Tag: Wisconsin basketball

Greg Gard highlights breakout player on Wisconsin basketball’s 2024-25 roster

Greg Gard highlights breakout player on Wisconsin basketball’s 2024-25 roster

Wisconsin basketball head coach Greg Gard spoke with reporters at Big Ten media days in Chicago, Illinois on Thursday. The event marks the start of the ramp-up to the season, which is just four weeks away.

One topic of conversation was Gard’s thoughts on his roster entering the season. Specifically, on a player who could experience a breakout campaign.

Related: Big Ten basketball power rankings entering 2024-25 season: A first look at the expanded conference

His answer: sophomore center Nolan Winter.

BadgerExtra’s Michael McCleary relayed Gard’s sentiment: “For Nolan to take the jump he has … he still’s got a ways to go, but we really like what we’ve seen so far.”

Winter played in 36 games as a true freshman in 2023-24. He finished with per-game averages of 9.4 minutes, 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds on 56% shooting. Most significantly, he was thrust into action against some of the best players in the country, headlined by Purdue superstar center Zach Edey.

The sophomore enters 2024-25 still as Wisconsin’s backup center behind senior Steven Crowl. This role should allow Winter to continue his development without being relied upon as arguably the most critical member of the Badgers’ starting lineup. If Gard’s words are any indication, Winter could be ready for the same midcareer jump seen with several recent Badgers centers. Crowl and Nate Reuvers are two prominent examples.

Wisconsin enters the 2024-25 season tied for 12th in the preseason Big Ten media poll. While the team has real questions after offseason departures of Chucky Hepburn, A.J. Storr and Tyler Wahl, Gard reloaded the roster in the transfer portal and welcomes top 2024 point guard Daniel Freitag to campus.

Signs point to Wisconsin entering the season under the radar with the ability to again contend for a conference title. Game 1 is at the Kohl Center on Nov. 4 against Holy Cross.

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Wisconsin basketball again severely underrated in Big Ten preseason media poll

Wisconsin basketball again severely underrated in Big Ten preseason media poll

Another year, another example of the Big Ten and national college basketball media not believing in Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers.

This now feels like an annual occurrence. Wisconsin experiences a rough season or loses a few key players and everybody expects it to suddenly finish 12th in the Big Ten and miss the NCAA Tournament.

Related: Big Ten basketball teams ranked by returning production entering 2024-25 season

That is where Wisconsin is ranked by the Big Ten media entering the season: tied for 12th. The ranking was released on Wednesday in advance of the conference media days in Chicago, Illinois.

The context makes some sense. Stars from the program’s 2023-24 team that went 22-14 are now gone, headlined by PG Chucky Hepburn transferring to Louisville, SG A.J. Storr transferring to Kansas and F Tyler Wahl running out of eligibility.

Those losses accounted for combined per-game totals of 36.6 points, 4.1 assists and 12.6 rebounds. Anybody who watched or followed the Badgers can recognize the impact of their respective departures.

But history also matters. Wisconsin finished fifth in the Big Ten in 2023-24, 11th in 2022-23, tied for first in 2021-22, 6th in 2020-21, 1st in 2019-20 and 4th in 2018-19. The program rarely falls near the bottom of the conference, minus a forgettable 2022-23 season.

Greg Gard and his staff also responded to those roster losses offseason. Wisconsin landed transfers John Tonje (Missouri), Camren Hunter (Central Arkansas) and Xavier Amos (Northern Illinois), pairing them with a freshman class headlined by top point guard Daniel Freitag.

The team may need some time to gel given all of the new faces. But if Freitag and John Blackwell reach their potentials, and the transfers prove to be valuable contributors, Wisconsin has a chance to surprise. Returning starters Steven Crowl and Max Klesmit should help to bridge that gap.

This may be a natural reaction to Wisconsin football struggling with lofty expectations. But the upcoming 2024-25 basketball season has all of the makings of a classic ‘how did everybody underestimate the Badgers again?’ type of season

For more on what exactly to expect, here is our recent look at the Badgers updated starting lineup and rotation after signing Italian center Riccardo Greppi.

The Badgers begin their season at home on Nov. 4 against Holy Cross.

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 blanked from Big Ten basketball preseason All-Conference team

Wisconsin blanked from Big Ten basketball preseason All-Conference team

Zero Wisconsin men’s basketball players earned a spot on the 2024-25 preseason All-Big Ten team on Tuesday.

The first-team includes Indiana center Oumar Ballo, Iowa forward Payton Sandfort, Minnesota forward Dawson Garcia, Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer, Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton, Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, Penn State guard Ace Baldwin Jr., Purdue guard Braden Smith, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper and Washington forward Greg Osobor.

Smith, Purdue’s all-world guard and 2023-24 All-Big Ten Team member, was selected as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.

Wisconsin’s absence from the list doesn’t come as much of a surprise, especially given its recent departures. Those include guard Chucky Hepburn (Louisville), wing A.J. Storr (Kansas) and veteran forward Tyler Wahl (graduation). Wahl and Hepburn both earned preseason honors ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

The only remaining postseason nominee from 2023-24 on UW’s roster is sophomore John Blackwell, who earned Big Ten All-Freshman team nods following a his eight-point, 3.2-rebound per-game averages a season ago.

