After grading the guards, today I present my Wisconsin Basketball player grades for the Badgers’ 2022-2023 forwards. It was a thin room, as Greg Gard only played three forwards consistently. That was Tyler Wahl, Steven Crowl, and Carter Gilmore. We also saw Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges, but not enough to give them a season grade. Here is how the forwards panned out.
Wisconsin Basketball Player Grades: Starting Forwards
Steven Crowl: B-
Steven Crowl was considered a player that had to step up this past season. Like Chucky Hepburn, Crowl showed flashes but was never a consistent player Wisconsin was looking for and needed. On the other hand, Crowl had a very tough job every night in Big Ten against players such as Hunter Dickinson, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and other skilled forwards. I thought he became a really good passer, and his awareness to get the ball out when feeling double teams were there.
Going into next season, as Greg Gard mentioned before the NIT, Crowl does need to be more aggressive. He has the tools and showed he can be a dominating player at times. He also probably needs to add on another 10 pounds of muscle. He has the ability to take the next step and land myself a better score in my Wisconsin Basketball player grades.
Tyler Wahl: C
Once Tyler Wahl was injured on Jan. 3 against Minnesota, it was a senior season to forget. Before that, Wahl was playing like an all-conference player. Especially in the Battle 4 Atlantis, he was not only the best player on Wisconsin’s team but the best player on the court entirely.
Wahl does not have to return to Wisconsin, but if he does use his COVID year, he must develop a jump shot. It’s a must. He must also improve at the rim, as he only shot 42% from the field. For a player that does almost all their work at the rim, that is a really poor stat, resulting in a C in my Wisconsin Basketball player grades.
Wisconsin Basketball Player Grades: Off-the-Bench Forward
Carter Gilmore: C-
What you see is what you get with Carter Gilmore. He always gave 100% effort and then some on the court. He was pretty good defensive end as well. In particular, he was really good on Hunter Dickinson in Madison on Valentine’s Day. His motor and effort were never questioned, which was encouraging.
I think if Gilmore wants to be a rotational player next season, he has to develop some sort of an offensive game. He was never a shooter and often was not guarded outside the paint. When he was on offense, it was typically four on five. Assuming Wisconsin does a lot of work at the forward position in the portal, players such as Gus Yalden and Nolan Winter contribute, it’s hard to see Gilmore as a consistent rotational player in 2023 unless he can develop his offensive game quickly.
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