How can Wisconsin sophomore Connor Essegian see the court more? It'll start with better defense.

MADISON – Connor Essegian’s initial appearance against Jacksonville State demonstrated one reason the sophomore guard has seen minimal playing time through Wisconsin’s first 11 games.

Essegian replaced John Blackwell, who picked up his third foul with 13 minutes 50 seconds left in the game.

Jacksonville State had the ball out of bounds in the front court. The Gamecocks attacked Essegian immediately, setting a backscreen that freed Caleb Johnson to cut toward the rim for an easy lay-in with 13:48 left.

Essegian was replaced by Isaac Lindsey at the next dead ball, with 13:25 left.

“Defensively it was just a lapse,” BTN Brian Butch, a former UW player, said during the telecast. “Backscreen. His guy cut right to the rim, and they give up that layup.”

Wisconsin sophomore Connor Essegian added pounds, strength in an attempt to become a better defender

Essegian, who as a freshman contributed 11.7 points per game but struggled on defense, understood he had to become a better defender in his second season. He talked about adding 10 pounds in the offseason, in part so he could stand his ground against players trying to post him up or dribble through him.

“It was huge,” he said. “That was honestly my No. 1 goal. That was the one thing I wanted to accomplish, to gain some weight, gain some power and speed.

“I feel there were times last year when I would get bumped and someone would finish over me.”

With UW (8-3) set to host Chicago State (7-9) at 7 p.m. Friday, Essegian’s numbers are down significantly from last season.

He is averaging 2.5 points and 7.2 minutes per game. Last season Essegian started 19 of 35 games and averaged 11.7 points and 27.4 minutes per game.

Adding AJ Storr and Blackwell after last season allowed head coach Greg Gard to move Essegian into a reserve role to open the season.

Storr leads the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game. Blackwell is at 9.6. Storr is shooting 42.0%; Blackwell is at 49.2%. Essegian is shooting just 32.3%.

“A year ago he played on a team that was OK,” Gard said. “We’re a much better team. We've got more depth.”

Opponents so far this season have tested Connor Essegian's defensive work

Essegian’s minutes have been limited largely because of persistent defensive struggles, however.

Teams clearly have targeted Essegian and too frequently the sophomore has struggled to deny dribble penetration.

Storr has improved as a defender, both individually and as a cog within the unit on the floor, since he arrived from St. John’s. Blackwell is a tenacious defender, particularly for a freshman.

“He’s in a funk right now,” Gard said of Essegian’s defensive execution. “I think he’s better than where he was two or three weeks ago. He understands it. He's been very coachable. He’s got to continue to be more physical defensively. We're working on some things with his feet, his balance, those types of things.

“We need him, but he’s got to continue to grow defensively.”

In short, Essegian’s quickest path to increased minutes is to defend as if the next basket the Badgers surrender will end their season.

“I told him, I’ll keep coaching your defense,” Gard said. “I’ll call you when you’re 45 years old in a men's league in the YMCA asking: ‘How did you guard tonight?’

“Until they shove the dirt on me, I’ll keep coaching you and he knows I'm not gonna let up in terms of what I expect defensively.”

Connor Essegian can improve his offensive efficiency also

Essegian can expand and tweak his offensive game as well.

He shot 35.9% from three-point range as a freshman and 58.4% of his attempts were from beyond the arc. He did, however, show the ability to move well without the ball and get open for two-point shots.

Through 10 games this season, 65.5% of his attempts have come from three-point range. He has made 4 of 19 (21.1%).

Opponents are doing all they can to take away his clean looks from the perimeter.

“The scouting reports are out on him,” Gard said. “You've got to add layers to your game. You’ve got to grow your game. They’ve got all the freshman film where you banged threes. They're not letting you get loose as much.”

One reason for Essegian’s issues on offense is that he suffered a back injury in the opener and wasn’t fully recovered for another five or six games.

“I would love to not have the back injury,” Essegian said. “That would have been huge.”

Nevertheless, better effort and execution on the defensive end will lead to more minutes. And that should lead to more opportunities on the offensive end.

“I just want to go out there and take advantage of the opportunity to compete,” Essegian said. “I feel like we have the potential to be one of the best teams in the country. …

“That is our mindset every game. We want to be at the top when it’s all said and done.”