Busting Brackets
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Big Ten Basketball: Updated way-too-early rankings after the NBA Draft

By Lukas Harkins

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 04: The Michigan Wolverines celebrate after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers 75-66 during the championship game of the Big 10 Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 4, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 04: The Michigan Wolverines celebrate after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers 75-66 during the championship game of the Big 10 Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 4, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 02: Happ reacts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 02: Happ reacts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Some people will say this is too low for Wisconsin. Others will say this is too high. While the team does return every single major contributor from last year, we also have to remember that the Badgers were not good last year. In order for the team to make the significant jump that many are expecting, the roster not only has to be healthy but show improvements across the board. Simply re-running the same roster as last year with a couple of healthy additions will not result in an NCAA Tournament appearance without individual improvements. Regardless of this, though, improvements should be expected and therefore Wisconsin should compete for a Big Dance bid.

Rising senior big man Ethan Happ (17.9 points, 8.0 rebounds) will be the clear leader of the team on both ends of the floor. In addition to being the best post player in the country, Happ is also a tremendously underrated defender who is opportunistic when it comes to creating turnovers. A National Player of the Year contender, Happ will be asked to do even more than he did last year, which is certainly saying something.

Considering Happ is a non-threat as a scorer outside of five feet, surrounding him with shooters is vital. Based on percentage, the best shooter for the Badgers last season was Aleem Ford, who is heading into his sophomore season. A 6-foot-8 forward,  Ford shot 40.9% from deep last season on 3.3 3PA per game. If anyone on this Wisconsin roster is set for a breakthrough season, Ford is it. He averaged 5.8 points per game a year ago and could be a full-time starter this season.

However, odds are likely that fellow rising sophomore Brad Davison will be the second-best player on the team. A gritty 6-foot-2 guard from Minnesota, Davison averaged 12.1 points per game last season while breaking out as one of the better youngsters in the conferences. In addition, guard Brevin Pritzl (8.9 points) is a dangerous shooter and D’Mitrik Trice/Kobe King will return from injuries after each played just 10 games last season.

Lastly, rising sophomore Nate Reuvers (5.3 points) will play a significant role this season. The expectation is that he will be much stronger in 2018-19 and that will allow him to be better on both ends of the floor.

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