The future

MichiganPacker posted:

I don't think he'll ever play in the NBA. If you aren't going to be a featured guy in the post, you have to be able to shoot from at least 15-18 feet (or more ideally, a corner 3). If you can't shoot from there, the offense ends up having to play 4 on 5. Happ is the antithesis of the Warriors/Rockets model.

Or be an intense post defender, or rebound like a mofo, or be a huge shot-blocker.  Fringe NBA players need something to hang their hat on.  Exceptional footwork in the post works if you are Hakeem Alajuwon, but Happ is no Hakeem.

Excellent college player, but I agree, not NBA material.      

MichiganPacker posted:

How much do you think he'll play? He may be a defensive liability (the underrated part of Gasser/Brust/Jackson was that they were all good defenders (Jackson was 6'3"; Gasser was 6'4" and Brust was a solid 6'1").

The core next year of Happ, Davison (who I think is going to be REALLY good), Trice, Kobe King, Reuvers, and Ford is strong. They need another big guy to play defense and rebound more than another guard.

I don’t know how much Strickland can play as a Freshman. There are a lot of Gs on this roster...

I am not sold on Ford and I don’t think he’s  a G. And if they go Trice, Davison, and King as a 3G lineup, they’ll need rebounding to pair with Happ. Iverson is probably going to have to play F next year. They’ll be a little small in that lineup, but Iverson makes up for his smaller size with his leaping and strength. 

But this does make for some interesting rotation decisions. You have the guysvill assume are the starters- Trice, Davison, and King. But what do you do with Pritzl, Anderson, and now Strickland? You probably move Iverson to F, and Ford is a really morebif a F, and you have a Thomas and Illikainen. Can’t go 11 deep realistically, and the fact that you have thrust last year’s 3 true freshmen into service tells you what they think of these other Fs. 

Gard has a bottleneck at G and maybe the off-season will decide some of thes issues. 

Badgers looking to add a big to bridge the Happ gap:

https://www.jsonline.com/story...r-samford/502361002/

https://samfordsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5470

http://uwbadgers.com/news/2018...8-signing-class.aspx

– Wisconsin men's basketball coach Greg Gard announced Wednesday that high school seniors Tai Strickland and Joe Hedstrom have signed a national letter of intent to attend the University of Wisconsin and play basketball for the Badgers beginning in the fall of 2018. The duo joins Taylor Currie (Clarkston, Michigan) in the Badgers' Class of 2018.

It looks like Wyatt Walker can actually play. He played well as a freshman at Samford- interior guy only. I’d feel a lot better about the interior if he signed. Just imagine him instead of Van Vliet. 

Hedstrom has Anderson written all over him. Can’t move, can’t play. Big time project. 

Currie has game but like Reuvers he’ll get pushed all over the floor and he won’t last an entire B1G season. But hit the weights and he has a very nice back to the basket game and can shoot. 

Strickland will have to prove he can handle big time G play, but he is an assassin from deep. As discussed he might get pushed out of the rotation freshman year because of numbers, but if anyone struggles he might get a shot. The guy who should worry most might be Trice...

I'm guessing if you watched any games this season, Trice doesn't have much to worry about

Gard extended through 2023

Not sure- Trice was turning the ball over and wasn’t shooting the ball well. From reports Anderson is a pure shooter. Davison may be more of a 2, but Trice won’t be PG if he doesn’t play well. And if Strickland hits the ground running, well... 

Owen Hamilton, a 7 foot center who played at Northern Illinois last season transfered to the Badgers.   He will be a walk-on.  He is originally from Prescott, WI.  He averaged 2 points per game in 27 games as a freshman at N I.  Hope he develops. 

Any big guy added to the roster will help....but, Does he have to sit the 2018-19 Season?

BTW....will he be another Frank the Tank?  or Evan Anderson?  or   JP Gavinski?

Time will tell I guess.

He'll be a poor man's Evan Anderson.

ouch.

Being here in Western Wisconsin, I saw them both play.  Anderson was more athletic than the Prescott kid.