All Badgers

Wisconsin men's basketball: Three newcomers to watch

A look at three new players on Wisconsin's 2022-2023 roster that could make an impact this season for Greg Gard and the Badgers.

Matt Belz

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The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team will tip off their season this Sunday with an exhibition game against UW-Eau Claire. 

After a closed scrimmage against Northern Iowa recently and the Red-White Scrimmage on October 9, the matchup against the Bluegolds will be the first opportunity for fans to see the team in action against an opponent this season. 

This year's Wisconsin team has plenty of new faces and is filled with several players needing to step up into new roles. 

In an attempt to preview the 2022-2023 season, this week All Badgers will preview some of the players that could play a significant role in shaping how Wisconsin does this year. 

First up, a look at three newcomers who could see major minutes in Greg Gard's rotation.

Junior guard Max Klesmit

Wofford transfer Max Klesmit brings experience and grit to the Wisconsin guard rotation. A good shooter and playmaker on offense, with a toughness about him on both ends of the court, head coach Greg Gard told national basketball writer Jon Rothstein that Klesmit is "cut from the same mold as Brad Davison, Zak Showalter, and Josh Gasser."

For a Wisconsin team losing a cornerstone piece like Davison from last year's team, having a player like Klesmit should do wonders for the Badgers.

At 6-foot-3, Klesmit has enough size to help out at either wing position, and the junior from Neenah (Wis.) is expected to push for a starting spot after standing out in practice.

Klesmit was the leading scorer during the Red-White Scrimmage two weeks ago with 17 points on 13 shot attempts, and he comes to Wisconsin after averaging 14.9 points per game last season with Wofford on 44.6% shooting. 

Here is what Greg Gard had to say about the signing of Klesmit back in May:

“A native of the state, we know that Max is excited to be able to return home and will take pride in wearing the Wisconsin jersey. With two seasons of college basketball under his belt, Max also adds experience and a specific skillset to our roster. We’re looking forward to Max joining our Badger Family and we can’t wait to get to work with him and help him chase his goals here at Wisconsin.”

From inside the state out of high school, Klesmit is the type of player that Wisconsin fans will love for his effort level and abilities on the court. He is a tremendous fit stylistically, and he brings plenty of experience to Wisconsin's backcourt. 

Wisconsin guard Kamari McGee bringing the ball up the court for the Badgers during a scrimmage.
Point guard Kamari McGee bringing the ball up the court during Wisconsin's annual Red-White Scrimmage at the Kohl Center.  / Courtesy of UW Athletics

Sophomore point guard Kamari McGee

The Wisconsin Badgers ran into trouble in the NCAA Tournament last season against Iowa State when Chucky Hepburn went down with an injury.

After reserve point guard Lorne Bowman chose to transfer to Oakland University, Greg Gard and the staff attacked the transfer portal and brought in Kenosha (Wis.) native Kamari McGee from UW-Green Bay to back up Hepburn.

So far, McGee's addition appears to be one of the best decisions of the off-season for Gard and the Badgers.

McGee's quickness and aggressiveness on defense should allow Wisconsin to maintain the same style of play when Hepburn is off the court, and McGee is a talented enough scorer to allow Gard some flexibility to potentially use him alongside Hepburn at times if needed.

The UW-Green Bay transfer is just a sophomore, but he averaged 11.6 points and just shy of three rebounds and two assists per game last season as a true freshman. McGee earned All-Horizon League freshmen team honors and shot 80% from the free-throw line, which is great news given his abilities as a slasher off the dribble.

The Badgers believe McGee can help give UW a strong boost off the bench and expect him to be a key cog in the guard rotation. In the team's intrasquad scrimmage, McGee added nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor and dished out three assists.

Here is what head coach Greg Gard had to say about what he has seen from McGee and fellow transfer Max Klesmit during his local media day press conference:

"The one thing that really jumps out about both those guys, they're obviously different players, different personalities, but they both have college basketball experience. Obviously, Max has a little more than Kamari, but you can tell that right away in the summer that when the other newcomers or freshmen were a little half-stepping or wide-eyed, those guys, even though it was a different place with different colors and different coaches, that they had been through the drill a little bit and understood what they were getting themselves into." 

Freshman guard Connor Essegian

The other newcomer that should factor into the playing rotation is true freshman Connor Essegian. The lone scholarship signee for Wisconsin in the 2022 recruiting class, Essegian's scoring ability on the offensive end will likely help him garner minutes this season.

One of the most prolific three-point shooters in the history of Indiana high school basketball, Essegian can create his own shot and score from anywhere on the court, a skill coveted at the college level.

Like Klesmit, Essegian can play either wing position as well, which should bolster his chances of earning playing time despite several other capable players pushing for minutes at each spot.

The one area where Essegian will need to continue to improve to really maximize his game is on defense. Greg Gard told reporters following the closed scrimmage with Northern Iowa that Essegian got spun around a few times, but later said this about the young shooting guard:

"I think what I've seen from Connor is an increased level of toughness, which is the first step towards being a better defender. And the other thing is he understands the rules and concepts, now they have to become habits and instincts so he can play faster and more aggressive."

Essegian's minute will likely depend on how much progress he makes defensively in the coming weeks and months, but he provides a spark on offense. In the Red-White Scrimmage, Essegian was the second-leading scorer overall with 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor, with three makes from three-point range.

Additionally, Essegian found success during the team's trip to France this summer. He scored in double-figures in three of the four games overseas and also showed some toughness on the offensive glass. Greg Gard is clearly high on Essegian and has gone on record that the true freshman will see the court this season.

"He does so many things offensively you can't teach, we will help him with his defense," Gard said most recently on Monday. 

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Matt Belz
MATT BELZ

Title: Publisher, Beat Writer for AllBadgers.com, a Sports Illustrated Channel Hello, my name is Matt Belz, and I am the site manager at All Badgers. I previously wrote for multiple years at Buckeyes 5th Quarter and have been the leading publisher here since March of 2022.  When I am not covering the Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball teams, I enjoy being outside and spending time with family and friends.  You can follow everything I write about on several different platforms. First and foremost on our site...AllBadgers.com You can follow me personally on Twitter at @savedbythebelz or check out our Facebook page at Wisconsin FanNation on Sports Illustrated.

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