The Wisconsin Badgers had an up and down, uneven regular season, but the made an appearance in March Madness this year thanks to a strong Big 10 Tournament run. They knocked off the favorite in Purdue before ultimately falling to Illinois. The Badgers couldn't keep their momentum going though as they were upset by James Madison in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Following Wisconsin's loss, sophomore guard Connor Essegian decided to enter the transfer portal, he announced via social media.

In a written statement, Essegian said, “I would like to say thank you to Badger Nation for everything. These last two years in Madison have been nothing short of amazing. This place has helped shape me into the person I am today. The city and university will forever have a special place in my heart. Thank you to all of the fans and the community for your unconditional love and support.”

Connor Essegian faced a potentially crowded rotation next season

Strangely enough, Connor Essegian's decision to enter the transfer portal is an about face from his previous decision prior to Wisconsin's run in the Big 10 Tournament as per Ben Kenney of BadgersWire.

Essegian's decision to transfer isn't much of a surprise considering he faced another uphill battle next season in terms of role and playing time. The Badgers have several guards that figure to be in the rotation ahead of Essegian next year.

Wisconsin Badgers guard Connor Essegian (3) works around Maryland Terrapins guard DeShawn Harris-Smith (5) during the second half at Target Center.
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Essegian was a breakout freshman a season ago. As a freshman, he played in 35 games, including 19 starts, at a little over 27 minutes per game. He averaged 11.7 points per game and 3.7 rebounds with splits of 40.4 percent shooting from the field, 35.9 percent shooting from the three point line and 88.4 percent shooting from the free throw line.

But this season, he saw his role change and his playing time drop drastically. He did play in 33 games this year, but at only a little over seven minutes per game. He averaged 3.2 points per game and 0.8 rebounds with splits of 38.5 percent shooting from the field, 30.3 percent shooting from the three point line and 90.9 percent shooting from the free throw line.

He now hits the transfer portal hoping he can recapture some of his production from his freshman year. Part of what may have contributed to Essegian's decreased role is a back injury he dealt with early in the season. Essegian was a popular player among Wisconsin fans and many of them took to social media to express their thoughts on his departure.

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When Essegian went down with the back injury, he was replaced in the lineup by AJ Storrs who had a strong season. But it's possible that Storrs may end up leaving as well by testing the NBA Draft waters.

But even if Storrs leaves to pursue professional opportunities, other players such as John Blackwell, Chucky Hepburn and Kamari McGee figured to be ahead of Essegian on the depth chart as well. While Essegian is a talented offensive player and knockdown three point shooter, he struggled at times on the defensive end which may have played a factor in his decreased role this season.

An Indiana native and a former three-star recruit, Essegian originally committed to Wisconsin over offers from Belmont, Butler, Creighton, George Mason, Illinois State, Minnesota, Murray State, Rice, Toledo, Western Michigan and Wofford.