The Wisconsin basketball team has received great news as a talented Sophomore guard is staying with the team.
Connor Essegian, who saw a major dip in his playing time this year, has leased a new apartment in Madison as part of his recent announcement. Essegian has no intentions of entering his name into the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the 2025 season. Wisconsin basketball returns a player who have proved he has the ability to make a difference on the court, despite some struggles this year.
In a shocking turn of events, guard Connor Essegian has announced that he will not enter the transfer portal this coming off-season. Essegian was a star for the Badgers during his Freshman season play, but returned to the court this season to find himself sporadically appearing in games. Head Coach Greg Gard has been known for being a coach that dishes out tough love to his players, it seemed as though Essegian landed on his bad side most of the season.
The guard still displayed this year he has the ability to score and make a difference on the court, like his 15-point performance against Rutgers. Essegian averaged 11.9 points per game last year after starting the last 19-straight games of the season for Wisconsin basketball. This season, Essegian has averaged 3.1 points per game in nearly a third of his playing time compared to a season ago.
Just a season ago, Essegian was one of the top scorers on an up-and-down Wisconsin basketball team. Now, Essegian is shooting a tough 37.4% from the field as he has not cracked the starting lineup once this season. The guard has taken an extreme step in the wrong direction, but perhaps the future is bright for Essegian.
Essegian proved he has the ability to score as he shot 40.4% from the field and 35.9% from three-point range. If given the right combination of playing time and coaching, perhaps Essegian could blossom into the player he once displayed he could be.
The Wisconsin basketball team certainly seems excited to return Essegian, and so does the guard himself. However, after how his Sophomore season played out, many fans are questions whether or not Essegian has made the right decision regarding his future. With Essegian returning, it seems as though the guard must be ready to compete for a starting role, or feels someone will be exiting the program to make way for his return to the regular lineup.
Regardless of why Essegian has chosen to stay, it remains to be seen as to whether or not the guard has made the right decision to stay in the end. Hopefully, Essegian is able to blossom with the Badgers next season.
