Tag: Kamari McGee

Recapping former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian’s return to Madison

WATCH: Former Badger guard Connor Essegian reunites with Wisconsin teammates

On Sunday afternoon, former Wisconsin transfer guard Connor Essegian was received with open arms in his return to the Kohl Center.

In his first game in Madison since he transferred to the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ program this spring, Essegian dropped eight points and two rebounds in 23 minutes of action for Fred Hoiberg’s squad. In the effort, he shot 3-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-7 from beyond the arc.

His point total was Nebraska’s second-most on the afternoon — a strong description of how Wisconsin’s 83-55 victory played out. Only one Cornhusker reached double-figures, with the starting lineup combining for just 34 points.

After the contest, Essegian greeted several of his former Badger teammates in the postgame handshake line.

First, the Fort Wayne, Indiana native shared a few words and embraced his former head coach Greg Gard. He then greeted each of UW’s assistant coaches before approaching the roster of active Badgers.

Essegian appeared especially enthusiastic when greeting veteran guards Kamari McGee and Max Klesmit before embracing sophomore star John Blackwell towards the end of the handshake line. Essegian did not depart the program with any ill-will, and his interactions with his former teammates and mentors reaffirmed that sentiment.

Through 20 games with the Cornhuskers this season, Essegian is accountable for 11.3 points per game off 42.4% from the field and 40.8% from outside. He’s carved out a role as one of the Big Ten’s premier bench assets this season and has scored 20 or more points in three games this season.

RECAP: John Tonje dominates in Badgers blowout win over Nebraska

RECAP: John Tonje dominates in Badgers’ blowout win vs. Nebraska

Wisconsin basketball (16-4, 6-3 Big Ten) rolled to an 83-55 victory against Nebraska (12-8, 2-7 Big Ten) at the Kohl Center on Sunday afternoon.

Of all the blistering offensive starts Greg Gard’s group has orchestrated this season, the Badgers’ opening surge against the Cornhuskers was among their most impressive.

Within the first five minutes of action, UW established a 19-2 edge courtesy of 16 combined points from star wing John Tonje and sophomore guard John Blackwell. The two nailed four 3-pointers during the stretch to set the tone for what Wisconsin accomplished for the remainder of the contest.

Nebraska roared back with a 19-5 run, but Tonje and the Badgers’ entire offensive unit could not be contained. UW produced a 16-2 run to rebuild its lead to 17 with under a minute remaining before intermission.

The Badgers looked just as electric in the second half. Wisconsin’s playmakers nailed eight more 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes of play, as Tonje notched 12 more tallies to punctuate one of his better performances of the season.

Wisconsin connected on 17 of 37 3-point attempts on Sunday, tallied five more assists than the Cornhuskers and snagged eight more rebounds.

Tonje finished with a game-best 27 points and snagged five rebounds. Blackwell scored 14 points and Kamari McGee accounted for 11 points off the bench. The Badgers’ high-powered offense was on full display throughout: 11 Badgers made the score sheet.

In his return to the Kohl Center, Nebraska guard Connor Essegian scored eight points and grabbed two rebounds.

Wisconsin will square off against a feisty Maryland team on Jan. 29 in College Park.

RECAP: John Blackwell fuels Wisconsin basketball to win over USC

RECAP: John Blackwell fuels Wisconsin basketball to win over USC

Wisconsin basketball (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten) stretched its win streak to seven games with an 84-69 victory against the USC Trojans (11-7, 3-4 Big Ten) on Saturday.

After leading by as many as 19 points a few minutes after the intermission, the Badgers survived a 20-4 scoring burst from the Trojans in the first portion of the second half. Wisconsin regained composure after the extended USC run thanks to strong play from star sophomore guard John Blackwell and senior leader Max Klesmit. It then maintained a double-digit edge throughout the latter portion of the closing frame.

