Nebraska basketball was able to land a commitment from Wisconsin transfer guard Connor Essegian on Sunday afternoon. He made the announcement on X.
Essiegian took on more of a bench role last year, after having a stellar 2022-2023 season. He averaged 3.2 points per game, though along with a 38.5% field-goal percentage. He tallied 7.3 minutes per game last year, which explains the reduction in his production.
The guard had his moments this past season, scoring 15 points against Rutgers on February 10. He also scored 12 points against Nebraska on January 6.
A better reflection of what he can bring to the table was the 2022-23 season. He won Big Ten Freshman of the Year, after tallying 11.7 points in 27.3 minutes per game. He played in all 35 games that year, starting 19 of them. Essegian broke the Wisconsin school record for most three-pointers made by a freshman with 69.
A big commitment for Nebraska Basketball
This is a big commitment for Nebraska basketball, as it gives them another three-point shooter on the roster. I remember thinking that he was quite the player when he came off the bench and scorched the Huskers in that January game. Now, he is going to be another weapon for the Nebraska basketball program to have in the fold.
Nebraska basketball has done a nice job of identifying needs in the transfer portal. They needed another three-point shooter and Essegian can provide that. He will also probably have an uptick in minutes with the program, which will give him an opportunity to get back to the type of production he had in his freshman year.
Freshman year-Essegian is the type of player that I’m expecting to see. Working with this coaching staff should be able to help him as well. He has the type of three-point shot to fit the system well. Nebraska basketball needed a shooter following the departure of Keisei Tominaga, and Essegian fits the bill.
This is a solid pickup for Nebraska basketball. The program will be able to have him for multiple years. This will allow him to continue to develop as a shooter, all while becoming an integral part of what Nebraska basketball wants to do. The Huskers were also able to take another shooter away from Wisconsin indirectly. That is never a bad thing.
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