NEW YORK – Chucky Hepburn’s first season – and his first NCAA Tournament experience – ended with an ankle injury that left him unavailable for Wisconsin’s second-round game, a loss to Iowa State.

His second season ended with a loss to North Texas in the semifinals of the NIT after the Badgers failed to land a berth in the NCAA field.

His third season and second NCAA Tournament?

“Thirsty for blood,” the junior point guard said this week. “That’s all I’ve got to say. Thirsty for blood.”

Think Hepburn is ready to get back on any court splashed with those NCAA logos? Tune in when No. 5 UW (22-13) faces No. 12 James Madison (31-3) at 8:40 p.m. (Central) Friday at the Barclays Center in the first round of the South Regional.

More: Wisconsin basketball vs James Madison in March Madness: Prediction for 2024 NCAA Tournament opener

More: After missing out on the NCAAs at St. John's, AJ Storr has found basketball heaven at UW

Chucky Hepburn remembers getting injured in 2022 NCAA Tournament and missing the field in 2023

“Chucky’s leadership has really grown over the last four to six weeks,” UW coach Greg Gard said. “When we were stumbling, Chucky really found his voice and has helped this group turn this back around and get on the right track.”

The Badgers, after a 16-4 start, stumbled through February with a 2-6 record. Hepburn, always content to defend and facilitate rather than score and lead more by deed than by word, was peeved.

He had to become more vocal – on and off the court.

“I was just tired of losing,” he explained. “We went through the same stretch last year and I didn’t want the same thing to happen again.

“So, I knew a leader needed to step up and I knew it had to be me coming from the point guard. I know a lot of guys look to me to say something and it was time to start stepping up.”

Hepburn enters the NCAA Tournament averaging 9.3 points per game, the No. 5 mark on the team, and leads UW in assists (133).

He also has more steals (72) than turnovers (40), meaning he has stolen UW 32 extra possessions.

Hepburn is also in the midst of an impressive stretch of performances.

In the last 10 games, Hepburn is averaging 12.8 points, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Turnovers? He has nine, an average of 0.9 per game.

In three Big Ten Tournament games – Hepburn sat out the victory over Northwestern because of a knee problem – he averaged 17.3 points, 5.7 assists, 2.0 steals and just 1.0 turnover per game.

“I noticed that even when we were stumbling in February,” Gard said, “his voice was starting to come and he was really starting to take charge of some things.

“And sometimes you’ve got to be in some adverse situations to really force that to come out. He has done a great job of that and his play has backed it up.

“He is playing at a really high level.”

More: The things you forgot (or maybe not) from Wisconsin's run to the Final Four 10 years ago

In addition to becoming a more vocal leader, Chucky Hepburn has been more assertive offensively

And scoring more than he did early in the season.

Hepburn scored in double figures two times in UW’s first 10 Big Ten games. He had 13 points in the first meeting against Nebraska, on Jan. 6, and 13 in the second meeting with the Cornhuskers, on Feb. 1.

In his 13 games since, Hebpurn has scored in double figures eight times. He is averaging 11.8 points per game during that stretch.

Hepburn attempted at least seven shots just four times in the first 10 Big Ten regular-season games. He has attempted at least seven shots six times in the last nine games – six regular-season games and three in the league tournament.

Was looking to score more frequently easy?

“It was kind of hard during the season to find out what my role was,” he said. “But as the season went on, I got the feel for the game and once you get that feel for the game you kind of flip that switch really easily. And that is what I was able to do.

“I found a lot of confidence. That gives me a lot of confidence going into March Madness.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin's Chucky Hepburn thirsty for a deep run in NCAA Tournament