Blackwell, who has orchestrated several high-scoring outputs this season, erupted for a game-best 28 points off a blistering 10-of-16 from the field and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe in 34 minutes. Klesmit, who suffered an ankle injury on Jan. 6 vs. Rutgers, reminded fans of his offensive capabilities with 18 points and four assists in 27 minutes. Nolan Winter also chipped in 13 tallies, five boards and three dimes on efficient shooting.

Blackwell set the tone for Gard’s crew early with 11 points in the first six minutes of action. Winter, Steven Crowl and Xavier Amos also pitched in to extend the edge to 15 points at the 9:14-minute mark of the first half. Blackwell would add five more points to propel UW all the way to a 15-point advantage (42-27) at the halftime break. USC appeared out of sorts, especially offensively.

The Trojans battled back with an efficient offensive showing in the second half. Blackwell’s second-half play was complimented by Klesmit, who scored 13 of his 18 points in the second frame. The Badgers finally glided to a 15-point victory in their first leg of a two-game West Coast road trip.

Wisconsin will now bring a seven-game winning streak into its matchup against the UCLA Bruins on Tuesday.

RECAP: Wisconsin basketball survives Ohio State late comeback, notches sixth straight win

RECAP: Wisconsin basketball survives Ohio State late comeback, notches sixth straight win

Wisconsin basketball (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten) extended its win streak to six games with a 70-68 victory against the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-7, 2-4 Big Ten) on Tuesday.

After leading by as many as 17 points at the intermission, the Badgers witnessed the Buckeyes conduct a second-half rally to cut the deficit to just one point in the game’s waning seconds. Fueled by strong play from veteran wing John Tonje, Wisconsin prevailed from the foul line late to secure its fourteenth win of the 2024-25 season.

Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s narrow win over Ohio State

Tonje logged a game-best 17 points off a perfect 10-of-10 mark from the free throw line in the victory. Senior center Steven Crowl continued his strong play with 14 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore guard John Blackwell added 15 points, six rebounds and two assists.

It was truly a tale of two halves for the Badgers. Following a dominant second half performance against Minnesota on Jan. 10, Wisconsin picked up right where it left off by outscoring the Buckeyes 37-20 in the opening stanza.

Of note, the Badgers nailed 13 of 14 looks from the free throw line in the first half, as Crowl and Blackwell combined for 19 points at the break.

After the half, the Buckeyes retaliated with force. Following John Tonje’s nasty poster dunk near the 12:00-minute mark, Ohio State manufactured a 9-0 scoring surge to cut the deficit to four with just over 10 minutes remaining.

The two squads traded buckets for the ensuing five minutes before Tonje went on an individual tear from the charity stripe and behind the arc to bring UW’s edge back up to eight. OSU then scored seven unanswered points to make the margin 65-64 in favor of Wisconsin with 16 seconds remaining.

Free throws followed, and the Badgers ultimately prevailed despite two critical misses from Blackwell. The Buckeyes outplayed Wisconsin in nearly every facet during the second half. The Badgers’ aggressiveness in the first half and Tonje’s late takeover proved to be the difference.

Wisconsin will now head to the West Coast to take on the USC Trojans (Jan. 18) and UCLA Bruins (Jan. 21) with hopes of solidifying its position in the Big Ten standings and AP Top 25 Poll.

Five stats that defined Wisconsin basketball’s 21-point win over Minnesota

Five stats that defined Wisconsin basketball’s 21-point win over Minnesota

Wisconsin basketball earned an impressive 80-59 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday night at the Kohl Center.

After falling behind 15-5 early in the first half, Wisconsin punched back with an extended 15-2 run to establish an edge and discover its rhythm. After regrouping, the Badgers ultimately outscored Minnesota by 20 points in the second half, leaning on its offensive and defensive depth to snatch its fifth consecutive triumph and third straight Big Ten win.

