MADISON, Wis. – It’s hard for University of Wisconsin sophomore John Blackwell to view Connor Essegian in any way other than a close friend.
The two have talked multiple times since Essegian left for Nebraska in April, with topics ranging from Essegian sending him pictures of his new apartment to the two discussing their religious faith.
“That’s my guy for life,” Blackwell said. “I’m excited what he’s doing at Nebraska right now, having a good season.”
Blackwell, his teammates, and the Wisconsin fan base will see firsthand the growth of Essegian when he and the Huskers face the Badgers (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten) in the Kohl Center in the only regular-season meeting between the programs.
A hot-shooting guard who was the only member of Wisconsin’s 2023 recruiting class, Essegian quickly became a UW fan favorite for his shooting range and persona. Even as he struggled through last season, Essegian’s entrance into a game always drew an audible reaction from the home crowd, particularly the student section.
Nebraska fans have treated him similarly well. Essegian ranks third in the Huskers (12-7, 2-6) in scoring at 11.5 points per game, shooting 43.1 percent from the field. He’s hitting 41.5 percent from three, a better percentage than his freshman year at Wisconsin when his 69 three-pointers broke the school record for perimeter buckets by a freshman.
“They run some stuff for him, some of the same things we ran for him that I’ve seen so far,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. “He’ll let them fly in transition … He’s got a quick trigger. The ball comes off the hand just like it did when he was here.”
The fact that a talented scorer like Essegian couldn’t find the floor last season was one of Wisconsin’s biggest storylines
He entered last season with a ton of momentum after his play forced his way into the startling lineup 16 games into his freshman season, averaging 11.9 points in 35 appearances and was named to the conference’s all-freshman team.
That earned him NIL money from the Varsity Collective, Wisconsin’s fundraising arm, and an inside track to see an increase in minutes. However, a BadgerBlitz source said that Essegian didn’t have the same drive throughout that offseason compared to when he entered the program, causing him to start training camp out of shape and slightly overweight. That might explain why Essegian, who lost his starting role after being outplayed in camp by transfer A.J. Storr, needed close to a month to recover after getting landed on in the season opener.
Essegian’s defensive struggles bled over to his bread-and-butter perimeter shot. He finished last season shooting 30.3 percent from three and averaging 3.2 points in 7.3 minutes.
He originally planned to remain with Wisconsin, telling BadgerBlitz.com before the Big Ten Tournament, “there’s no reason (to enter the portal). I love this place,” but that was before he logged only 12 minutes and nine points on the Badgers’ four-game run to the tournament championship game. He was a healthy scratch in the NCAA Tournament first-round loss to James Madison and announced his decision to transfer two days later.
The change of scenery has been good for Essegian. Still mostly coming off the bench, Essegian’s game has returned to the level he was at two seasons ago. He has regained his form with 10 games in double figures and eight games making at least three three-pointers.
“He’s catching it on the run, he’s catching it and going to his right, he’s catching it and going to his left, he can step into his jump shot,” said former Michigan coach John Beilein on the Big Ten Network after Essegian scored 22 points (6-for-8 3 FGs) in a December win over North Florida. “He’s worked his whole life at shooting the ball quickly and in every different situation.”
As he dove into the film this week and watched USC’s Thursday victory over Nebraska, the Huskers’ sixth straight loss, Gard believes playing next to guard Brice Williams and forward Juwan Gary has benefited Essegian. Williams has elevated his game since transferring from Charlotte two seasons ago and averaged 18.5 points per game. Gary averages 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds along with 23 steals and 11 blocks. Gary, Williams, and Essegian combined for 59 of Nebraska’s 73 points against the Trojans.
“He’s a recipient of those guys playing with the ball in their hands and finding him,” Gard said of Essegian. “You got to pay attention to him. Can’t lose him, moves well without the ball, a lot of the same things we’ve seen here.”
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