MADISON, Wis . - Those who attend Saturday’s regular-season finale at the Kohl Center will witness the end of an era and a glimpse of what is likely to come in the new transient nature of college athletics.
Wisconsin’s Senior Day celebration will honor six players who are half of the old era - players who have dedicated themselves to growing and developing at Wisconsin - and the other half the new era — those who migrated to the program after at least one previous college stop elsewhere.
“You’re probably not going to see somebody spent their career at one place, or even be there three or four years," head coach Greg Gard said. "We should appreciate the commitment all of them have made, whether it be Steve of Gilly with the five years, Markus Ilver with four, Max and Kamari with three, and John Tonje with one. They've all been positive contributors, regardless of the length of time they've been here."
Five of the players – Steven Crowl, Carter Gilmore, Ilver, Max Klesmit, and Kamari McGee – have been playing together for at least three seasons, while Crowl and Gilmore are completing their fifth season of eligibility thanks to the waiver they received back when the 2020 postseason was canceled.
While Tonje has been a special addition to the roster, a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate who averages 19.1 points per game, it's hard to argue that the players who have developed in Wisconsin's program have saved their best basketball for last.
After a slow scoring start to his season, Crowl has scored in double figures in each of the last five games and 14 times this season. He is one of just 11 Big Ten players in the last 40 years to tally at least 1,400 points, 800 rebounds, and 250 assists, and the Badgers are 51-17 when he scores in double figures.
"I really didn't know what I was getting myself into," said Crowl, who is the only person of Wisconsin's five-man 2020 scholarship class who fulfilled his eligibility at UW (Johnny Davis declared for the draft while Lorne Bowman, Ben Carlson, and Jordan Davis transferred).
"Being a skinny tall dude, I knew I was coming to a great culture. I knew I had great coaches. That's all I could do. I had to trust the process, stick to it, and it's led me here. I am super grateful to my teammates and my coaches. They have got me to this point."
Known more for his defensive skills and hustle plays, Gilmore hadn't scored in double figures in his first 120 collegiate games until his career-high 15 points in Wisconsin's road win at Northwestern. He followed that performance with 10 points against Indiana and has kept delivering winning plays, like a career-best 6-for-6 from the line in Wednesday's win at Minnesota.
"This extra year has been super great for me," Gilmore said. "The way I ended last year, if I didn't have this year, my story would have been way different. This last year has given me a whole lot, and I am super grateful for it."
Two of UW's strongest leadership voices started at other programs.
McGee needed time to polish his game after transferring from Green Bay following his freshman season. Averaging eight minutes and no more than 2.1 points per game his first two seasons, McGee is averages 22.2 minutes per game off the bench, averaging a UW career best 6.6 points and 2.1 assists per game. McGee has scored in double figures 7 times this season, including 4 times during B1G play. The Badgers are now 8-0 all-time when he scored in double figures (7-0 this season).
In an offense geared toward three-point attempts, McGee has been one of Wisconsin's biggest weapons, shooting 48.5 percent from 3-point range (32-66), the best mark among Power-Five conference players with at least 50 3FGAs.
"He's done a really good job for us this year," Gard said of McGee. "He's embraced his role and thrived in his role. A big piece of that role is the leadership he provides."
McGee's role expanded in part due to the departure of point guard Chucky Hepburn (Louisville), but Gard was adamant that the work McGee did during the offseason would get him on the court no matter who was on the roster.
"Regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench, his embracing of that role has been a real part of his success," Gard said. "He's thrived in that because he's embraced it. He hasn't fought it. He excels in it because he's happy about it. When you're happy about it, you have a tendency to do better than if you are looking for a reason to have a different role."
Klesmit (Wofford) is the only one who hasn't had the smoothest senior season. He's missed the last two games with a lower body injury and is shooting a career-low from the floor and the perimeter. He's still stepped up in big moments, like scoring 17 points in Wisconsin's win at No.7 Purdue, and developed his game to where he leads the team with 74 assists (2.7 apg) and maintains a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio (74 ast, 31 TO) that is the second-best mark on the team.
The addition of Tonje, transfer wing Xavier Amos, and the growth of others have prevented Ilver from finding his footing. Despite Gard's constant comment of wanting to get him more playing time, Ilver has appeared in 16 games and averaged 1.9 points. His averages of 5.4 minutes and 1.4 points in 63 career games don’t stand out like his teammates, but Ilver has rejected the opportunity to go elsewhere.
"He decided this was the best place for him," Gard said. "He's getting his degree from here, how important the program was to him, and how important he is to us and me. You have a special affection for those guys who don't get the opportunity to play, don't get the headlines, but are really dedicated and committed to us."
The celebration around next year's Senior Day festivities promises to be different. Half of the four juniors on the roster transferred in last summer (Amos and point guard Camren Hunter), while the others are scout team players Chris Hodges and Isaac Gard. In a few months, UW's roster could be littered with seniors added from the portal.
They will likely have a massive impact on next year's success. With the way rosters are now built, it's unlikely that any senior class will ever come close to matching the longevity of Wisconsin's 2025 senior class again.
"You learn to appreciate every year for what it is and the commitment these guys make to it," Gard said. "Those six have been here for the right reasons. They've all understood what this place represents and how they want to represent this place. They've all done a really good job of it."
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