Tag: Kamari McGee

Wisconsin basketball’s win over UCF matches best start since … 2014-15

Wisconsin basketball’s win over UCF matches best start since … 2014-15

Wisconsin’s basketball program made history in its 86-70 win over UCF on Friday.

For the first time since 2014-15, the Badgers have started the season with a 6-0 record. That legendary team amassed a 36-4 overall record and reached the 2015 NCAA Tournament title game.

Unlike the 2014-15 crew, the 2024-25 Badgers have scored 79 or more points in each of their first six games of the season — five games with 86 or more. That is a program-best mark.

While this version of UW does not roster Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker or Nigel Hayes, it does blend a unique combination of experience, size and athleticism.

Through six games, transfer wing John Tonje has been nothing short of a star for Greg Gard. The senior is averaging 21.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in just under 30 minutes per appearance. He’s also shooting a blistering 53.2% from the floor, 44.4% from three-point range and 94.3% from the foul line.

Sophomore guard John Blackwell accounts for 16.3 points per contest, and senior Max Klesmit puts up over 13 points per game. The Badgers lead the nation in free throw percentage, outscore opponents by nearly 17 points and dish out just under 16 assists per game.

Wisconsin was ranked No. 19 in the latest AP Poll before a pair of victories. That ranking should rise if the team defeats Pittsburgh in the Greenbrier Tip-Off final. As they seem to do every year, the Badgers are overachieving based off their preseason expectations.

RECAP: Wisconsin rolls past UCF to improve to 6-0 on 2024-25 season

RECAP: Wisconsin rolls past UCF to improve to 6-0 on 2024-25 season

Wisconsin basketball rolled past the UCF Knights 86-70 on Friday to pick up its sixth win of the 2024-25 season.

Unlike its previous two victories which were fueled by individual scoring outbursts from wing John Tonje and guard John Blackwell, the Badgers cruised to victory against UCF with swift ball movement and dominant team defense.

On the offensive side of the hardwood, the Badgers logged 21 assists, scored 38 points in the paint and had 10 of their playmakers scratch the scoresheet. Defensively, Gard’s unit held the Knights to just 34% from the field and 12% from the three-point line.

Blackwell spearheaded the scoring charge with 17 points off 6-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 from deep. Tonje dropped 15, snagged six rebounds and dished out four assists, veteran guard Kamari McGee notched a season-high 14 points off 5-of-6 from the floor and sophomore center Nolan Winter registered 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in the blowout win.

Wisconsin practically sealed the deal in the first half. After UCF’s Darius Johnson cashed in on a layup inside at the 11:45-minute mark, Wisconsin orchestrated an extended 20-8 run to extend its edge to 21 points with 4:52 remaining before intermission.

Everything was clicking for UW. Wisconsin moved the ball seamlessly and found open men both near the painted area and outside the arc. The Badgers paired their interior attack with five looks from deep in the first half en route to a 15-point lead by the break.

Winter and Tonje picked up right where Wisconsin left off in the second half to extend the lead to 20 within the first three minutes of the final stanza. Gard’s team maintained a 20-point advantage up until the final minutes of the contest.

Wisconsin improves to 6-0 on the young season with their first road victory of the season. UCF, meanwhile, drops to 4-1. Wisconsin will play its next game on Nov. 24 against Pittsburgh in the second leg of the Greenbrier Tip-Off.

LOOK: Wisconsin arrives at Greenbrier Tip-Off for first road games of 2024-25 season

LOOK: Wisconsin arrives to Greenbrier Tip-Off for first road game of 2024-25 season

Wisconsin (5-0) will play its first road game of the 2024-25 season against UCF (4-0) at the Greenbrier Tip-Off on Friday.

Staged at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, the non-conference tournament serves as an early-season test for the No. 19-ranked Badgers.

Unlike any other game throughout the season, the atmosphere surrounding these two or three-day tournaments is much different than a contest at the Kohl Center or elsewhere. The environments often stray from what players may be accustomed to, as they’re usually played in a condensed gymnasium or a ballroom.

