Wisconsin Badgers basketball coach Greg Gard has admitted the program needs to hit the transfer portal after the season to add depth. He isn’t taking long to back up that statement as the program has been in contact with a Wisconsin native that is tearing it up in the Summit League. Andrew Rohde is a freshman at St. Thomas and has been extremely impressive since stepping on campus.
The Brookfield Wisconsin native didn’t get any major offers out of high school but will be a big name to watch in the transfer portal after the season. Andrew earned Summit League Freshman of the Year honors along with being on the All-Summit League First and Newcomer Teams.
Statistical Impact
He was a starter from day 1 for the Tommies and made an immediate impact. He hit double digit points in all but 3 games and hit the 20 point mark in 12 games, including 5 in a row to finish the season. Overall, he finished his freshman campaign averaging per game totals of 17.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals.
These aren’t the kind of numbers I would expect in the B1G but they paint an important picture. He’s a young player capable of adapting right away and can put the ball in the hoop. His 3 point percentage for the season was only 32% but it improved dramatically later in the season. His stroke looks pure on tape and the uptick in makes could be attributed to a couple of things. For one, he likely gained confidence as the season went along. It’s not easy for a freshman, at any level of college basketball, to step onto campus and be the guy. Secondly, he likely found more ways to get better looks. Being able to make adjustments as the season goes along is a huge plus.
Size Concerns?
Rohde has developed physically as he’s gone from being listed at 6’4″ and 160 pounds as a senior in high school to 6’6″, 185 pounds on the St. Thomas website. That’s a huge and positive size change if he’s going to continue his success in a conference as physical as the B1G. He’s listed as a guard but at 6’6″ he could easily be a small forward. He still appears to be on the skinny side but if he’s able to get to the 190 pounds mark or maybe a touch more, he won’t have issues with weight in a major conference.
What Hole Would he Fill?
The Badgers need depth in a major way. They truly only go 7 deep and only 6 of them can be relied on to score. Adding someone like Andrew would be big for a couple of reasons. For one, he has an offensive game that translates. Sure he can shoot the three ball, but he also has the ability to drive the ball, create for others, or get off his own shot due to his length. Even if he isn’t starting, he could get major minutes as a scoring spark plug off the bench.
This team is also looking for a leader. From the highlights I’ve seen, he doesn’t appear to lack enthusiasm while playing the game. He might not be at Brad Davison levels, but he’s close. Getting that type of energy on the team could be huge as the program is going through a small rebuild of sorts. Having a young emotional leader on the team to pair with Connor Essegian would be huge.
Bucky needs more shot creators, regardless of what position they play. There would be a major change in play style and competition for Rohde but it should be obvious by now that he can make adjustments on the fly. The fact he’s a home grown talent should make Madison an easier sell as well. There will be a lot of intriguing portal options during the off-season, but Rohde is already on the Badgers radar and seems to be a great fit.
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