After leading Aquinnas High School to the Wisconsin State Basketball Championship during his sophomore year in 2011, Bronson Koenig, Ho Chunk Nation, was scouted by ACC powerhouses Duke and North Carolina.

But Koenig he’s a La Crosse, Wisconsin native, and signed with the University of Wisconsin Badgers last year.

“It was almost surreal when [scouts and coaches] from teams like North Carolina and Duke would come to my games and call me all the time. It was flattering,” Koenig told ICTMN. “But I’ve always been a Badgers fan and it’s close to home.”

Koenig was named 2013 Wisconsin Player of the Year during his senior season in high school, averaging 17.0 points and 4.4 assists per game. He led Aquinnas to its second state Division III title within a three-year period.

The Badgers started off this season 16-0, the best start in school history and they were ranked No. 3 in both the Associated Press (AP) Poll and the USA Today/Coaches Poll.

However, they hit a bump. The Badgers lost five of six, including a 59-58 loss to rival Ohio State, dropping to 17-5 before bouncing back with wins over Illinois and No. 9 Michigan State.

Koenig, coming off the Badger, is averaging nearly 16 minutes a game.

“It’s hard to get into a rhythm offensively. But it’s something most freshmen have to go through,” Koenig said. “Especially in this system, freshmen don’t usually come in and start.”

“He’s been trying to make sure that he puts himself in position,” Coach Bo Ryan told Fox Sports. “He can be a very streaky shooter. His rotation is really good. I think he hasn’t looked to take bad shots. That’s for sure..."

“I’m a competitive person. I went back to the drawing board and practiced and worked as hard as I could to get into the (playing) rotation,” Koenig said.