Over the past decade, the Wisconsin basketball program has been no stranger to developing legends on the hardwood.
During that span, the program has rostered greats like Nigel Hayes, Johnny Davis, Sam Dekker and Ethan Happ. Of all the luminaries, former Naismith College Player of the Year Award winner Frank Kaminsky stands alone.
It’s safe to say the NBA veteran, whose jersey currently adorns the Kohl Center’s rafters, is a fan of what he’s witnessing from Wisconsin’s current team.
This season, Greg Gard’s group averages 82.5 points and 15.3 assists per game off 47.2% shooting from the field and 36.2% from beyond the arc. To put that into context, Kaminsky’s 2013-14 Final Four squad averaged 71.9 points and 12.7 assists on 48% from the field and 35.7% from outside.
Wisconsin’s 2014-15 Final Four squad produced similar numbers — 73.5 points and 12.1 assists per bout off 45.8% from the field and 37.3% from downtown.
Statistically, the 2024-25 Badgers are set to surpass both of those historic teams. Here’s Kaminsky’s reaction to that program-best output from this season’s team:
This is… very good #Badgers https://t.co/cq7i0IgI5Q
— Frank Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) January 28, 2025
National hierarchies reflect Kaminsky’s feelings surrounding this team. KenPom ranks the Badgers’ offense No. 8 in the nation, the AP Top 25 Poll pegs UW as the No. 17-best team in the country, while the NCAA NET Ranking positions Wisconsin at No. 18.
Wisconsin’s offense, similar to its 2013-14 and 2014-15 squads, is as deep as it gets. All five of Wisconsin’s starters — Tonje, Blackwell, Klesmit, Crowl and Winter — average at least 10 points per game. UW does not boast a player as gifted as Kaminsky, but all signs point to this platoon’s offense being as efficient as almost any team in the nation, plus the best in program history.