Wisconsin was fueled by 18 and five rebounds and a block from veteran big man Steven Crowl, 16 points and six rebounds from wing John Tonje and 15 points, five rebounds and three steals from standout guard Kamari McGee. The team shot over 57% from the field and 53% from deep in the second half as it reached the 80-point threshold for the tenth occasion this season.

The outcome is all the more impressive given the absence of perennial starter Max Klesmit (ankle). Outside of its 31-point blowout win over Iowa, Wisconsin’s offense flowed as well as it has against any Big Ten this season. All five of UW’s starters scored at least eight points, plus eight total points found the scoring sheet.

Here are five stats that defined UW’s big win over Minnesota:

1. 50-30 second half differential

Wisconsin’s offense was clicking on all cylinders during the second frame. Gard’s crew connected on 15 field goal attempts in the second half and eight three-point field goals to establish a 30-tally lead in the game’s waning minutes. UW also reached the free throw line 17 times in the second half, a sizable difference compared to its six attempts in its win over Rutgers.

2. 15 points from Kamari McGee

In his first start for Greg Gard, Kamari McGee set career-bests in points (15), rebounds (five), steals (three) and minutes (33). McGee has already proved his worth in crunch time on several occasions this season. On Friday, McGee manufactured arguably his most complete 40-minute game of his tenure in Madison. The point guard’s leadership, voice and energy are pivotal for the Badgers going forward, and he will continue to be the No. 1 option for Gard’s bench unit for the remainder of the season.

3. 11 second half assists

Wisconsin’s offense is best when the ball is flowing. Eight different Badgers notched at least one assist in the 21-point win, which is indicative of what Gard preaches during practices and walk-throughs. Ball and player movement created open shots throughout the second half for UW, and the number of different scorers is something Wisconsin’s offense has certainly excelled at this season.

4. 15-2 scoring run

Facing a 10-point deficit within the first six minutes of play, Minnesota looked like the superior offensive group. It didn’t take long, however, for Wisconsin to heat up. Headlined by five points from Crowl, five different Badgers contributed to UW’s 15-2 scoring spurt in the first half. The run importantly reassured fans of Wisconsin’s offensive capacity. The two teams sparred for the rest of the first half, but the run served as a launching pad for what Wisconsin would bring into the second half.

5. 24 free throw attempts

Wisconsin shot six total free throw attempts in its 12-point road win over Rutgers. Tonight, the crew mustered 18 more looks from charity stripe, 17 of which arrived in the second half. The Badgers still lead the nation in free throw percentage by a sizable margin, but this performance served as a reminder of what Wisconsin can do when it utilizes size advantages to attack the paint.

Kamari McGee shines in Max Klesmit’s absence in Wisconsin’s win over Minnesota

Kamari McGee shines in Max Klesmit’s absence in Wisconsin’s win over Minnesota

Wisconsin veteran point guard Kamari McGee shined in Wisconsin’s 80-59 win over Minnesota on Friday.

Replacing senior guard Max Klesmit in the starting lineup, McGee finished with a career-best 15 points, five rebounds and three steals in 33 minutes of action.

Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s blowout win over Minnesota

McGee also played one of the more efficient games of any Wisconsin playmaker. The six-foot guard shot five-of-10 from the field, three-of-four from distance, two-of-two from the free throw line and recorded just one turnover as the primary ball-handler.

In his third year with Wisconsin, McGee has served as one of the more valuable pieces for Gard’s bench depth. Following tonight’s performance, he accounts for 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and two assists in roughly 22 minutes per appearance. His intangibles, such as voice, leadership, are arguably as important as his on-court contributions.

McGee’s clutch-time capabilities have also impressed onlookers. In UW’s win over Pittsburgh at the Greenbrier Tip-Off, McGee scored eight of his 10 points in critical spots during the second half to help UW clinch non-conference tournament win. He also helped Wisconsin clinch a narrow win over UT Rio Grande Valley earlier this season after switching out on a six-foot-eight forward and forcing him into a tough look in the game’s waning seconds.

