Wisconsin basketball forward officially announces return for 2025-26 season
Wisconsin basketball forward officially announces return for 2025-26 season
Wisconsin forward Nolan Winter officially announced his return to the Badgers for the 2025-26 season on Friday.
The rising junior shared a simple message via X: "Back for more."
Winter returns to lead the Wisconsin frontcourt after a breakout season in 2024-25. He started all 37 of the team's games, averaging 21.1 minutes, 9.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest. He was one of the Badgers' most efficient scoring options from every level, shooting 56.4% from the field, a Big Ten-best 71.5% from inside the three-point line and 35.8% from outside.
The 6-foot-10 forward originally joined the Badgers as a three-star recruit in the class of 2023, ranked as the No. 151 player in the country and the No. 2 recruit from the state of Minnesota. He played a limited role as a freshman in 2023-24, primarily backing up veteran center Steven Crowl. He saw 9.4 minutes of playing time per game that season, averaging just 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds.
Wisconsin loses a large senior class after the 2024-25 season, headlined by starters Max Klesmit, Crowl and John Tonje. Both Winter and star guard John Blackwell's respective returns are critical as Greg Gard reloads the team's rotation entering a pivotal 2025-26 campaign.
While Winter was expected back after the season's conclusion, his announcement on Friday ensures that reality. Notably, the Badgers are in a position to retain both of their star players entering 2025-26, a different outcome from when Chucky Hepburn and A.J. Storr left via the transfer portal last offseason.
Blackwell recently declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility. If the current draft projections hold, he'll likely return to join Winter in leading the Badgers in 2025-26. He noted in his draft announcement that if he returns to college, it will be to Wisconsin.
The Badgers recently landed Virginia transfer guard Andrew Rohde, kicking off their offseason transfer activity. While the team still has major needs to address, a leading corps of Winter, Blackwell (likely) and Rohde is a strong starting point, with Xavier Amos and Jack Janicki as key complementary pieces.
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