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For as much as Wisconsin Badgers fans will want to deflect from it, there is no doubt that losing John Blackwell in the transfer portal will go down as a big blow for the school. Blackwell was one of the more potent scorers in recent memory for Wisconsin.
Even more frustrating was the fact that he was homegrown, spending three years developing within the Badger system and blossoming into the player he is today.
Some people will point to the fact that he is not the only big-time player Wisconsin lost this offseason, as obviously Nick Boyd was a huge part of what they had. However, what separates the two is the knowledge that the Badgers weren't going to be able to retain Boyd no matter what. The same cannot be said for Blackwell.
Nonetheless, the task this offseason was straightforward—replace the lost talent. In recent years, Wisconsin has done a great job of that, picking up guys like John Tonje and Nick Boyd. The only difference between this upcoming season and those, however, was, well, Blackwell.
Having the luxury of knowing a guaranteed All-Conference-level talent will be there to provide insulation for whatever you bring in is something not every team gets to enjoy, and one that Wisconsin no longer has either.
Wisconsin adapting to the times
With that said, Greg Gard played it aggressively this year and brought in multiple pieces that could end up filling that void. The way in which that void is filled, however, likely won't look the same as it did last season. More than likely, nobody the Badgers brought in is going to be the explosive scoring threat that they have had in years past.
However, Owen Foxwell is legit. Nolan Winter is legit. Austin Rapp is legit. Eian Elmer is legit—even Trey Autry is legit. Are any of these guys going to average 18-plus points per game and carry a usage rate north of 25%? Probably not. But if they can find a way to mesh together properly, there could be a happy middle ground.
For lack of a better term, the offense should flow through Foxwell. The flow won't come in the form of heliocentric, isolation-heavy sets that start and end with the ball in his hands. Rather, it should be a coordinated flow, where he gets the team into actions and operates as the primary decision-maker.
This more nuanced approach to offense should allow guys like Winter and Rapp—two players fans have been begging to see featured more—to get additional touches and easier scoring opportunities. It should also help create advantages for Autry, Elmer and whoever else is playing on the wing, as a good table setter who can draw attention on drives makes life much easier for spot-up shooters, which in turn opens up driving lanes for everyone else.
In other words, expect a revamped Badgers approach next season. Of course, there's always a chance that Elmer, Autry or, really, anyone given Gard's recent track record, randomly breaks out and takes over the offense. But more than likely, that won't be the case, and a new, more modernized and well-rounded offensive approach could be coming to Madison.
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This article was originally published on badgerofhonor.com as Wisconsin basketball offense with John Blackwell out of the fold will have a very different look.