Although Klesmit boasts the size, two-way ability and sweltering three-point shooting history, McGee’s effort makes him hard to keep on the bench. His minute totals should be monitored, and could continue to increase, as Klesmit works to return from his ankle injury.

RECAP: Wisconsin basketball explodes in second half for 21-point win over Minnesota

RECAP: Wisconsin basketball explodes in second half for 21-point win over Minnesota

Wisconsin basketball (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten) stretched its win streak to five with a dominant 80-59 triumph against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday.

With senior guard Max Klesmit sidelined due to an ankle injury, the Badgers opened the contest sluggishly. They then exploded offensively once the second half began, outscoring the Golden Gophers 50-30 to clinch an easy victory.

Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s blowout win over Minnesota

Wisconsin veteran center Steven Crowl showed out once more for the home fans with a team-high 18 points off an efficient six-of-seven from the field, two-of-two from deep and four-of-four from the foul line. Wing John Tonje also showed off his aggressiveness with 16 tallies and six rebounds on seven made free throws, while point guard Kamari McGee dropped 15 points, five rebounds and three steals in Klesmit’s typical starting role.

The Golden Gophers opened the game with a 15-5 edge courtesy of seven quick points from veteran forward Dawson Garcia, Greg Gard’s group fought back with a 15-2 run over the ensuing seven minutes to capture a 20-17 advantage. The two squads traded hoops for the remainder of the first half, but Wisconsin never looked back after intermission.

The Badgers appeared completely reenergized in the second stanza. The group converted on 57.7% of its field goal attempts and 53.3% of its looks from outside to blow the game open. By the 10:07-minute mark, Wisconsin built a 16-point edge courtesy of seven free throws and four three-pointers.

Wisconsin led by as many as 30 points before gliding to the 21-tally victory. Minnesota’s lack of offensive depth and inefficiency plagued the Golden Gophers. Yes, the border rival opened with a powerful offensive display, but the team could not maintain that type of consistency for a 40-minute game.

Minnesota drops to 8-8 on its season and 0-5 in Big Ten play. Wisconsin, meanwhile, notches its third straight Big Ten win and should inch closer toward an appearance in the AP Top 25 Poll.

UW will search for its sixth straight win on Tuesday against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Kohl Center.

Badgers G Kamari McGee on win over Iowa: ‘We knew they didn’t want to play defense’

Kamari McGee summed up the Badgers’ dominant night

Wisconsin sent a message with its record-breaking 116-85 win over Iowa on Friday.

That message was first to Iowa, establishing a clear discrepancy between the two teams despite each entering with a 10-3 record. It was also to the rest of the Big Ten, as the win reestablished the Badgers’ ceiling as a potential top team in the conference.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s record-breaking win over Iowa

Wisconsin’s offensive dominance was the obvious story of the contest. The Badgers scored a Kohl Center record 116 points thanks to 64.5% field-goal shooting and a record 21 three-point makes on 67.7% shooting.

The Badgers boast a top-10 offense on KenPom, while the Hawkeyes’ defense is now rated No. 128. While that’s a clear mismatch in hindsight, it still doesn’t explain the 116-point tally. That point total in a Big Ten game between two 10-3 teams points to some poor defense on one side of the court.

Wisconsin guard Kamari McGee reflected that sentiment when meeting with the media postgame.

“Once we realized that they were just trying to outscore us [things changed],” McGee said. “Once we realized that they were just coming in here to try to outscore us and not, they didn’t really care much about the defensive end, we took advantage of that. We didn’t know we were going to shoot this great tonight, but we trust our teammates, we trust the players. So we know we can score the ball in bunches. We just knew that they didn’t want to play defense. All we had to do was play a little more defense than them and the game is ours.”