Wisconsin will now look to lean on its senior center, Steven Crowl, alongside its three transfer additions Camren Hunter, John Tonje and Xavier Amos. The crew went 22-14 in 2023-24 and fell in the opening round of the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.

Wisconsin basketball top class of 2025 target commits to Notre Dame

Another recruiting loss for Greg Gard and company

Wisconsin basketball top class of 2025 target Ryder Frost committed to Notre Dame on Friday.

The top-100 recruit chose the Fighting Irish over other finalists Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Virginia Tech and Syracuse.

Related: Big Ten basketball teams ranked by returning production entering 2024-25 season

247Sports currently rank Frost as the No. 85 overall player in the class of 2025, No. 17 small forward and No. 3 recruit from his home state of New Hampshire.

The four-star small forward’s commitment decision comes less than two weeks after he officially visited Wisconsin during the football program’s home game against Alabama. He is the second of the Badgers’ top 2025 targets to commit elsewhere recently, joining in-state four-star SG Amari Allen.

Wisconsin currently has two players committed to its class of 2025: four-star shooting guard Zach Kinziger and three-star center Will Garlock. Greg Gard and his staff are still in pursuit of several high-profile targets in the class, headlined by top-30 shooting guard Davion Hannah.

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Wisconsin basketball legend is back in the NBA

Wisconsin basketball legend is back in the NBA

Wisconsin basketball legend Frank Kaminsky signed a training camp contract with the Phoenix Suns this week, according to his representation at Priority Sports.

Kaminsky is back in the NBA, at least for the time being, after playing the 2023-24 season with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia. He played 57 games during the team’s EuroLeague season, averaging 8.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

Related: Big Ten basketball teams ranked by returning production entering 2024-25 season

The former Badger played three seasons in Phoenix (2019-22). He played a consistent reserve role on the Suns team that lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals.

This season would be Kaminsky’s 11th in the NBA if he makes the Suns’ regular-season roster.

His career averages are 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 43% shooting and 35% from three. His best seasons came with the Charlotte Hornets in 2016-17 and 2017-18: He eclipsed 23 minutes and 11 points per game in each season.

Kaminsky’s college career needs no explanation. The 2015 National College Player of the Year and consensus first-team All-American was the driving force behind back-to-back trips to the Final Four and the program getting on the doorstep of winning a national title. His No. 44 is retired in the Kohl Center rafters.

The Badger great joins Johnny Davis (Washington Wizards) and Micah Potter (Utah Jazz) as the only former Badgers in the NBA. All three are looking to carve out significant roles entering the upcoming season.

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 commit Zach Kinziger moves in latest ESPN100 for class of 2025

Wisconsin commit Zach Kinziger moves in latest ESPN100 for class of 2025

Wisconsin commit Zach Kinziger is now ranked No. 68 in the latest ESPN100 ranking for the class of 2025.

Two months ago, Kinziger was ranked No. 67 in the midst of a hectic summer with De Pere High School and Team Herro in the AAU circuit.

The De Pere, Wisconsin native is considered a four-star recruit by 247Sports, On3 and ESPN. 247Sports ranks the 6’3,” 175-pound shooting guard as the No. 128 overall player in the class of 2025, No. 24 shooting guard and No. 4 prospect from Wisconsin.

While Kinziger and three-star center Will Garlock are Wisconsin’s lone commitments in the class at the moment, four other in-state class of 2025 prospects were included in ESPN Recruiting Director Paul Biancardi’s latest hierarchy.

That list includes four-star center Kai Rogers (undecided), four-star forward Xzavion Mitchell (Iowa State), four-star shooting guard Jamarion Batemon (Iowa State) and four-star combo guard Davion Hannah (undecided).

While Kinziger has already offered his pledge to join Greg Gard’s program, both Hannah and Rogers could eventually end up in Madison. On3’s recruiting prediction machine awarded UW a 15.3% chance to land Rogers and a 22.8% chance to secure a commitment from Hannah, ESPN’s No. 22 prospect for the class.

Wisconsin basketball transfer guard fully cleared for 2024 season

Wisconsin basketball transfer guard fully cleared for 2024 season

Wisconsin basketball transfer guard Camren Hunter has been fully cleared for the upcoming 2024 season, per a report from CBS insider Jon Rothstein.

Hunter, who sat out for the entire 2023-24 campaign due to a foot injury, transferred from Central Arkansas to Wisconsin in April.

When the former Atlantic Sun Conference guard plays, he makes an immediate impact. Prior to his injury, Hunter averaged 16.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals as a sophomore in 2022-23. He nailed 50 3-point field goals off a team-high 33.9 minutes per game.

A year prior, the Bryant, Arkansas native was responsible for 14.1 points, 4.9 boards, 3.4 dimes and 1.5 swipes per appearance. The output netted him 2022 ASUN Freshman of the Year honors and a spot on the 2022 First-Team All-ASUN.

