Wisconsin Badgers are in a tough position this season. They’re not exactly in a rebuilding year, but they have to find a way to score points without their star, Ethan Happ. Badgers bring back a great deal of perimeter talent while their front line lacks some options with the absence of Happ. Badgers are lurking though. They have a talented recruiting class coming in next season and could be a year away from something special happening again in Madison, Wisconsin. Here are some things to watch for this season.

1. Who becomes the man for the Badgers? – With Happ gone, there is not a clear answer to this question. D’Mitrik Trice and Brad Davison are projected to be the top scorers per barttrovik.com. But neither player can take over a game offensively. At times, Trice tries too hard to do that, and it leads to Wisconsin getting out of rhythm. I don’t think it happens right away, but Nate Reuvers is my prediction. By the Big Ten season, Reuvers will be the top scorer for this team.

2. Micah Potter drama rolls on – Wisconsin seems like the only school that could not get a star transfer through the portal. Greg Gard has a call with the NCAA this week in an attempt to get Potter eligible for the start of the season. He will miss tonight’s game. If the Badgers do not get Potter until mid-December, they’re very limited in size upfront and could be a real issue for the team. If Gard can find a way to get him in, Badgers will be set up very nicely.

3. Kobe King’s breakout season – From what you read in the season previews, Kobe King could be on a verge of a huge year with the Wisconsin Badgers. The redshirt sophomore had a huge amount of hype heading into his first season only to have it derailed by a knee injury. Now that he’s two years removed from that knee injury, King might be ready to be a key contributor for Wisconsin in multiple ways. He seems more aggressive and comfortable with his body which is common two years after a serious knee injury. If there was a player’s stock to buy heading into the year, it might be King.

4. Wisconsin can be the third-best Big Ten team – Looking over the Big Ten in general, it’s a good conference this year. But it’s cluttered after the top two spots. Michigan State is one of the best teams in the country, if not the best. Maryland is loaded. But with Maryland, Mark Turegron is not the coach I want with a loaded roster. Wisconsin could easily slide into that third spot if things go right for them. It will not be easy though with Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois, and Purdue all being very good this season.

5. Will Brevin Pritzl ever be a factor? – Sometimes, recruits do not live up to their billing. Brevin Pritzl was a guy that people loved out of high school. People thought he could be part of the next great line of guards at Wisconsin. It hasn’t happened to him. Pritzl saw his minutes tank last year from 29 a game to 19 leading to fewer field goal attempts. Pritzl will look to rebound and have a better season for the Badgers. People knew him out of high school as a three-point assassin but he has yet to show that in college.

Badgers get things rolling tonight with their first real test of the season against St. Mary’s. SnoTapWI will have recaps of both Wisconsin and Marquette tomorrow.

Charlie.