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Wisconsin Basketball: Setting 2019 offseason priorities for the Badgers

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 15: Head coach Greg Gard of the Wisconsin Badgers looks on in the second half against the Nebraska Huskers during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 15, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 15: Head coach Greg Gard of the Wisconsin Badgers looks on in the second half against the Nebraska Huskers during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 15, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 16: Wisconsin guard Davison goes up. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 16: Wisconsin guard Davison goes up. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Wisconsin basketball is returning a lot of talent for this coming season even with three players graduating. What could be some offseason priorities?

After missing the NCAA Tournament in 2017-18, Wisconsin basketball returned with a vengeance during this past season. Behind the ever-stellar play of Ethan Happ and improved 3-point shooting, the Badgers finished significantly higher in the Big Ten rankings and made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed. And while they were ousted in the first round of the Big Dance, the season still pushed the Badgers back into the national spotlight as a nationally-ranked team.

Heading into this offseason, though, Wisconsin has some questions to answer. With Happ, Khalil Iverson, and Charlie Thomas graduating, the team has some holes to fill in order to remain at the same level as this past season. In order for that to occur, the program needs to set some priorities for the coaching staff to focus on. Every program has issues to solve this offseason and it is important that each sets goals to be accomplished.

With regards to the current roster, future recruiting, and the transfer market, Wisconsin basketball needs to address many different facets of the program prior to the coming season. The roster looks relatively strong already heading into next season but adding a few pieces and focusing on the development of specific players could take the team to the next level. Oh, and it is always important to keep an eye on the future as well.

Let’s dive into five key priorities for the program.