Gard’s incoming class sets bar high
MADISON – Chucky Hepburn is bullish on the young talent Wisconsin coach Greg Gard and his staff are assembling.
“I think the 2020 and 2021 classes are probably some of the most athletic classes I’ve ever seen Wisconsin have,” Hepburn, a member of the four-player 2021 class, said recently.
Jonathan Davis was the only member of the six-player 2020 class to get significant playing time last season.
Davis averaged 24.4 minutes per game, the No. 5 mark on the team, and contributed 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He played in all 31 games.
Forward Ben Carlson likely would have seen significant playing time but was limited to seven games and 64 minutes because of an upper-body injury. Center Steven Crowl, guard Jordan Davis and forward Carter Gilmore combined to play 72 minutes.
Guard Lorne Bowman II could have played as well but he returned home to Michigan to deal with a personal issue before the start of the season and isn’t set to rejoin the program until June.
Joining Hepburn in the 2021 class are South Dakota forward Matthew Mors, Illinois forward Chris Hodges and Ohio forward Markus Ilver.
“We know Wisconsin basketball is known across the country,” Mors said. “We just want to come in and keep that tradition going and make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead of us.
“We know nothing is going to be given to us and we’re going to have to seize every opportunity. We’re all excited for that challenge.”
With seniors D’Mitrik Trice, Aleem Ford, Micah Potter, Nate Reuvers and Trevor Anderson moving on and guard Brad Davison still mulling whether to return, plenty of playing time could be available next season.
Hepburn, 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, led Bellevue West High School to a Nebraska state title as a junior and to a runner-up finish this season. He appears to be the consummate point guard who gets others involved and defends tenaciously.
He was named the state player of the year by the Nebraska Coaches Association after averaging 15.9 points, 8.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 3.8 steals per game as a senior.
Hepburn and Gonzaga recruit Hunter Sallis were named co-captains of the Class A all-state first team and the Super State First Team.
“Point guard comes naturally to me,” said Hepburn, who improved his threepoint shooting to 37.0% from 29.0% as a junior. “I was a quarterback growing up so I just know how to run an offense, know how to run a team and be a leader."
Mors, 6-7 and 220, joined the Yankton High School varsity as a seventhgrader. He recently was named the South Dakota Class AA player of the year for the fourth consecutive time. He averaged 24.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a senior and helped Yankton to a third-place finish in the state tournament.
“That opportunity excites me,” Mors said of the chance to play immediately at UW. “I’ve always had dreams and aspirations of playing at the Big Ten level."
Hodges, 6-foot-9 and 240, averaged 15.5 points (69.8% shooting), 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game as a junior for Schaumburg High School in Illinois. He elected to sit out his senior season because of concerns about COVID-19.
“It was just good to be safe,” he said. “With everything going on, it was about my family’s health.”
Hodges, who plays AAU ball for the Illinois Wolves, was asked to play mostly in the low post in high school but has spent the last few months working on extending his shooting range.
“That was always the blueprint,” he said of improving his perimeter game. “That is how Wisconsin big men play.”
One intriguing asset Hodges appears to possess is strong hands. When he catches the ball either on an entry pass or off the glass, it sticks. He rarely fumbles it.
Hodges attributes that to spending hours catching errant entry passes from his father.
“In high school you get double- and triple-teamed,” he said. “You don’t want to bobble the ball. Every second counts.”
Ilver, a 6-8, 200-pounder from Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, can’t sign with UW until April 14, the first day of the spring signing period. Western Reserve Academy played a partial season because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Ilver appears to already be an excellent three-point shooter and a bouncy athlete who can attack off the wings.
Hepburn, who is active on Twitter promoting UW athletics, showed recently how much he wants to bond with his future teammates.
Hepburn and his mother drove from Omaha to Rapid City to watch Mors play in the state tournament. The trip is about 525 miles one way.
"That meant a lot," Mors said. "That showed the kind of person that Chucky is and the family he has been raised in. I’m really excited to get on the court with him.
"He is a really, really good point guard. He can create for others. And he is just a winner."