Wisconsin Basketball: What can Tyler Wahl bring as a freshman?

Wisconsin basketball is entering this coming season without Ethan Happ. How will incoming freshman Tyler Wahl be able to make a difference?

Ethan Happ has been the driving force of Wisconsin basketball for the past few years. A dominant post presence and above-average passer, the offense constantly ran through Happ. Now that he has graduated, though, there are not many experienced frontcourt pieces on the roster for the Badgers. This should open up some opportunities for incoming freshman forward Tyler Wahl, who is ranked as the No. 190 overall recruit in the 2019 class.

Although maybe not the most highly-rated player to commit to Wisconsin in recent years, he has the potential to be an immediately-impactful player and the program might need that. In addition to just losing Happ, the program also had to wave goodbye to Khalil Iverson and Charlie Thomas this offseason. This has left a ton of frontcourt minutes available and there are not many players available to soak up that playing time.

As of right now, rising junior Nate Reuvers looks poised to take on the featured role in the frontcourt. During this past season, Reuvers showed solid shot-blocking skills and his offensive game has grown steadily since arriving on campus. With the ability to score around the rim or stretch the defense out to the 3-point range, Reuvers should be a lock for the starting five.

Then, though, there is a four-man crew of players that should combine to play a ton of minutes in the frontcourt: Aleem Ford (who slowly returned from injury last year), Micah Potter (Ohio State transfer), Joe Hedstrom (sat out last season), and Wahl. Ford and Potter are the most experienced players of this group, having both played two full seasons at the Big Ten level already, but neither has shown a ton to this point. Potter will not even be eligible until the end of the fall semester.

This should leave plenty of playing time for the incoming Wahl, who has the ability to play in either forward slot as a versatile 6-foot-7 talent. A solid athlete with the ability to score both inside and out, Wahl’s game is extremely well-rounded even if he does not possess a truly “elite skill.” Because of this, it is reasonable to assume that he will be able to see the floor for extended minutes even if he does not have a defined role.

He might not be a 3-point sniper nor a major post threat right away but it is important to mention that he does not need to be a star. If Reuvers develops as many believe he can, Wahl will be a secondary (or even tertiary) piece in the frontcourt rotation and he can make things happen in that role. He is a solid defender and will likely be able to knock down open shots, occasionally score off the bounce, and should function quite well within the Wisconsin system.

There will certainly be some challenges along the way but Wahl seems to be the type of player that can see immediate minutes due to several factors, including the timing of his arrival. With his all-around play, Wahl should be able to make consistent impact plays even if he is not a featured member of the offense.