The Wisconsin Badgers suffered their biggest blow of the offseason yesterday when point guard Chucky Hepburn entered the transfer portal, marking the seventh loss for the program over the last month.
Hepburn, a three-year starter for the Badgers, had seen his numbers drop this past season as he evolved into more of a facilitator, rather than the team’s leading scorer, scoring 9.2 points per game while hitting 42.9 percent of his shots.
However, throughout his tenure at Wisconsin, it was undeniable that Hepburn was truly engrained into the Badgers’ culture, developing into the face of the program.
And yet, the point guard became the latest Badgers player to enter the transfer portal, dealing a huge blow for Wisconsin and further detailing the current state of college basketball.
How did we get to this moment?
Hepburn’s status
It’s been no secret that Hepburn has garnered interest over the past few offseasons from interested suitors, but the guard has consistently turned down those opportunities to remain at Wisconsin.
This offseason, however, it’s clear that those calls were too much to pass up, as Hepburn has now entered the transfer portal and will not be finishing his career with the Wisconsin Badgers.
The Badgers already saw a similar situation play out earlier this offseason when wing A.J. Storr entered both the 2024 NBA Draft and the transfer portal, where it became evident that he was going to garner significant interest on the market, with Kansas ultimately winning out for his services.
Wisconsin’s NIL state is pretty solid, but there are blue blood programs with extensive resources, while other schools are willing to dish out significant money as they rebuild, hoping to attract top players like Wisconsin’s duo.
Hepburn’s departure is directly tied to NIL. It’s one that many fans didn't expect, but highlights the current nature of college basketball
Impact for the Badgers
Hepburn’s departure creates a clear void at point guard for the Badgers, who have already looked to the transfer portal in search of a replacement.
A name I’ve heard initially is Texas transfer guard Tyrese Hunter, who is a native of Racine, Wisconsin, and went to high school with backup point guard Kamari McGee.
McGee and 2024 four-star Daniel Freitag are the two current point guards on the roster, and while both should have a defined role this upcoming season, there’s obviously a hole with the Badgers losing Hepburn’s experience and playmaking ability.
Hunter, a rising senior, started his career at Iowa State, where he averaged 11 points and 4.9 assists as a freshman before transferring to Texas, where he’s spent the last two years.
Hunter is similar to Hepburn, having been a three-year college starter, while evolving as a scorer by becoming more efficient this past season (45 percent from the field, 34 percent from three), while remaining a good facilitator (4.1 assists per game).
The Badgers have also been linked to Duke’s Jaden Schutt, although he’s more of a wing than a point guard. Schutt was a part of the 2022 recruiting class, and Wisconsin offered him coming out of high school.
To me, I’m not as worried at the point guard position, but Hepburn’s departure presents a big hole for the Badgers to fill.
Now, the Badgers have to likely spend to fill that hole, which leaves fewer resources to round out the remainder of their roster, where they have a gaping hole at power forward.
Last week, I felt more confident about Wisconsin’s chances with Stanford transfer Brandon Angel, who seems to be deciding between the Badgers and Duke.
However, that confidence has decreased as a clear path for minutes has arisen at Duke, which has lost both Sean Stewart and T.J. Power, the top competitors for power forward minutes this season.
To me, Wisconsin’s biggest hole right now is at power forward. They have a number of talented combo guards, but have a complete lack of forward depth after losing Tyler Wahl and Gus Yalden this offseason.
Could they go with a smaller lineup this year? Yes. But it’d be extremely tough to play four 6’5 guys in the rotation in such a physical conference.
But, Wisconsin ultimately may not have enough resources to fill that power forward spot as they have other needs to deal with, as they look to fill the holes that Chucky Hepburn and A.J. Storr have left.
The current state of college basketball
As the NIL landscape continued to evolve, Hepburn was the heartbeat of the team, not only because of his tenacious energy on the court, but also due to his wavering commitment to the program, allowing the Badgers to build their brand around players like him, Tyler Wahl, and Steven Crowl.
Wahl, of course, spent his five-year career with the Badgers, while Crowl is set to spend his final year of eligibility at Wisconsin this upcoming year, despite both players hailing from the state of Minnesota.
But, the NIL landscape was too significant for Hepburn to avoid this offseason, ultimately leading the guard to enter the transfer portal on Thursday.
Let’s not kid ourselves; NIL has become a significant factor in today’s world of college basketball, with minimal regulations around the topic, and the conversation around it has only increased with the ability to transfer multiple times now.
Nowadays, when it comes to the transfer portal, it’s not only about recruiting players to join your program, but also extending efforts to keep your current core with the resources at your disposal.
That has led to a significant shift in the culture of college basketball, as mid-major players have looked to make the jump to bigger programs after strong seasons, while good high-major players have looked to cash in on their production as they exhaust their college eligibility.
There is a clear divide now between the NBA hopefuls and the true college basketball players; those who don’t view professional basketball as a clear avenue for their future have looked to cash in during their college eligibility, while there are a handful who look to make the most of both opportunities.
As I write this, let me make it clear: I am not against players looking to get compensation for their production. After all, they’re the ones creating the product that colleges benefit off, and I won’t ever fault players for going after the most money when they still can.
However, with that said, college basketball is no longer what it used to be. There aren’t many four-year players who remain loyal to a certain program, which has completely shifted the value of high school recruiting.
Nowadays, where’s the value of going hard in recruiting high school players if they’re only going to leave within the next 1-2 years? Even the Badgers saw the value of the transfer portal, gaining their leading scorer last season, A.J. Storr, after securing his services from St. John’s.
So, it’s all about the evolving landscape of college basketball and how teams can quickly adapt to the curve. The Badgers are dealing with this currently, looking to scramble to find starters in the transfer portal as they deal with their own exits.
