Wisconsin Basketball: 5 keys to a successful 2018-19 campaign

Overall floor spacing improves around Happ

Clearly the biggest hole in Ethan Happ’s game is his inability to score outside of the paint. Even though he is arguably the best post player in the entire nation, he cannot be consistently relied on to score outside of five feet. Considering this, it is important that the roster around him can shoot from around the perimeter. If there are strong shooters around Happ, then the post scoring monster can go to work down low.

However, 3-point shooting was a weakness of the Badgers last season and a major reason for the down season. In fact, only one returning player shot better than 36% from beyond the arc last season (Aleem Ford – 40.9%). And, in total, the team shot a combined 33.5% from three, a poor mark that ranked 254th in the nation (out of 351). Still, this does not mean that the Badgers do not have potentially dangerous shooters.

While the return of Ford will certainly help in this matter, the healthy versions of King, Trice, and Davison should also improve the overall shooting. Above all, though, a strong season from Brevin Pritzl could go a long way for Wisconsin. Despite being seen as a strong shooter, Pritzl only made 35.6% of his trifectas a year ago.

If these players are able to improve Wisconsin’s floor spacing around Happ, then this could be a big year.