Tag: Kamari McGee

Wisconsin basketball guard has offseason foot surgery

Wisconsin basketball guard has foot surgery

Wisconsin basketball guard Kamari McGee underwent foot surgery this week, according to his latest post on Instagram.

The veteran guard suffered a foot injury midway through the Badgers’ season. He was out from January 19 (the date of the injury) to March 7, and then went on to play important bench minutes for the team during its Big Ten Tournament run and early March Madness exit.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin basketball’s reported transfer portal visits and targets

McGee’s importance was highlighted during his absence. Wisconsin went from one of the best teams in the nation to a group struggling to find wins, due in part to his steady contributions off the bench. Not to say McGee was the entire reason for the slump, but his absence was felt during that tough five-week stretch.

His late-season contributions are made even more impressive by the clear injury he was battling through.

The rising senior should play a similar role for Wisconsin in 2024-25. Chucky Hepburn will lead the starting unit, with McGee pickup up important bench minutes in his absence.

McGee averaged 8.2 minutes, 2.1 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.5 steals per game on 54% shooting and 27% from three. He’s turned into a valuable contributor to Greg Gard’s team after being a largely-forgotten addition when he transferred to Wisconsin from UW-Green Bay after his freshman year.

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

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Wisconsin G Kamari McGee stole the show in long-awaited return to action

What was your reaction to Kamari McGee’s return to the lineup?

Wisconsin finally returned to the win column Thursday night with a 78-66 triumph over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Things were dicey for the Badgers early. Rutgers somehow again shot well above its season average, something which led to the Scarlet Knights’ blowout win over the Badgers back in February.

Wisconsin ended up trailing 47-42 with 13:56 remaining in the contest, closing in on another inexplicable loss.

Then Kamari McGee happened.

Related: Wisconsin social media reacts to Badgers resilient win vs Rutgers

McGee checked in at that 13:56 mark. He checked out with 7:45 remaining after scoring nine quick points on 4/4 shooting, and with Wisconsin leading 59-49.

The Badgers got solid efforts from A.J. Storr, Steven Crowl and John Blackwell. But nobody played more critical minutes than McGee, who had been out with injury for the last 50 days.

The backup guard finished with 11 points on 5/5 shooting and 1/1 from three. The numbers are impressive, but they still don’t do justice to how critical his play was in those six minutes late in the second half.

Badgers fans postgame were crowning him as the reason the team will make a run in March, and I don’t necessarily blame them.

Wisconsin had dearly missed McGee’s veteran presence and ability to lead the offense during his 13 games on the sideline. It’s worth noting what Greg Gard’s team has accomplished this year when fully healthy, which it is now entering postseason play.

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

Wisconsin guard returns to practice ahead of matchup vs Rutgers

Good news for the Badgers:

Wisconsin guard Kamari McGee returned to practice this week in advance of the Badgers matchup with Rutgers on Thursday evening.

McGee has missed the last 11 games with a lower-body injury. Wisconsin is 4-7 in that time, including a mark of 2-7 in its last nine games.

Related: ESPN Bracketology: Latest update on Wisconsin entering final stretch

The veteran guard was averaging 1.4 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.7 steals in 6.8 minutes per game of action this season before the injury. While the numbers aren’t significant, Wisconsin has dearly missed McGee’s presence as a dependable backup point guard and reliable option. The team’s struggles have been due to several factors, but they also align with when McGee suffered his injury.

Eyes will turn on Thursday afternoon to see if the former UW-Green Bay transfer can suit up for the Badgers home contest against Rutgers.

247Sports’ Evan Flood did add that McGee was not ‘full go’ at practice quite yet, so a return Thursday might be wishful thinking.

More importantly, Wisconsin needs McGee back for its run in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. The last month of basketball has indicated the team may continue to struggle without him.

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

Injury Report: Wisconsin getting significant contributor back for today’s game at Iowa

Great news for the Badgers entering this afternoon at Iowa:

Wisconsin breakout freshman guard John Blackwell is officially off the injury report and active for the Badgers’ contest at Iowa this afternoon.

Blackwell initially suffered a hip injury during Wisconsin’s loss to Purdue on February 4. He then played sparingly in the team’s loss to Michigan later that week before missing the last two contests entirely.

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His return is great news for Greg Gard’s team entering today’s contest and the rest of the Big Ten regular season. Blackwell is averaging 7.9 points and 3.2 rebounds on 45.8% shooting and 47.5% from three in only 17.5 average minutes of game action. He plays a pivotal role in the team’s guard rotation off the bench, something that has been further hurt by Kamari McGee’s absence.

While Blackwell will return this afternoon, Kamari McGee remains out indefinitely.

Wisconsin will take the court in Iowa City looking for its second-straight win, hoping to keep pace with Purdue and Illinois atop the conference race.

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

Wisconsin guard set to miss multiple more weeks

Wisconsin guard set to miss multiple more weeks

The Badgers men’s basketball team (16-4) is set to face Nebraska (15-6) on the road Thursday night and they’ll once again be without junior guard Kamari McGee (lower-leg).

McGee is expected to miss at least “two-plus” more weeks according to head coach Greg Gard after he’s already been sidelined for each of Wisconsin’s last two games.

The guard suffered a lower-body injury, which can now be described as a lower-leg injury to his right leg, as he’s been in a boot while getting around on a scooter since.

In his absence, John Blackwell will likely continue being the largest beneficiary when it comes to an increased workload.

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Badgers guard out indefinitely

Badgers set to be without guard for a while

The Badgers men’s basketball team (15-4) will host Michigan State (12-7) at the Kohl Center on Friday, but they’ll be without guard Kamari McGee (foot/ankle) for the second game in a row.

McGee suffered an injury in the Badgers’ 91-79 win over Indiana last Friday, exiting the game before returning with a boot on. It’s unclear how long that the guard will be sidelined, but the injury does not appear to be one that he can play through.

In the meantime, Isaac Lindsey saw some added playing time in Wisconsin’s narrow 61-59 victory on the road against Minnesota on Tuesday and he’ll likely continue to see an increased workload in McGee’s absence versus the Spartans.

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LOOK: Four Wisconsin basketball newcomers choose their jersey numbers

A look at new numbers for Wisconsin’s offseason additions:

As is life in modern college basketball, Wisconsin basketball has a 2022-23 roster that features numerous changes from a year ago. Thanks to the transfer portal and the freshman class of 2022, the Badgers have a series of newcomers with a chance to earn immediate playing time.

Four new faces recently finalized their Wisconsin jersey numbers. A pair of transfers in Kamari McGee (UW-Green Bay) and Max Klesmit (Wofford), as well as the 2022 freshman class of Connor Essegian and walk-on Luke Haertle all have their numbers picked out.

Here is a look at the four new numbers chosen by Wisconsin’s 2022 offseason additions: