Notes: Jahcobi Neath Unlikely To Rejoin Wisconsin Basketball

MADISON, Wis. – The way it’s looking, Jahcobi Neath has played his last game for the University of Wisconsin.

Failing to appear in a game since late November, head coach Greg Gard confirmed to BadgerBlitz.com that it’s unlikely the senior guard will be available at any point for the remainder of the season.

“That’s just the way it looks and where it’s going and what he feels he needs to do and where the doctors see this,” Gard said. “He doesn’t feel comfortable on it. There’s been some compounding things that have come from the initial injury. I don’t anticipate having him at all, at least that’s what I’ve been told.”

Neath’s knee has marred his two seasons at Wisconsin since he transferred from Wake Forest, where he started five of the 30 games he played as a freshman and sophomore. Days after Wisconsin’s exhibition game last season, tenderness in Neath’s knee revealed he had a partially torn patellar tendon.

Initially concealing the injury from everyone outside his coaches, family, and teammates, Neath averaged 1.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game across 23 games. He had surgery to repair the injury in March shortly after UW’s season ended.

“Advice that I got from our medical people was that it couldn’t really get any worse,” Gard said, previously, of Neath playing with the injury. “That was the question for Jahcobi was here’s what the doctors are saying, what do you want to do? That was the thing first and foremost. When those things are in play, I get it out of my hands because it’s not my decision. It’s the doctor’s advice and what they want to do, and then the student-athlete.”

Neath didn’t play during Wisconsin’s exhibition trip to France in August and was given a load management plan with days off to limit wear on his knee.

He played in UW’s first three games, averaging 9.5 minutes and 1.0 points off the bench, but hasn’t been dressed since November 15.

Neath’s absence coincides with the emergence of freshman Connor Essegian, who has scored in double figures in seven of the eight games Neath has missed, averaging 12.6 points per game over that stretch. The Badgers have also received positive minutes off the bench from Carter Gilmore (3.2 ppg, 2.4 rbg) and Gard is looking for more situations to get guards Isaac Lindsey and Kamari McGee time on the floor.

"You hope to be able to get them more (minutes) and get them more experience," Gard said. "It's hard to play 10 or 11 guys though. Since we are near Christmas, I don't have enough minutes in my Santa Clause bag to give everybody minutes ... Unfortunately, the opponents haven't cooperated and let us just walk to a win, so we've had to ride our horses."

Winter Storm Elliott has forced Wisconsin to cancel Friday’s nonconference game against Grambling, which won’t be rescheduled.

UW originally inquired about trying to move the game to earlier in the day but was unable to because of television obligations. The Tigers were expected to fly commercially into Milwaukee on Thursday and, as of the afternoon, most flights are still listed as being “On Time” on General Mitchell’s website.

The Wisconsin women’s team announced Tuesday it was moving its Thursday night game against Valparaiso to the afternoon. On Wednesday, the two teams rescheduled the game until January.

UW said that all ticket holders for Friday’s game will be notified via email with next steps once more information is available. Patrons should retain their tickets and parking permits, as they will be valid for a potentially new game scheduled in place of this cancelation.

Wisconsin’s final nonconference game will take place December 30 against Western Michigan (4-8) at the Kohl Center (7 p.m./BTN+). UW tips off Big Ten play at home on January 3 against Minnesota.

Former coach Bo Ryan and Michael Finley – the program’s all-time leading scorer – were announced on Wednesday to a list of eligible candidates for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

The winningest coach in UW history with a record of 364-130 (.737), Ryan led the Badgers to seven Big Ten championships. Ryan guided the Badgers to 14 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, seven Sweet 16s, three Elite Eights, two Final Fours, and the 2015 national championship game. Ryan received four Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.

The 34th NCAA coach to reach the 700-win plateau, Ryan also coached at UW-Milwaukee (1999-2000) and UW-Platteville (1984-1999), where his team won four NCAA Division III Championships (1991, 1995, 1998, 1999). Ryan is a member of seven Halls of Fame, including his 2017 induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

The first Badger to score 2,000 points, Finley's collegiate career (1991-95) coincided with the rebirth of Wisconsin men's basketball. Finley led the Badgers to the 1994 NCAA Tournament, UW’s first appearance in 47 years. A two-time All-Big Ten selection and a three-time honorable mention All-American, Finley was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004 and has his No.24 jersey retired last season.

In 1995, Finley was a first-round NBA draft pick by the Phoenix Suns. A two-time NBA All-Star over his 15-year NBA Career, Finley helped the San Antonio Spurs win an NBA championship in 2007. He finished his NBA career with 17,306 points (15.7 per game) and ranks top 20 in NBA history in career 3-pointers made.

Finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will be announced on Friday, February 17 at 4:30 p.m. CT in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The entire Class of 2023, including those selected by the direct-elect committees, will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, April 1, in a nationally televised broadcast at 10 a.m. CT.

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