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Why Wisconsin basketball's Connor Essegian isn't playing – Journal Times
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The Badgers shot 5-of-16 from 3, but outscored Jacksonville State 40-20 in the paint.
Connor Essegian’s rocky start to his sophomore season can be shrunk down to 3 seconds Thursday.
If the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball sophomore guard sitting the bench the first 26:10 of the Badgers’ 75-60 win over Jacksonville State wasn’t indicative enough, the Kohl Center crowd’s eagerness for his arrival gave an idea.
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Yet as Essegian jogged from the scorers table out onto the court, the ovation was loud. He grinned wryly as he settled into his defensive spot. He’s in a much better spot than he was two or three weeks ago, Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. And that’s good for the Badgers because Gard said Wisconsin needs him.
But there are some things that the Badgers cannot afford. And as quick as Essegian’s joy revealed itself, it vanished. Jacksonville State guard Caleb Johnson cut backdoor, with Essegian allowing a layup to Johnson on his first play of the game. Gard called guard Isaac Lindsey off the bench, who replaced Essegian on the court just 25 seconds after he entered.
The cheers for his arrival turned to boos as he departed. He draped a towel over his head and paced for a moment before finding his spot on the bench, again, to wait.
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“We can’t afford to let him play through it,” Gard said. “The stakes are too high in terms of what this team wants to accomplish.”
Essegian was named to the Big Ten Freshman Team in March after he averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while converting 35.9% of 3-pointers. He played in 35 games, and started the last 19 after he was inserted for Jordan Davis. Essegian suffered an injury in this season’s first game, and entered Thursday’s game averaging 2.4 points in 7.5 minutes per game.
After Essegian’s eighth game of less than 10 minutes, the waiting still continues. The sophomore did check in again, hitting a 3-pointer to finish with three points on 1-of-2 from deep in four minutes, but it’s his play on the other end of the floor that put Gard in a position where he feels he cannot allow Essegian to find a rhythm with court time.
Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian sits on the bench during the game against Jacksonville State on Thursday at the Kohl Center. Essegian was benched 25 seconds after he entered the game after blowing a defensive assignment.
Essegian was not one of the three players made available following the Badgers’ win Thursday, and has spoken with reporters just once since local media day Oct. 4, adding to the early-season mystique of a player who seemingly captured the hearts of Badgers fans — and still, in many ways, has a stronghold on them.
“Giving him words of encouragement is huge, especially right now,” Wisconsin graduate forward Tyler Wahl said. “But he’ll get it going. He’ll get it going.”
There’s only so much the Badgers, as a team, can do. Wahl said while being vocal if they notice an issue is important, there are a lot of aspects of Essegian’s struggles that he can only work through himself. Speaking with reporters Nov. 30, Essegian said it took him longer than expected to recover from the back injury that he suffered in Wisconsin’s season-opening win over Arkansas State.
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Essegian said the injury impacted him whenever he planted his feet or ran. Surely, it impacted his shot, too, as the sophomore connected on just 3 of 16 3s to that point. But Essegian said Nov. 30 that he’s starting to play at 100% again. The injury being no longer an issue, he said he was starting to get back into the routines he’d operated in all his life to prepare himself as a shooter.
Essegian wasn’t gifted playing time early last year. Jump-started with a 13-point performance against Dayton in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Nov. 23, he earned it.
“Just trying to keep in that same mentality I feel like I’ve always had,” Essegian said Nov. 30, “to make the most of what I’ve got.”
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But that Badgers team, Gard said, was “OK.” This team is much better, with a lot more depth. The scouting report is out on Essegian, Gard said: Teams won’t let him get to his spots as easily to hit any of the Wisconsin freshman record 69 3s he put on film last year, and Essegian needs to add layers to his game.
And on the defensive end, Gard said he doesn’t treat anyone differently: Defensive mistakes get held accountable. Accountability might mean getting quickly pulled from the game.
“Teammates understand that, and want that, because we understand what it takes to have success as a unit, as a team,” Gard said. “Our guys want to win.
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“So in order to do that, we have to all be pushing toward the same goal. And not that he doesn’t, just, he’s in a funk right now defensively.”
Gard, though, hasn’t given up. He noted Essegian hasn’t, either. The Badgers’ coaching staff have worked with him on things to improve his feet on defense. Essegian has accepted the challenges, too.
Gard said he won’t stop. Essegian continues to be a part of Wisconsin’s plans. The best version of this Badgers team involves a larger sample of what Essegian did upon entering with 3:32 left in Thursday’s game: A 3, and then in a short span, another look from deep that just barely missed both the net.
“He’s gonna get there,” Gard said. “I told him, ‘I’ll keep coaching your defense. I’ll call you when you’re 45 years old, playing in a men’s league in the YMCA and ask you: How did you guard tonight? Until they shovel dirt on me, I’ll keep coaching you.’
“And he knows it.”
Wisconsin forward Tyler Wahl shoots against the Jacksonville State in the first half Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin guard AJ Storr low-fives forward Tyler Wahl in the first half against the Jacksonville State on Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell dribbles against Jacksonville State in the first half Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin forward Steven Crowl attempts to shoot the ball against Jacksonville State guard KyKy Tandy in the first half Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin guard Max Klesmit reacts in the first half of Thursday’s game against Jacksonville State at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin forward Steven Crowl shoots the ball against Jacksonville State in the first half on Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin guard Chucky Hepburn passes the ball against the Jacksonville State in the first half at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard watches the game in the first half Thursday against Jacksonville State at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin guard AJ Storr attempts to shoot the ball against Jacksonville State forward Juwan Perdue in the second half Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin guard Max Klesmit takes the court before the game Thursday against Jacksonville State at the Kohl Center.
Jacksonville State guard Quincy Clark attempts to avoid the ball as he jumps out of bounds against Wisconsin forward Tyler Wahl in the first half Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin forward Tyler Wahl shoots against Jacksonville State in the first half on Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin guard Chucky Hepburn shoots the ball against the Jacksonville State in the second half Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin forward Steven Crowl shoots and makes a 3-point shot in the second half against Jacksonville State’s Mason Nicholson on Thursday at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard watches Thursday’s game against Jacksonville State in the second half at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin Badgers forward Tyler Wahl (5) dribbles the ball against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the first half at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. SAMANTHA MADAR,STATE JOURNAL
Wisconsin Badgers guard Max Klesmit (11) passes the ball against Jacksonville State Gamecocks guard Quincy Clark (1) in the first half at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. SAMANTHA MADAR,STATE JOURNAL
Wisconsin Badgers guard Max Klesmit (11) plays defense against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the first half at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. SAMANTHA MADAR,STATE JOURNAL
Wisconsin Badgers forward Tyler Wahl (5) move the ball against Jacksonville State Gamecocks forward Matt Mayers (13) in the first half at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. SAMANTHA MADAR,STATE JOURNAL
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard watches the game against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the first half at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. SAMANTHA MADAR,STATE JOURNAL
Wisconsin Badgers guard Chucky Hepburn (23), forward Carter Gilmore (14), forward Nolan Winter (31) stand on the court in the first half at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. SAMANTHA MADAR,STATE JOURNAL
Wisconsin Badgers guard Chucky Hepburn (23), guard AJ Storr (2) and forward Nolan Winter (31) prepare to play against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the first half at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. SAMANTHA MADAR,STATE JOURNAL
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Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian sits on the bench during the game against Jacksonville State on Thursday at the Kohl Center. Essegian was benched 25 seconds after he entered the game after blowing a defensive assignment.
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