Just a day before their test vs. the Knights, Wisconsin’s group appears to be acclimating to that environment. The Badgers staged Thursday’s practice in what appears to be an actual ballroom. Ornate drapes and chairs quite literally surround the hardwood.

Luckily for John Tonje and company, Greg Gard has been here before. The Badgers have participated in 17 non-conference tournaments over the past 19 seasons, including seven of the previous eight seasons under Gard.

Wisconsin has found immense success at these events under Gard, headlined by a recent win at the 2023 Fort Myers Tip-Off.

The Badgers’ second game of the weekend is scheduled for Nov. 24 against either LSU or Pittsburgh, depending on Friday’s results. A tournament triumph would unquestionably elevate in the Badgers even higher in the next version of the AP Poll.

Wisconsin bench guard clinches Badgers win over UT Rio Grande Valley

Wisconsin bench guard clinches Badgers win over UT Rio Grande Valley

Wisconsin basketball guard Kamari McGee has been one of the Badgers’ most valuable players through five games of the 2024-25 season.

On Monday night, the senior guard clinched Wisconsin’s tight 87-84 win over UT Rio Grande Valley on the final play of the evening.

Tasked with defending the Vaqueros’ 6-foot-8 forward Hasan Abdul Hakim at the top of the key, the 6-foot-tall McGee stayed right with Hakim without fouling and forced the versatile playmaker into a tough fadeaway jumper in the lane.

His shot attempt hit the backside of the rim, and sophomore guard John Blackwell scooped in for a strong rebound to secure the victory.

Here’s the full play:

Simply put — the play encapsulates McGee’s impact this season.

Through five games in 2024-25 McGee boasts the the highest +/- of any Badger at +85, per Badger247’s Evan Flood. Only Blackwell, who holds a +84, is within reaching distance of the veteran.

McGee has unquestionably been Gard’s most reliable bench player this season. Sure, he might not bring the height of Carter Gilmore and Xavier Amos, but he is as composed a bench guard as you can find in the nation.

The Racine, Wisconsin, native is responsible for 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2 assists in 23 minutes per game off the bench this season.

He and the Badgers will be back in action on Nov. 22 against UCF in the Greenbrier Tip-Off.

Greg Gard praises Wisconsin guard after big performance vs. Montana State

Greg Gard praises Wisconsin guard after big performance vs. Montana State

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard highlighted the development and performance of senior guard Kamari McGee when meeting with the media after the Badgers’ 79-67 win over Montana State.

McGee played 27 minutes off the bench in the winning effort, totaling 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Yet again, he served as a crucial spark plug for the Badgers. His status as the team’s sixth man does not preclude his minutes from being highly productive.

Related:Ā Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketballā€™s win over Montana State

The former UW-Green Bay transfer has developed significantly since transferring to Wisconsin ahead of the 2022-23 season. Gard highlighted that improvement:

“Just his poise and maturity,” Gard began. “I think heā€™s operating at a very functional speed right now. Two years ago, I think he tried to play everything at a thousand miles an hour. Now, he understands the importance of pace and patience. When to pick your spots, when to step on the gas, when not to. So I think youā€™re seeing the evolution and the maturity of a player thatā€™s done a really good job for us.”

McGee’s elevated role speaks to that development. Through two games this season he’s averaging 27.5 minutes, 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game, all while shooting 54% from the floor and 40% from three-point range.

Here’s more from Gard on what McGee means to the team:

“Heā€™s been a steadying influence. He changes the game with his defense, he changes the game with the pace he comes up with the ball. But I just think the decisions, and the conscious effort to read and feel of the game, when you can go fast and when you canā€™t. He didnā€™t understand that two years ago, and itā€™s taken time for him to learn that and get a good feel. Heā€™s obviously figured out a lot of good things.ā€

Much of Gard’s focus was on McGee’s contributions on offense. McGee’s comments postgame, meanwhile, centered around the defensive side of the court

“I know that defense is going to win us a lot of games,” the senior guard said. “Iā€™ve always had the defensive mindset ever since I started playing basketball. Thatā€™s winning basketball, is getting defensive stop. We have enough scorers, we have enough guys doing great things at the other end. I make sure I try to lead by example and get my guys engaged as well. Because when itā€™s crunch time like that and itā€™s time to close a game out, youā€™re going to need stops more than scores.ā€

Gard, McGee and the Badgers are back on the court on Sunday, Nov. 10 at home against Appalachian State. It’s reasonable to predict another high-impact game from the senior guard in his established sixth-man role.

