Better Know a Badger: Cincinnati transfer center Chris Vogt
Most of Wisconsin's 2021 class -- both for the football and men's basketball programs -- will be heading to Madison shortly, though Paul Chryst's team already welcomed seven players as mid-year enrollees in January.
BadgerBlitz.com begins its annual "Better Know a Badger" series with the newest student-athlete to announce that he will play for Wisconsin, Cincinnati transfer Chris Vogt.
Vogt played two seasons for Cincinnati, starting 50 of the 53 games he participated in for the Bearcats. The 7-foot-1 center averaged 5.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in over 19 minutes per game as a senior during the 2020-21 campaign (23 games with 21 starts).
As a junior, Vogt registered 11.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest while shooting an American Athletic Conference (AAC)-leading 64.8% from the field for the Bearcats during the 2019-20 season. He averaged 28.5 minutes per game and blocked 1.6 shots per outing, good for fifth in the conference.
Vogt spoke with BadgerBlitz.com on May 10 about a variety of topics as the days tick down before his arrival at Wisconsin, including the contact between the men's basketball program and himself and what the coaching staff sold him on. Questions and his answers have been edited lightly for clarity.
Chris, just how have the last couple days been since you announced via social media that you're planning on transferring to Wisconsin?
CV: It's been great so far, just like all the players reaching out, a lot of the fans and the whole Madison community reaching out has been great. So just been a really great weekend so far. Starting to feel all the love from Wisconsin fans.
You said some of the teammates. Which players have you had a chance to talk to? Which future teammates have you had a chance to speak with?
CV: The main one I've been talking to is Brad Davison. He actually kind of helped me when I was going through my process, just kind of telling me what all there was to know, like from a player’s point of view how Coach was and how the program was and how the city of Madison was. So it was really nice to kind of get a player's perspective when I was going through my process.
When did you realize that you wanted to transfer to Wisconsin?
CV: Well, I guess I announced it Saturday, but I'd say probably a few days leading into that just when I was started to kind of lean towards Wisconsin. And I just kind of gave it a couple more nights' sleep to think it over, and now I just kind of decided that was the best spot for me."
What other schools were interested in you and offered you to chance to play again at the collegiate level?
CV: I tried to filter out a lot early, just because I wanted to try to focus on the main ones I was considering. But I'd say probably my top five or so was Wisconsin, Minnesota, returning back to Cincinnati, Georgia Southern and Murray State.
What led to the move to the transfer portal, and just when did Wisconsin reach out to you initially?
CV: They reached out to me the very first day I put my name in the portal, and ever since then, just slowly started building a relationship with Coach [Joe] Krabbenhoft and Coach [Greg] Gard. And over the course of several phone calls, Zooms and stuff, I felt like this was just right place for me.
You didn't get a chance to visit any of the schools, did you?
CV: Nah, we're still not allowed to do any visits at this time because of COVID. Can't go on any college campuses, like for visits.
When you're talking to Coach Krabbenhoft and Coach Gard, just what exactly did they sell you on?
CV: Well, first of all, I think that I would fit very well into just their style of play and how they play. I feel like the culture piece has already been established, and a big selling point for me was to have their 4 and 5 men graduate, and they had a lot of minutes available. They have some good guys coming in, the freshman and sophomore class[es], but they said they need like a guy to come in one year, bring some experience to the front court and hopefully help those younger guys anyway that I can.
Being in the transfer portal like you were, and I know that you're looking at other programs, and we know that there's been a lot of players within the portal. Just how was the process of trying to find another home at the collegiate level with so many players in that portal?
CV: I mean, it was stressful at times, but overall, I guess this year it's just more popular than any other just with so many people in the portal. So I guess it's gonna be kind of tough for everybody to find the right place. But I'd say overall, I feel like I'm satisfied with Wisconsin.
You're a graduate transfer, correct? You have one more year left to play?
CV: Yeah, I've got one more year.
What did you graduate with from Cincinnati?
CV: I graduated with a degree in finance.
What type of program are you going to be going into for a master's degree or whatnot?
CV: I'm not exactly sure yet. I'll probably figure that out in the next couple of days. But I know I'll be going into some kind of MBA program.
Wisconsin mentioned on Saturday that the program couldn't comment on any player until a student-athlete has officially signed the national letter of intent. What's the process for you to sign, and how long does that process take for you now?
CV: I'm not sure what the exact timetable is, but I imagine it'll be here pretty soon. I'll be able to sign and make things official.
What do you feel that you'll bring to Wisconsin next season, and how have the coaches discussed using you within the system?
CV: Well, I think that kind of goes back to them needing more experience in the front court, and hopefully I can bring a little bit of like senior leadership there. Just being a mentor and provide experience where I can.
How much do you know of Madison, Wisconsin in general?
CV: Not a whole lot. I mean I do have family in Milwaukee, but other than that, I wouldn't say I'm too familiar with the area. So it should be a good experience to explore a little bit.
I know we talked about the National Letter of Intent, but what are next steps for you in terms of moving up here? Have those next steps been put in place yet?
CV: I mean the report date for Wisconsin this summer is, I think, June 14, but I think I might try to get up there a little sooner than that. Maybe by late May or early June, find my way up there.