With Hunter now in the mix, the Badgers have several options at point guard for their 2024 campaign.

Four-star true freshman PG Daniel Freitag looks like he could be a mainstay in Greg Gard’s rotation, but Hunter will certainly see ample playing time given his proven success at the collegiate level.

Wisconsin also added guard John Tonje and power forward Xavier Amos in the portal this offseason. While Amos will do his damage down low, Tonje will also slide into the backcourt with the departure of former fan-favorite Chucky Hepburn to Louisville.

The Badgers begin the 2024 slate with an exhibition against UW-River Falls on Oct. 30 at the Kohl Center.

BREAKING: Wisconsin basketball lands commitment from in-state 2026 SF

BREAKING: Wisconsin basketball lands commitment from in-state 2026 SF

Wisconsin’s men’s basketball program landed a commitment from in-state class of 2026 small forward LaTrevion Fenderson on Sunday, per On3’s Joe Tipton.

Fenderson, a Racine native, chose UW over opportunities at Iowa State and UW-Milwaukee. He is unranked by 247Sports at this early stage in the process. He was the No. 56 small forward in the class of 2025 before reclassifying to the class of 2026.

“I chose Wisconsin because of the commitment they showed to me,” Fenderson told On3’s Tipton. “This summer, coach Gard and staff came to almost every tournament I had to watch me play. I have received numerous calls and texts from coach Gard, assistant coaches and fans.”

Wisconsin extended its offer to Fenderson in June 2023. At the time, the 6-foot-5, 205-wing was 15 years old.

During his junior season, the future Badger accounted for 22 points, 11 boards and a pair of dimes assists per appearance. As a sophomore, he flashed his potential with 17.1 points and nearly 11 rebounds per game.

At 6-foot-5, his ability to snare rebounds could serve as a luxury for UW’s backcourt when Fenderson arrives to campus. He will, however, wrap up his high school career at DME Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin, before making the collegiate jump.

Wisconsin men’s basketball releases 2024 non-conference schedule

Wisconsin men’s basketball releases 2024 non-conference schedule

The Wisconsin Badgers’ men’s basketball program released its 2024 non-conference schedule on Thursday.

Greg Gard’s group will open the season against Holy Cross on Nov. 4 at the Kohl Center. The Badgers will follow their first regular season match with four consecutive non-conference home contests in Madison.

Montana State (Nov. 7), Appalachian State (Nov. 10), Arizona (Nov. 15) and UT-Rio Grande Valley (Nov. 18) will each venture to Wisconsin in the opening month of the 2024 season.

The first-ever Greenbrier Tip-Off follows the local action shortly thereafter. Wisconsin will face UCF and either LSU or Pittsburgh on Nov. 22 and Nov. 24, respectively.

A quick Kohl Center tune-up vs. Chicago State on Nov. 30 follows before UW makes its way to Milwaukee for its annual I-94 rivalry game against Marquette on Dec. 7.

The final roadblock arrives during the recently announced Dec. 14 match against Butler at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, home of the Indiana Pacers. The Detroit Mercy Titans will also play Wisconsin at home on Dec. 22.

On top of the non-conference campaign, which figures to be one of the more challenging slates across the college basketball landscape, Wisconsin will also face a bevy on conference opponents in Madison and across the country.

UW will host 10 Big Ten opponents this season and travel to Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Rutgers and USC for road conference games.

Prior to the chaos, Wisconsin will play host to UW-River Falls in an exhibition on Oct. 30 at home.

Former Wisconsin basketball great announces return to UW-Madison

Former Wisconsin basketball great announces return to UW-Madison

Former Wisconsin basketball great Sam Dekker announced via X on Monday that he has returned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to finish his degree.

Dekker, one of the program’s most decorated alumni, departed the university in 2015 after three years on the hardwood to pursue NBA aspirations. By doing so a year early, he left campus without a degree.

After being selected with the No. 18 pick of the 2015 NBA draft, the Wisconsin native played 201 games across five NBA seasons for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors from 2015-22.

Stints overseas with the VTB United League in Russia (2019-2020) and the Turkish Basketball Super League in Turkey (2020-2021, 2021-2022) followed.

The 6-foot-9 forward stars for the British Basketball League’s London Lions. As its offensive engine, Dekker helped the Lions capture the 2023 British Basketball League Cup championship and pocketed both league and finals MVP honors in the process. He registered 18.2 points, 5.6 rebounds off 53% clip from the field in nearly 21 minutes per appearance across the pond in ’23.

Nonetheless, Dekker’s NBA endeavors have yet to fade. This summer, the 2015 All-Big Ten second-team selection tried out for the Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks.

With a portfolio of postseason success at Wisconsin and professional exposure thousands of miles away, Dekker can provide a veteran spark plug presence in an NBA locker room next season. However, with responsibilities in the classroom, the NBA could serve as a distraction from future homework assignments.

Now at age 30, Dekker plans to wrap up his education at one of the United States’ most recognized public universities.