Wisconsin guard Chucky Hepburn surprisingly entered the transfer portal on Thursday.
The now-former Badger guard is Wisconsin’s eighth departure this offseason — seven via the transfer portal and one via graduation. The Badgers will look a lot different in 2024-25, as starters Hepburn, A.J. Storr and Tyler Wahl are among those eight, plus depth guard Connor Essegian.
Related: Wisconsin basketball social media reacts to Chucky Hepburn’s surprising departure
The roster turnover comes at a bad time for head coach Greg Gard. The Badgers are off a disappointing 2023-24 campaign that saw the team again fail to win an NCAA Tournament game. Many outside the program are turning up the heat on his job security, especially as the losses continue to mount.
The Hepburn news is a done deal. So all Gard and his staff can do is move forward this offseason and find productive replacements.
For the veteran point guard, that will mean replacing 103 games of starting experience and career stats of 32.1 minutes, 9.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals on 42% shooting and 36% from three. It will also require finding a new floor general and leader of the team.
Here is our preliminary list of possible replacements for Hepburn as the transfer portal cycle continues:
Mar 14, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) celebrates his three-point basket against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
2023-24 Averages: 18.5 minutes, 8.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.4 steals on 44% shooting and 45% from three
Gard will first look internal, and Blackwell is Wisconsin’s best ascending young option. He does profile more as a shooting guard, but this exercise is looking at where the Badgers will go to replace Hepburn’s production and presence.
Retaining Blackwell is critical for Gard and his staff. He is the young player with the most potential in the program at the moment.
Daniel Freitag, left, checks out Wisconsin’s football practice Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium. Freitag has scholarship offers from Wisconsin in both basketball and football. Credit: Mark Stewart / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA TODAY NETWORK
Recruiting Ranking: No. 104 player in class of 2024, No. 11 point guard, No. 3 recruit from Minnesota
Freitag is the No. 1 option to start at point guard for the Badgers next season. The highly-touted recruit…
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