Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard spoke with reporters at his annual Garding Against Cancer charity event on Friday.
It was his first time with the media since landing Camren Hunter, John Tonje and Xavier Amos from the transfer portal. The roster looks different than on April 25 when the head coach had to address the departures of star guard Chucky Hepburn and wing A.J. Storr. The roster looks like it can compete in a tough Big Ten in 2024-25.
Related: Wisconsin basketball 2024-25 starting lineup and rotation with latest transfer addition
The roles of the incoming transfers remain a question. Amos will almost definitely start at power forward, while Tonje and Hunter will battle in a competitive backcourt rotation.
It sounds as though Gard is high on Hunter’s potential. The Badgers head coach compared his build to that of former Villanova and current Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson.
Gard recruited Jalen Brunson out of high school. Obviously new addition Camren Hunter isn’t Brunson but Gard said his body type reminds him of the Knicks All-Star. pic.twitter.com/yr71her7o9
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) May 3, 2024
“I recruited Jalen Brunson several years ago. … (Hunter) reminds me, I hope he can become as good a player. We talk about ‘jackpot’; that would be jackpot,” Gard said. “But big, left-handed, big body, really strong. … We played against (Brunson) in the NCAA Tournament so we have a pretty good reference to his type of game. And Cam has similar attributes. I’m not saying he’s Jalen Brunson … but you look at him physically and he reminds you of that.”
Hunter joins the Badgers after missing the 2023-24 season at Central Arkansas with an injury. He was terrific as a sophomore in 2022-23, averaging 16.9 points, 5 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 42% shooting and 31% from 3.
The transfer guard figures to battle for a starting role with Tonje, top recruit Daniel Freitag and rising star John Blackwell. Either way, he figures to play a big role for Gard’s team in 2024-25.
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