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Wisconsin basketball is getting healthy at the right time, with the team set to start its Big Ten Tournament quest on Thursday afternoon.
First, veteran guard Max Klesmit is set to return after an extended absence. He confirmed that status when meeting with the media on Tuesday.
Second, just as significant, standout sophomore Nolan Winter appears healthy and ready to go for Thursday’s postseason opener.
“[Nolan Winter] was back [at practice] a little bit yesterday,” head coach Greg Gard told the media on Tuesday. “Then we varied today, which was more opponent specific. So he’s in-and-out a little bit. But he’s back. Said he feels good. That’s the plan, is he will be back and ready to go.”
Winter left Wisconsin’s loss to Penn State on Saturday with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. It occurred as he converted a put-back dunk with 16:40 remaining in the game. The seven-foot forward immediately favored his right shoulder after the play. After exiting the game from 16:40 to 12:34 and returning for another minute, he sat out for the final 11:12 of the contest.
Wisconsin struggled mightily in his absence. The team was up 47-45 after his dunk at 16:40. Penn State then outscored it 41-28 to close the game, clinching a significant upset victory.
Winter’s return is significant news for the Badgers as they begin their postseason quest. He’s averaging 21.5 minutes, 9.7 points, six rebounds and one assist on 56.5% shooting and 36.6% from three this season. Those numbers are all significant year-to-year improvements after he played sparingly as a freshman in 2023-24. His defensive presence and offensive threat, both inside and from deep, has been a major factor in Wisconsin’s terrific season to date. That two-way play will be key if the team is to make a deep NCAA Tournament run.
Up first for the Badgers is a Big Ten Tournament second-round matchup against either Minnesota or Northwestern on Thursday. With a win, they would move on to face UCLA. Another triumph would create a rematch…
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Author : Badgers Wire
Publish date : 2025-03-12 13:13:00
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