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 six.
Now, redshirt junior guard Jordan Hill.
Last Season Recap
When Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan abruptly retired, nobody, with the exception of Tom Crean, was happier than Jordan Hill. Under Ryan, the redshirt sophomore logged a total of only 27 minutes in 12 games. When Greg Gard took over, he decided to expand the bench and Hill was the biggest beneficiary, seeing a jump in playing time to 19.1 minutes per game.
Hill was a good change of pace on offense, providing quickness from the guard position. He was effective at getting into the lane, parlaying that into 3 points per game. He was also a solid outside shooter, hitting 33% of his 3-point tries. On the other side of the ball, Hill played tenacious defense and always worked hard.
Biggest Questions
-
Can he improve his decision making?
Hill’s biggest problem last year was taking care of the ball. His assist-turnover ratio (24-19) was especially poor. Some of that is a result of his aggressiveness and willingness to attack the rim. However, he needs to control that and play within himself. In that regard, he is a lot like Traevon Jackson.
-
Where will he be in the rotation?
After playing significant minutes and gaining vital experience last season, Hill will likely be one of the first players off the bench. He will likely play a lot of shooting guard this year, because in the rare times Koenig needs to rest, the coaches will likely opt to replace him with freshman D’Mitrik Trice, who is more of a true point guard. That means Hill will likely be in a 2-man rotation with Showalter, although he may occasionally come in at small forward if Gard wants to go with the three-guard lineup.
Season Outlook
If he limits his turnovers, Jordan Hill will be a valuable contributor off the bench as a scorer and defender. He is one of the few Badger guards with the quickness and ball handling ability to consistently get into the paint and make plays. He is also going to continue to be a 3-point shooting threat, demonstrated by him going 2-2 from deep in Wisconsin’s scrimmage vs UW-Platteville.
Stat Predictions
16 minutes, 4.3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, .8 turnovers, 35% 3, 39% FG
Award Predictions
None
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
