Evaluating Wisconsin Basketball Sophomore Class

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Last season, Wisconsin Basketball had to rely on their freshmen more than in any season of the Bo Ryan era, due to the departure of five key players. There were some growing pains over the first half of the season, but most of the freshmen were able to find their roles and contribute to the Sweet 16 run. Over that turnaround, it was clear that the 6-man freshman class has a very bright future, and can be something special.



Ethan Happ


ST LOUIS, MO – MARCH 20: Ethan Happ #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers handles the ball against Jalen Reynolds #1 of the Xavier Musketeers in the second half during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center on March 20, 2016 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)


Coming into the season, expectations were sky high for the redshirt freshman. Happ not only met them, but he exceeded them beyond most fans wildest dreams. His nifty footwork and wide array of post moves were Kevin McHale like, and once his finishing improved, he was virtually unstoppable inside. Happ averaged 12.4 points and 7.9 rebounds on a very efficient 53 percent shooting.

Those stats weren’t the product of dominating bad competition either. He went head to head with “Green Room Guy” Thomas Bryant, and scored 25 points. He had 18 and 14 points in two games versus Michigan State. He scored 15, 18, and 14 points in three NCAA Tournament games against Pittsburgh, Xavier, and Notre Dame. As a result Happ was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, as well third team All-Big Ten selection. He was just as good on defense, averaging a conference high 1.8 steals per game.

As great as Happ’s freshman season was, he is going to get even better. Last season, he didn’t attempt a single 3-pointer. If he can add even a decent midrange jump shot, he will be even more of a nightmare for opponents to guard. In addition, Happ needs to avoid foul trouble. He is arguably going to be the best player on the Badgers for the next three seasons, so he needs to be on the floor. He must stop picking up silly fouls. If Happ can build on his stellar freshman campaign by making those improvements, he can be one of the greatest players to ever wear the Wisconsin uniform, and that is not an exaggeration.

Khalil Iverson


Even though he was just a 3-star and sub-350 recruit, the excitement level was high regarding Iverson due to his next-level athleticism. Fans were hoping to see some of the incredible dunks that are splattered across his high school mix tapes. They were not disappointed. On several occasions, Iverson showed of his insane vertical leap with highlight reel dunks, most notably his windmill dunk on Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff.


Iverson also contributed in other areas besides dunking. He was relentless on the offensive glass, and provided good defense for the Badgers. He also made a lot of big plays. Whether it was a big block, steal, offensive rebound, or loose ball, Iverson made the most of his minutes. However, outside of dunks off fast breaks and cuts, and the occasional post-up, Iverson was a nonfactor offensively. For someone of his athleticism and strength, he rarely was able to get to the rim and finish. His also shot an abysmal 16 percent from beyond the arc.

Iverson has buckets upon buckets of potential. His athleticism is up there with anyone in college basketball, and he is an extremely hard worker with a high motor. But he needs to become a scoring threat. To do that, he needs to vastly improve his jump shot and ball handling.

Charlie Thomas


MADISON, WI – DECEMBER 05: Obi Enechionyia #0 of the Temple Owls boxes out Charlie Thomas #15 of the Wisconsin Badgers during the first half at Kohl Center on December 05, 2015 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)


At 6-8, 253 pounds, Thomas is a load inside. He isn’t the typical Wisconsin forward. Instead of relying on skill and shooting, he uses pure strength and toughness. Despite playing only 9 minutes per game, he showed off great post defense, keeping taller and more experienced opponents at bay. He was also a tough rebounder on both ends of the court.

Although his minutes dwindled as the season went on, Thomas showed he has the ability to be a key player defensively and on the glass for the Badgers. However, if he wants to see the floor more, he can’t just be a bruiser. He needs to improve his shooting from all areas of the floor, including in the paint. He shot 37 percent from the field, 27 percent from 3-point range, and 47 percent from the free throw line. That needs to get much, much better.

Alex Illikainen


Illikainen was pressed into action unexpectedly last year when Andy van Vliet was declared ineligible for the season. He probably would have been better off with a developmental redshirt year like Happ had, but he did gain some valuable experience. Illikainen averaged 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game.

The good news is he does have a very natural shooting stroke, although he only shot 32% from deep. However, that is likely more due to a lack of confidence and comfort than his motion. Despite an increase in minutes, Illikainen never looked very comfortable on the court. He passed up many open shots, and when he did take them, he was hesitant. He also struggled finishing inside.

When Illikainen does get more comfortable, he will be a really good shooter for the Badgers. A redshirt season this year may be useful for him to gain some weight and gain back some of that much needed confidence.

Andy van Vliet/ Brevin Pritzl


Pritzl and van Vliet both didn’t play last season for very different reasons. Pritzl, a sharpshooting 2-guard, broke his foot in a preseason practice. He did play one minute in garbage time against Siena, causing him to lose his redshirt. However, the NCAA will almost certainly grant him a medical redshirt if they have any common sense at all. Oh wait…

When Pritzl is finally able to play, he has the ability to stretch the floor and be a Ben Brust type player for the Badgers. He was actually a 4-star recruit and top 100 player coming out of high school, making him the highest rated recruit of the class. Hopefully he can make a full recovery and contribute as expected.

Van Vliet was declared ineligible because of some complicated NCAA rule that shouldn’t have applied to this situation but did, because, well… NCAA. As a result, he will enter this year as a sophomore. He spent the lost year adding some much needed muscle to his lanky 6 foot 11 frame. Now, he is going to be a key contributor to the Badgers due to his size and ability to stretch the floor. Combining him with Happ for years is going to be really scary for future Big Ten front courts.

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