the team’s offense. Happ has a
lot of potential as a forward who
can combine athleticism with
an ability to shoot from 3-point
range.
Other players who could
potentially work their way into
Bo Ryan’s rotation include:
redshirt sophomores Jordan Hill
and Riley Dearring, freshmen
Brevin Pritzl, Khalil Iverson, and
Alex Illikainen. The 6-foot-3 Hill
will be working as the backup
to Koenig at point guard. Pritzl
enters the season as one of the
team’s lone top 150 recruit, and
the 6-foot-3 guard will look to
make his mark in the team’s
backcourt. Pritzl appears to be
following in the footsteps of
former Wisconsin guards Ben
Brust and Jordan Taylor, who
were undersized players who
made their mark on hustle and
perimeter ability.
he’s been a bench-warmer for his
two-year stint at Wisconsin, he
showed flashes of what he could
potentially do during NCAA
Tournament games against Oregon
and North Carolina. His cutting
and defensive ability should allow
him to be a nice complement to
Koenig in the Badgers’ backcourt.
Working alongside Hayes and
Brown in the team’s front-court
is 6-foot-9 power forward Ethan
Happ. Redshirted during his
freshman season due to the team’s
surplus of front-court players, his
offensive versatility could allow him
to be a solid third option inside
“That insane level
of consistency
is why the
Badgers
get the
benefit
of the
doubt...”
With one of college
basketball’s best developmental
coaching staffs, the Badgers have
proven capable of fielding
competitive teams no
matter the extent
of roster turnover
from the previous
summer. With
two reliable
players in Koenig
and Hayes to
build around,
the Badgers
seem destined
to make their
18th-straight
NCAA
Tournament.
Photo: Anthony Gruppuso - USA TODAY
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