2020-2021 basketball player reviews: Micah Potter

Name: Micah Potter
Position: forward
Class: senior
Height: 6-foot-10
Weight: 248 pounds
Hometown: Mentor, Ohio

Season stats: 12.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.4 APG, .7 BLK, 50.4% FG/38.6% 3P/84% FT

IndyStar-USA TODAY Sports

Season in review: After a long wait to play last season due to arbitrarily enforced NCAA transfer rules, Micah Potter played phenomenally well for the Badgers. Potter was the first player off the bench last year, and narrowly missed out on Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honors, mostly due to the fact that he did not play in as many games as the eventual winner. As a key contributor for the reigning Big Ten regular season champions, much was once again expected from Potter entering his senior campaign.

In the opening games of the season, Potter earned a starting role alongside Nate Reuvers in the frontcourt. The two near 7-footers gave the Badgers a one-two scoring punch inside that helped propel the team to an 8-1 record to start the season. However, the emergence of Tyler Wahl, and regression of Nate Reuvers, shifted the starting five and Potter would go on to start 19 of the 31 games. Potter and Reuvers swapped starts in the middle of the season at the five frequently.

The lack of starting minutes did not seem to impede Potter’s ability to score on the offensive end. The 6-foot-10 forward scored in double figures in 70% of games played, and finished the season averaging the second most points on the team with 12.5 per game. While his three-point percentage was down from a year ago, he improved as a passer. Potter increased his assist numbers by a full assist per game.

Potter led the team in rebounding for the second consecutive season at around six per game. On a team that struggled at times this season on the boards, he was a fairly consistent presence on the glass, recording five double-doubles.

The Achilles heel for Potter was on once again the defense end though. Against some of the better bigs in the conference, both he and Reuvers struggled at times to hold their own. Guarding the pick and roll was by Potter’s biggest weakness for the second year in a row, and that sometimes kept him on the bench against teams with quicker guards.

Overall, Potter was one of the better scorers for the Badgers in his final season with the Badgers. He put together great performances against the probable Wooden Award winner, Luka Garza, with an average of 21 points in the three contests. Potter recently decided to forgo another season in Madison, and he is expected to pursue a professional career in the coming years.