps the best day of practice out of anyone.

He’s as aggressive as he was last season but has also clearly improved his IQ. He was playing much more methodically and seemed more capable of actually running an offense rather than just coming off of the bench as an occasional heat-check guy. And with the departure of Hepburn, he may have to run the offense.

“He’s been there, done that. He grabbed me earlier and said ‘Coach, a year ago, I didn’t know which way I was going,’” Gard said of Blackwell.

“The confidence is through the roof. He just feels that he’s the best player on the floor.”

Perhaps the biggest question for the Badgers’ upcoming season would be how they recover from the loss of Tyler Wahl, who graduated this past offseason after five years with the program

While it may take years to find someone who can replace his combination of versatility, leadership and playmaking, Gard and company were aggressive about finding more capable front court bodies.

They added Xavier Amos via the transfer portal from Northern Illinois and freshman Riccardo Greppi from Italy, to pair with the returning seven-foot duo of Steven Crowl and Winter.

Amos is the player on the current roster who’s most similar to Wahl. He has a similar build, brings scoring versatility and was guarding all five positions throughout practice.

“I don’t know if we thought he would be this skilled. I thought he was more of a one-trick pony, just a catch-and-shoot guy, but he’s got more to his game,” Gard said of Amos after practice.

“He’s gotten incredibly strong, too. He’s added close to 15 pounds. He’s never trained like how we train here. It’s made a big difference for him.”

Greppi, their other new big man, needs more time to gain comfort but still showed promising flashes. He didn’t officially sign with the Badgers until early August and has only practiced with the team for about six weeks, according to Gard.

“For him, it’s been like drinking out of a fire hose. Three days after he got here, we’re out with the basketball, running. So it’s just been a lot for him,” Gard said.

At times his inexperience is obvious. He doesn’t always show the necessary aggression that Gard expects out of his big men, both on defense and on the glass, but these tendencies should improve as he gains comfort.

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