Big Ten point guard power rankings: Ace Baldwin/Braden Smith drop double-digit dimes

In the 2021-22 season, when Wisconsin won a share of the regular season Big Ten title, Chucky Hepburn was Johnny Davis’s mercurial backcourt mate who played with more energy and effort than skill on the offensive end. 

Well, now Hepburn has begun to develop a more nuanced offensive game and is averaging 3.9 assists, primarily setting up AJ Storr, Tyler Wahl, and Stephen Crowl. Wisconsin is first in the Big Ten with a 5-0 conference record heading into a Tuesday night matchup with Penn State at the Bryce Jordan Center. 

Hepburn does a good job protecting the ball, only turning it over 1.2 times a game and he’s shooting 40.7% from the field, but he insists on taking 3.2 three-pointers a game despite only knocking them down at a 27.5% clip. 

I don’t trust Hepburn’s decision-making in big spots, but his passing and effort on the defensive end make him an above-average Big Ten point guard.