The Wisconsin Basketball season is right around the corner, so I’m taking a look at every scholarship player on the roster. Here are the links for the first eight.

1. Bronson Koenig

2. Zak Showalter

3. Nigel Hayes

4. Vitto Brown

5. Ethan Happ

6. Khalil Iverson

7. Jordan Hill

8. Alex Illikainen

   Now, the next in a long line of Wisconsin recruiting steals, freshman D’Mitrik Trice. 

Recruiting Overview

It looks like the Badgers found another hidden gem on the recruiting trail. D’Mitrik Trice, a 5 foot 11 point guard out of IMG Academy in Florida was only ranked as a 3-star recruit and the 358th best prospect in the country by 247Sports. He only had offers from two other power conference schools, Vanderbilt and Ohio State.

Despite his lack of recognition, Trice has exactly the type of skill set you want in a Wisconsin point guard. As a former high school quarterback, he possesses great intangibles, including above average leadership and intelligence. He also has excellent court vision and can shoot from outside.

Greg Gard said he knew D'Mitrik Trice was going to be a player after watching him play for 10 minutes at IMG Academy

— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) October 17, 2016

His last named also probably sounds familiar to you. He is the younger brother of former Michigan State standout Travis Trice, who led his team to a Final Four just two years ago. If D’Mitrik becomes anywhere close to as good as his older brother (I think he can), Wisconsin fans are going to be extremely happy.

Burning Questions

1. How will he adjust to the college game?

The transition from high school to college basketball can be tough on a lot of mid-tier recruits. While he has the skills to contribute right away, he first needs to show he can defend and handle the ball against elite competition. He has the intelligence and work ethic to adapt fairly quickly.

Finally, freshman D'Mitrik Trice already has command of this offense. He's only a freshman but look out

— Nick Osen (@TheRealNickOsen) November 1, 2016

2. Will he be a reliable backup to Bronson Koenig?

Last season, Jordan Hill served as Koenig’s backup, but Trice seems to be much more of a true point guard. He is a pass first player that can hit 3’s at a high rate. As long as he takes care of the ball, he will see a lot of playing time whenever Koenig needs a rest.

Season Outlook

While there may be growing pains at first, Trice will do a good job running the team with Koenig on the bench. He won’t be flashy, but he will play solid defense, take care of the ball, and hit the open shot. He will also be a good source of energy off the bench, much like Zak Showalter was his sophomore season.

https://twitter.com/Schmitz_23/status/788131784999378948

Stat Predictions

10 minutes, 3.3 points, 1.5 assists, 2 rebounds, .8 steals, 40% 3, 47% FG.

Award Predictions

None