MADISON - While the Badgers were chasing Big Ten glory last season, Max Klesmit and Kamari McGee were grinding away at their respective mid-major schools.

“It’s a confidence thing, it’s a working thing,” said McGee, the Badgers’ 6-foot, 180-pound transfer from Green Bay. “I felt like I put in the amount of work to get there, to be at the high-major level. Once the time came, once I started playing good and stacking games up, I realized it’s about that time…you gotta go with your gut.”

Last season at Green Bay, McGee was a do-it-all point guard. He averaged 11.6 points, appearing in 30 games while starting 21 of them. After one year with the Phoenix, he decided he was ready for Big Ten basketball.