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

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard praises Badgers point guard after exhibition win

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard praises Badgers point guard after exhibition win

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard praised point guard Kamari McGee following the Badgers’ 78-62 exhibition win over UW-River Falls on Wednesday.

In 24 minutes off the bench, McGee registered five points, six assists and four rebounds for UW’s second unit. McGee also took care of the rock and did not record a turnover during his time orchestrating the offense.

“He’s been the most consistent,” Gard said after the game. “That’s what he’s done, day in and day out. He makes the teams that he’s on better. I told him as I decided who I was going to start tonight that I wanted to make sure he had that same energy and bounce.”

Gard elected to go with John Tonje, Steven Crowl, Nolan Winter, John Blackwell and Max Klesmit as his starting unit against UW-River Falls. Nonetheless, McGee has emerged as a trusted voice in Wisconsin’s locker room.

“He and [Max Klesmit] do a great job vocally of leading the team. Those guys are the heartbeat of it,” Gard emphasized.

In 56 career games at Wisconsin before his senior year, McGee averaged 7.6 minutes per game in his time as a valued bench asset. With three new transfers and two true freshmen now in the fold, his leadership and consistency figures to play a pivotal role in how UW’s group operates throughout the 2024-25 season.

Surprising candidate in contention for Wisconsin basketball starting point guard job

Surprising candidate emerging as Wisconsin basketball starting point guard

This story was updated to add new information

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard met with the media on Tuesday after the Badgers’ open practice.

One surprising note from his comments came regarding the team’s ongoing battle for the starting point guard role. Gard said Kamari McGee has “consistently separated himself” at practice and has “played the best [of the point guards] over the two and a half weeks so far.”

Related: Big Ten basketball power rankings entering 2024-25 season based on KenPom rating

Gard was asked to specify if the job is McGee’s to lose at this stage of the preseason. His response: “Weā€™re still a ways away from Nov. 4. Weā€™ll see what happens tomorrow.”

The comments point toward McGee possibly leading a point guard group that includes top 2024 recruit Daniel Freitag and Central Arkansas transfer Camren Hunter.

Freitag joined the program this offseason as 247Sports’ No. 127 player, No. 11 point guard and No. 2 recruit in Minnesota in the class of 2024. HunterĀ  missed all of the 2023-24 season with an injury. He previously averaged 16.9 points in 34 minutes per game as a sophomore in 2022-23. The two projected to be the team’s primary options at the position.

McGee, on the other hand, played in 25 games for the Badgers in 2023-24. He finished with per-game averages of 8.2 minutes, 2.1 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.5 steals on 54% shooting. His six-week absence in January and February directly coincided with the Badgers’ losing skid. While McGee’s numbers don’t jump off the page, Wisconsin seemed to consistently win with him in the lineup and lose with him out of it.

This is the biggest story surrounding the Wisconsin program with less than three weeks remaining before the opener against Holy Cross.

Freitag figures to play a big role immediately as a true freshman. But his role, and Wisconsin’s entire lineup, is somewhat up in the air. The team does not lack talent or experience — but it is set to look extremely different from last year’s group after the offseason departures of Chucky Hepburn, A.J. Storr and Tyler Wahl.

Gard and his team continue their preseason preparation before opening the 2024-25 season at the Kohl Center on Nov. 4 against Holy Cross. All eyes should be focused on who is announced as the team’s starting point guard during the pregame introductions.

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 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:Ā 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/FollowĀ @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onĀ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.Ā 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. RutgersĀ 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:Ā 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 @TheBadgersWireĀ 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 @TheBadgersWireĀ 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.