MADISON, Wis. – If you are not a fan of Wisconsin forward Carter Gilmore, this story isn’t for you.

This is geared toward people who appreciate team basketball, and how not everyone needs to be a scorer to be an influential player on a roster. It’s for people who don’t need their eyes checked to realize how the veteran reserve is impacting the Badgers.

"For people that give him a lot of crap, back in the Midwest, specifically Wisconsin, don't understand the game of basketball -- what he does to help this team," head coach Greg Gard said earlier this season. “He's not a star. I understand that. He understands his role. He's very vocal. He's got a good mind for the game, he loves this program, and he's giving us what we need at that position.”

One of Wisconsin's more unselfish players, Gilmore has often drawn vitriol from fans who question his role on the roster. Those intangibles often went unnoticed, but it’s getting harder for Gilmore to hide as his impactful plays increase.

His offensive positioning against Iowa drew a pair of fouls on Patrick McCaffery, leading to three points and three rebounds (two offensive). He used a pump fake to get two Nebraska defenders into the air and finish the post bucket.

His pump fake against the Hoosiers led him to another uncontested layup, as did his sprinting to the basket in the second half, making himself open for a feed pass from Max Klesmit from the perimeter.

It’s an offensive spark that has been there since the Fort Myers Tip-Off, when Gilmore outjumped a Virginia defender, caught an offensive rebound with one hand, and threw down a one-handed slam, sparking an 11-0 run that put the game away.

“When you can rotate fresh bodies in there and you can screen and roll, you’ve got guys that can box out and constantly be rebounding on the defensive and offensive side, it helps a lot," Gilmore said. "So (me) just keeping fresh legs and keeping the energy high in there has helped a lot.”

Gilmore’s voice carries a lot of weight with his teammates. Having appeared in 84 games (fifth most on the team), Gilmore is often seen from the bench communicating with his teammates during stoppages in play. He recognized after last season that his frame needed to carry more weight, too.

Admittedly lacking confidence throughout last season, Gilmore increased his weight by 18 points to 233 and started practicing meditation to strengthen his mind.

Those traits turned him from an above-average defender (like when he held Michigan’s first-team all-conference center Hunter Dickinson to one shot when matched up against him last season) to a reliable one. On Tuesday, Gilmore was part of the crew that held Minnesota leading-scorer Dawson Garcia to 10 points on 10 shots.

“He knows his role pretty well,” forward Tyler Wahl said of Gilmore, who dove to keep a possession alive against the Gophers and was eventually rewarded with a transition dunk. “He’s not looking to do too much. He’s looking to get his teammates open. He’s looking to play good defense, get some loose balls. That’s what we need out of him. He brings us some good energy out there. He’s a very positive voice out there.”

Added Gard: “It’s easier for 6-7 guys to play and be a pain in the butt around bigger post players than it is for 7-footers. It’s hard to get around and not as accustomed. He has a very good concept of how to be annoying in the post.”

The added strength to battle post defenders has led Gilmore’s offense to be more efficient. A lack of frontcourt depth last season saw Gilmore average 18.8 minutes per game but hesitancy to shoot within the rhythm of a possession led to stalls. He was just 5 of 26 (19.2 percent) from the perimeter, leading some teams to leave him unguarded to double the post.

Offseason additions of wing A.J. Storr and center Nolan Winter have helped rotational depth. Gilmore enters Friday’s home game against Michigan State averaging 10.4 minutes per game but is making 65.0 percent of his shots, a far cry from his 40.7 percentage a year ago.

His impact can be measured with analytics, as Gilmore has had the best offensive rating on the roster over the last two wins.

“I don’t know if many people got in the gym more than me,” Gilmore said. “I was in there all the time, putting up shots and doing that. I just have to keep looking for opportunities to present themselves, and if it's a good shot, knock 'em down.”

“We’ve changed some stuff up on offense so it’s more fluid. We’re not having those lulls like we’ve had, or times where we catch it and not quite knowing what we’re doing. We’ve done a great job of putting guys in much better spots.”

A former first-team all-state selection from Hartland Arrowhead, Gilmore turned down multiple scholarships to walk-on at Wisconsin, a brief financial setback since he earned a scholarship from Gard following his true freshman season. He’s already announced, along with Klesmit and center Steven Crowl, that he will take advantage of the COVID option and return to Wisconsin for the 2024-25 season. He called it a no-brainer decision, continuing his dream of playing at Wisconsin.

Those sentiments are echoed by all those involved with Wisconsin basketball.

“The one thing that helps Gilly is the experience factor,” Gard said. “He’s always had a high IQ and understands what we want when we want it on both ends of the floor. The combination of strength, experience and just having been there and done that understands it.

“He competes. As much as we’ve added and guys have gotten better, he’s not going away quietly. He’s going to compete. You’re going to have earn minutes to get minutes above him.”

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