The University of Wisconsin men's basketball program has been committed to finding the right talent for the transfer portal 24/7 without any hesitation or anxiety about the final game.
“My wife would be happy if I stopped scrolling on my phone at night and in the morning,” assistant coach Sharif Chambliss said, acknowledging that restructuring the roster remains urgent.
“We have a great staff and these days we meet frequently in a war room/slash conference room between offices (in the call center).
“We're just trying to figure out what we need, trying to put together a roster. It's more of a typical pro team kind of figuring out where we need help. is.
“I've been busy. I have to look up a lot of information. It's almost speed dating, getting to know people and being honest about it.”
UW assistant coach Joe Kravenhoft thought the same way. He mentioned several times the importance of due diligence in a comprehensive process that is very different from the past.
“Do you know what the war room and recruiting room look like on NFL draft night?” he asked. “My office looks like this, except our drafts are four or six weeks long.
“We have a draft board. Players come and go, availability and affordability. Is he a good fit for our skill set? There's a pecking order. But we don't have complete control. Not that you can.
“You can’t draft these kids.”
However, it can be rented. Let's take the example of AJ Storr. He is currently attending Kansas, his third school in three years, after stops at St. John's and Wisconsin, where he was the leading scorer last season.
Joining him were third-year starter Chucky Hepburn, a point guard from Louisville, and Connor Esejian, a 3-point shooter from Nebraska. There were others too.
Officially, the Badgers have three transfers scheduled. They are Kamren Hunter, a 6-3 guard from Central Arkansas, Xavier Amos, a 6-8 forward from Northern Illinois, and John Tonge, a 6-5 wing from Missouri State.
The departure of Rockhurst University assistant Dean Oliver and new head coach Kyle Blackbourn as director of recruiting leaves the staff short-staffed but with a lot of ground to cover.
Badger War Room General
Kirk Penny, a special assistant to head coach Greg Gard, has been working remotely from his native New Zealand these days. Penny will induct him into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2024.
After brief NBA stints with the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers, he played professionally in Spain, Israel, Lithuania, Germany, Turkey, and the New Zealand Breakers.
“His professional acumen, his ability to understand (roster construction) is really valuable,” Kravenhoft said. “The construction of a college team today is definitely different than it was five years ago.”
To emphasize the all-hands-on-deck approach, Mark VanDeWetering, UW's chief of basketball operations and a 12-year veteran of the program, is also on board.
“Honestly, he's one of the most important players right now,” Kravenhoft said. He's the general manager, so to speak. He brought everything together. ”
University of Wisconsin men's basketball assistant coach Joe Kravenhoft watches the second half of a game against Illinois on January 7 in Champaign, Illinois. (AP Photo/Michael Ario)
Mr. Gard is steering the ship through the turbulent waters, and he predicts that everyone will see this as the arrival of a “whole new world,” and he is now adjusting to the consequences. has been repeatedly emphasized.
“He was a leader,” Chambliss said. “He's a solid guy that everyone knows.”
Regarding the staff's readiness for change, Krabbenhoft added: But it wasn't a surprise to us.
“We may have felt like we were OK with losing a really good player in the portal. I did.”
How UW finds the “perfect fit”
Essegian entered the portal on March 24, Stowe on March 28, and Hepburn on April 18. The question is, how do you find the right transfer option within a limited time frame?
“The way we find the right fit, maybe the process of finding the right fit, has changed,” Krabbenhoft acknowledged. “But there is an umbrella underneath.
“It means culture, it means style of play. What kind of young man are you? What are your values? Those things are the same when Bo (Ryan) scouted me and now Greg Gard. Is not …
“For decades, these ideas continue to ring true when it comes to finding the right fit. So how do you go about finding a compatible partner in speed dating? …These… Things happen quickly.
“We get a lot of phone calls. It involves a huge amount of cross-checking and reference checking, and it means we're circling the wagons hard for these kids within days.
“Because sometimes that's all that matters. Within a few days, I'm connecting with that kid's coach, his league coach, all kinds of connections, whatever we can do to understand as much as we can.” I am.
“as soon as possible”
Wisconsin's Joe Kravenhoft (left) and Indiana's Devan Dumes battle for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Daron Cummings)
This week, Kravenhoft spoke by phone with former Badgers guard Brad Davison, who is playing in Spain. Davison represents a different era, further back in time than anything else.
“When Brad graduated from high school, I had it (evaluation) for four years, so by the time he said 'yes' to being a Badger, what could we get? I was confident,” Kravenhoft said.
“Well, we still have to look into them all.
“But instead of four years, it might only be four days.”
