Connor Essegian’s time at Wisconsin is done.

The sophomore guard announced his decision on social media Sunday night.

Badger Nation thank you❤️ pic.twitter.com/0xRycl0b67

— Connor Essegian (@CEssegian) March 25, 2024

Essegian was an important piece when he arrived in 2022, averaging 11.7 points per game and shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc on his way to earning a spot on the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team. But a back injury early in the season slowed him and he fell out of the normal rotation, going from averaging 27 minutes per game as a freshman to seven this past season. When on the court he was unable to find his rhythm from 3-point range, shooting 30.3% compared to 35.9% in his first year.

The decline in playing time was in large part due to the arrival of freshman John Blackwell, who shot 45.5% on 66 attempts, and continued struggles on defense. Coach Greg Gard was willing to deal with that when Essegian was a freshman, but with better options on that end of the court this season, it led to the Indiana native spending a lot of time on the bench.

Essegian is the first player to enter the portal since Wisconsin’s season came to an end on Friday.