So, Wisconsin's roster is more set, and now we have a sense of things. Let's go through:
Projected starters:
PG - Owen Foxwell: A 23-year-old Australian point guard, the staff picked him up before the portal and seem to believe in. Has some good reviews. Won't be Boyd, but interested what type of player he'll be.
SG - Trey Autrey: A low-usage, efficient outside shooter from a basketball family. Putting him here because he's an experienced transfer and veteran, but if someone in this group got jumped by a returner, he feels like the top candidate.
SF - Eian Elmer: A nice shooter and in-demand transfer from Miami (OH), the early reviews have been strong. He's a sweet shooting wing and good rebounder. The staff seems to think they can empower his driving game, and one assistant praised his size. Could see him as sliding down in some one-big lineups.
PF - Austin Rapp: A top transfer add from last year who was up and down. His bad defense and a shooting slump knocked him out of the starting lineup. But his defense improved and he was a flamethrower down the stretch. Not much of a post guy, but good shooter, smart ballplayer and could hold his own defensively by the end. Should be a key piece.
C - Nolan Winter: Was an all-conference-quality two-way player last season, projects to be the same. He's a good center on defense who can switch. Monster cutter, good shooter, could improve a lot in the post. At worst, is highly efficient, maybe more?
Main bench returners
Jack Janicki - Versatile, hard-playing defensive wing. If he can start hitting shots, he could play 30 minutes. For now, projects as a guy who will have some role, almost no doubt.
Zach Kinziger - A real swing player. Last year, he started out redshirting and ended up showing enough feel for the game, Gard could throw him into some tight spots. They've been telling him to model his game after Braden Smith, so he might be in line to be a ballhandler, and there isn't a ton of that in the starting lineup, so it remains to see how that goes.
Will Garlock - A backup center who was supposed to have a jumper, but doesn't appear to. When asked to play a small role last year, he often looked comfortable and not overwhelmed, which is pretty good for a freshman 7-footer. If he improves some, he might not play a ton more, but could be in good position to start down the line
Hayden Jones - He's a taller wing who showed enough to start one game and play minutes at the edge of the real rotation. Handle is a bit loose and didn't shoot well, but there's a sense he could improve both of those. He seems like he could be between a small-ball 4 or a nice tall off-guard depending on things, so if he's just playing 10-15 minutes per game, it would mean he's providing some real value.
Curiosity bench newcomers
Victory Onuetu - Hammer big transfer who can rebound, block shots and finish at the rim. UW fans have long hoped for a guy like that. I'm wondering if there's room for him in a notable way in the frontcourt rotation, but he'd be nice as a spot guy. If he shows more/moves past Garlock, fine by my.
Jackson Ball - This is a guy I'm intrigued by. He's a 6-foot-4 combo guard who had decent experience internationally. Coaches has praised his size and scoring, and I'm pretty curious if his ball-handling can get him some PT.
Developmental newcomers
LaTrevion Fenderson - Athletic wing. Seems like a project
Josh Manchester/Isaac Riddle - Seem like mostly longshot to play, happy to be there types
