NCAA Basketball: Top 25 frontcourts for 2020-21 season
By Ian Mumm
. Badgers . 8. team. 493. .
The transition away from Ethan Happ to Wisconsin’s next stud big man didn’t take very long. As expected, Nate Reuvers quickly picked up the torch for the Badgers and carried the load. Even with a marginal increase in minutes, Reuvers was much more aggressive in 2019.
He increased his shot attempts by 53.6%, points by 65.8%, and points per attempt by 8%. While he isn’t the rebounding savant Happ was, Reuvers’ ability to alter shots and rebut attempts is among the conference’s best.
While the Badgers guards rebound well across the board, Ohio State transfer Micah Potter was the best on the team. As a Buckeye Potter was not a priority in the offense but played a much bigger role with Wisconsin even though he saw a marginal increase in minutes. He finished as the second-leading scorer on the team and projects to expand on his production this season.
Potter was particularly efficient from the perimeter (45.1%) smashing his previous performances and it will be something to watch if he can maintain that progression in his shooting ability.
Top-100 freshman Ben Carlson is likely to spell both Reuvers and Potter when they need a breather. He possesses the ability to create his own shot in the post and off the dribble, much in the same way the starting pair do and has the chance to immediately impact the lineup next season. While it may take a year to find consistent production, Carlson has the makings of a being a strong big at Wisconsin in the near future.
However, Wisconsin’s depth among freshman doesn’t end there. The addition of Steven Crowl is another under the radar addition that could lead to early success and exceeding expectations. Crowl is a mobile big man who comfortably operates within the lane, but has equal comfort hitting shots from the perimeter coming off screens or popping off screens. He has strong footwork for the position and can create his own shot on the block.
Outside of their top two bigs, Wisconsin was able to lean on Aleem Ford last season on the wing. He started all 31 games played and showed a big jump in his development and consistency. If he can maintain his production from 2019, the Badgers can make a solid run towards defending their regular-season Big Ten title from last year. The Badgers have a ton of depth to use this season.