Wisconsin transfer Kamren Hunter is 'resilient'
Hunter is an interesting study.
As a freshman at Central Arkansas, he started 30 games, was named first team All-Atlantic Sun Conference, and was the team's leading scorer (14.1 points). He had a team-high 102 assists.
As a sophomore, he again started 30 games, was first team all-league and increased his scoring average to 16.9 points. He had a triple-double and scored in double figures 27 times.
As a junior, he injured his foot during the offseason and was sidelined for the year, except for some work on the scout team. He also had to deal with the death of his father.
“At the end of the day, when you think back to the words you had with this kid, those words are resilient and you understand why,” Chambliss said. “He’s dealt with a lot, a lot of things.
“I know this. I lost my father over six months ago. He lost his father over four months ago. That child is resilient. I don't need to go into too much detail. You'll find out a lot about him.
“I believe he's a combo guard who can score points. He can play the right way and make certain plays and decisions at the right time. I'll tell you, he's a big-ten body. have.”
Point guard Kamren Hunter averaged 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in two seasons at Central Arkansas.
Chambliss was impressed with Hunter's knowledge of the Badger program, even though he grew up in Bryant, Ark., a suburb of Little Rock.
“He had done his research beforehand when I called him,” Chambliss said. “He was a fan of the 2014-15 Final Four team. He knew Frank Kaminsky and all those guys.
“It was so cool to talk to him about that and the opportunity here. Why we need him, what we need from him. This kid is doing everything to be a Badger and win.” I’m ready to bet.”
Hunter's physicality stood out to Chambliss. Such was the case with Kravenhoft.
“He looks like he's ready for the Big Ten,” Kravenhoft said. “He's physical, he's strong. He plays on two legs. He's left-handed and plays like Jalen Brunson (of the New York Knicks).”
Hunter has two years of eligibility remaining. So is Amos. Another interesting study.
Xavier Amos, Chicago Public League President
As a true freshman at Northern Illinois University, he saw minimal playing time. He started one of the seven games. As a sophomore, he began to blossom, starting 25 games and averaging 13.8 games per game.
“It's important to be close to home,” Kravenhoft said of Amos, a Chicago native. “Family is very important to him, so there's a reason why he wants to be nearby. He's only two hours away from home.
“His parents can continue to come to his games. That's still important to these young guys. They're still growing.”
Not lost on Kravenhoft and the rest of the staff was the fact that Amos played at Whitney Young High School in the Chicago Public League.
He needed to bring smiles to the faces of strong Chicagoans like former UW assistant Howard Moore, who played at Taft High in the Public League and coached at Loyola University and the University of Illinois-Chicago.
“When I think about Howard, it obviously fills my heart,” Kravenhoft said. “I know he’s proud that Chicago Public League players are coming to represent the Badgers.”
Northern Illinois forward Xavier Amos, right, is guarded by Northwestern guard Bou Bouye during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in Evanston, Illinois. ) drives a car. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Fu)
Regarding the promise Amos has already shown as a player, Kravenhoft said: It's about to explode. ”
Amos, who was also scouted by Tony Bennett at the University of Virginia, scored a career-high 26 points against Northwestern last season. That year, he hit four triples and shot 38 percent from the arc.
“For us, culture has been our staple. Just knowing the type of kids we're recruiting,” Chambless said, adding that on the subject of finding the right fit for the program. I turned back.
“We know that when he (Amos) comes into our locker room, it's not going to disrupt a lot of things and it might even get better. On the court, his skill set speaks for itself. Masu.”
working on another transfer
On Thursday, the Badgers stepped into the portal again and signed Tonje, a graduate student with one year of eligibility remaining, for the third time.
In four seasons at Colorado State, he started 46 of 122 games and scored 1,072 points. In 2022-23, he averaged 14.6 points and got to the free throw line frequently (106-130, .815).
Michigan forward Moussa Diabaté (left) faces Colorado State guard John Tonge (left) during the first half of a college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 17, 2022. Right) is trying to pass the ball ahead of the other. (AP Photo) /Michael Conroy)
After entering the portal for the first time, he landed at Missouri State, but injuries limited him to just eight games last season. He's also a guy with a mature body that's good enough to play in the Big Ten.
“He’s a strong, physical wing, a sixth-year guy who can score goals,” Kravenhoft said. “He's confident and his experience factor will be invaluable to us.”
As it stands, Wisconsin is still looking for another big center, the 5, to join Chris Vogt, a 7-1 transfer from Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati who made an impact on the team in 2021-22. By the way.
The days never get shorter in the Kravenhoft and Chambliss portals. Or the entire staff.
So is their commitment to finding the right fit.
