Tyler Wahl has given Wisconsin basketball what the coaches anticipated when they recruited him

MADISON – When Tyler Wahl committed to play basketball at Wisconsin, head coach Greg Gard believed the Badgers had landed a versatile performer who would contribute in myriad categories.

A stat-sheet stuffer.

Wahl, who turns 23 on Thursday, has for the most part become the player the staff envisioned when they recruited him out of Lakeville North High School in Minnesota.

In his fifth college season, Wahl is set to play his final home game at 6 p.m. Thursday when the Badgers (18-11, 10-8 Big Ten) face Rutgers (15-14, 7-11).

Tyler Wahl has been on two Wisconsin teams that won a share of the Big Ten regular-season title

Wahl has started 114 games and played in 155 at UW.

He was a key reserve as a freshman in 2019-2020 when UW won a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. He started 18 of 32 games as a sophomore on a team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual champion Baylor.

He started all 32 games as a junior and averaged 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game to help UW win a share of the Big Ten regular-season title.

After battling through an ankle injury for most of last season on a team that failed to reach the NCAA Tournament, Wahl is in the midst of a solid season.

The 6-foot-9 forward missed three games last season after suffering the ankle on Jan. 3 in a victory over Minnesota. He wasn’t fully healthy until after the season and finished at 9.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in league play. He shot just 41.3% and just 54.8% from the free-throw line.

Through 18 league games this season, Wahl is averaging 12.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. His shooting numbers have bounced back to 57.9% overall and 70.0% from the free-throw line.

Although he struggled to defend Illinois’ Marcus Domask in the Badgers’ 91-83 loss to Illinois on Saturday, Wahl contributed 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in 39 minutes.

Tyler Wahl's lone weakness is the lack of a jumper, but he compensates with other skills

If you wanted to highlight one hole in Wahl’s overall game, it is the lack of a consistent jumper. Wahl doesn’t possess that in his arsenal and teams defend him accordingly.

However, he has shown again this season he is terrific driving to the basket and maneuvering his defender around the lane for high-percentage shots.

Wahl last season hit just 43.8% of his two-point attempts. He has hit 57.6% of his two-point attempts this season.

Perhaps his best overall game this season came against Purdue, which has clinched a share of the regular-season title/clinched the outright title and is in line for a No. 1 seeding in the NCAA field.

With Zach Edey sagging off Wahl and essentially playing a one-man zone in the middle of the lane, Wahl still contributed 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks in a 75-69 loss. Six of the rebounds were on the offensive end.

Chucky Hepburn hit the game-winning shot two seasons ago when UW defeated Purdue, 70-67, to clinch a share of the regular-season title.

But did you know that Wahl led UW in scoring (19 points) by hitting 8 of 14 shots? And that he added five of the Badgers’ six steals, including on the final play to clinch the victory, and two of their four blocks?

Purdue coach Matt Painter clearly appreciates Wahl’s game.

“I just thought his offense was better than our defense,” Painter said after Purdue’s victory over UW earlier this season. “He does a good job of working the baseline and getting those angles.

“He is a good player. He is a winning basketball player.”

A spot-up shooter from deep? No. But Wahl can defend forwards, centers or guards. He is a dangerous scorer around the basket and a capable passer out of the post.

In short, he has become the player the UW staff envisioned.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tyler Wahl has become the player Wisconsin basketball staff envisioned