The Badgers held the Hawkeyes to 85 points (four under their season average) on 48.5% shooting and 37.5% from three. Wisconsin somewhat won the game with its defense to begin the second half, holding Iowa to just four points in the half’s first five minutes. That allowed the Badgers to balloon their lead to 20, igniting their second-half offensive explosion.

Wisconsin improves to 11-3 (1-2 Big Ten) with the victory. The win creates an altered rest-of-season outlook, with Big Ten contention possibly entering the picture. Iowa, meanwhile, has a glaring issue on the defensive end. An NCAA Tournament berth will be a challenge with more performances consistent with Friday’s.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Wisconsin basketball’s unsung hero continues to impress

Wisconsin basketball’s unsung hero continues to impress

The Wisconsin Badgers basketball program is off to a historic start to the 2024-25 season. Without Kamari McGee, that might not be possible.

The senior guard continues to prove his worth for Greg Gard’s program. In the Badgers’ 81-75 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, McGee scored 10 points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out two assists in 28 minutes off the bench.

Eight of those 10 tallies arrived at crucial points in the second half. The Racine, Wisconsin native hit a layup to knot things at 38 early in the second half, then nailed a three-pointer to push Wisconsin ahead 65-62 with under seven minutes to play.

In fact, the Badgers never relinquished their lead after McGee’s first look from outside. His second, arguably the dagger of the contest, came with the Badgers leading by just one point with 2:54 remaining. The senior netted the look right in front of his bench to essentially seal the win.

On the season, McGee is averaging 7.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in over 23 minutes per game off the bench. His leadership, coupled with a clutch shot-making ability, make him one of the more integral pieces to one of college basketball’s hottest teams to start the 2024-25 season.

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard, wing John Tonje said after Greenbrier Tip-Off win

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard, wing John Tonje said after Greenbrier Tip-Off win

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard and star wing John Tonje addressed the media following the Badgers’ 81-75 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday.

For the first time since Wisconsin reached the NCAA Tournament final in 2015, the team is 7-0 and has scored 79 or more points in every win. To achieve that on Sunday, the Badgers needed to rally back from 14 down in the first half against a tough Pittsburgh team.

“Heck of a game against a really, really good team,” Gard said. “Not a great start for us offensively, but the resilience these guys showed being down 14 and not being able to get anything going offensively, they leaned into their defense even more.”

Wisconsin did just that. After posting 27 points in the opening frame off abysmal shooting splits, Wisconsin put together a 54-point second half and held the Panthers to under 16% from distance.

To correct that, Gard looked inward at UW’s offensive possessions during the first half.

“[In the] second half, we were able to get some things going,” Gard said. “I felt offensively we had to do a better job at shot selection,” Gard said. “We took some quick ones at times, we took some look twos… and then we go 0-of-10 from three for the first half. Analytically at halftime, we were getting what we wanted. We just needed a couple threes to go in.”

Fortunately, Wisconsin’s program is well aware of its culture. When those shots weren’t falling, Gard was able to lean on his depth to uplift stars like John Tonje and John Blackwell.

“You lean into your defensive when your offensive isn’t clicking like it has been,” Gard said. “Eventually, we got to the point where we were able to get to the free throw line.. The resilience of this group, the toughness of this group, the guts within this group in [Max] Klesmit, [Kamari] McGee and [Carter] Gilmore, those are the fighters that help in those situations. That’s the core of our program.”

Tonje, who dropped 33 points in the victory, was virtually un-guardable. The wing scored 25 of his 33 in the second half off 9-of-11 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line.

“I was trying to be aggressive from the start,” Tonje said. “I didn’t shoot the ball well early, but I just kept with it. The primary defender on me had three fouls, so I was trying to be aggressive. A couple of the guys that were switching out on me had a couple fouls as well. I knew on the scouring report that they’re not necessarily as deep of a team, so we knew we had to take advantage of guys in foul trouble. So that was what I was looking for.”

The 7-0 Badgers will return to the Kohl Center on Nov. 30 for a game against Chicago State.