Wisconsin forward Tyler Wahl beginning to flourish in his junior season

With so many new faces set to see the floor for UW this season, many outside of the program questioned where the offense was going to come from.

For the better part of the season, Johnny Davis and Brad Davison shouldered the bulk of that scoring load as the Badgers worked to find their way offensively.

Greg Gard didn’t care if it was a different player doing the scoring every night, so long as they got the production they needed.

However, there was no denying that a reliable third scoring option would help this young Badgers team find more offensive consistency.

During the Badgers six game winning streak, the Badgers appear to have found their man in junior forward Tyler Wahl.

Wahl has been a contributor at Wisconsin since the day he stepped on campus. We’ve seen him earn every minute he’s gotten due to the gritty nature of his game and what he’s brought as a defensive presence.

The junior forward has already shown tremendous growth this season, and now it appears that he’s found the confidence and assertiveness necessary to become a complimentary scoring option for UW.

Over the Badgers last six games, Wahl is averaging 15.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on an efficient 68% from the floor.

To put this offensive ascension into perspective, Wahl scored in double figures just five times in his first two seasons at Wisconsin. Now, he’s done it in five of the Badgers last six games.

The former Lakeville North standout is currently second on the team in rebounds (86), third on the team in steals (15), and leads the team in blocks (18). Per sports reference, Wahl is also 3rd on the Badgers in offensive win shares (1.2), and 2nd on the team in defensive win shares (0.9).

The Minnesota native has given UW a consistent low post presence to generate touches in the half-court when they need to slow things down and regroup.

Wahl has also shown the ability to act as a play-maker and take his defender off the dribble due to his versatile skill-set.

It’s also worth mentioning that he’s been the perfect high-low complement to big man Steven Crowl.

Perhaps the most impressive part of his offensive awakening is that he’s still playing defense at an all-Big Ten level, and impacting the game on both ends of the floor. Wahl has been the epitome of a glue-guy for the Badgers during his career, and now we’re seeing him develop into an even bigger piece of the program. He’s become one of the most irreplaceable players on the roster.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.