MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin left Monday’s 75-63 win at Rutgers with two starters unable to finish the game due to injury. The Badgers should have one back but they don’t sound optimistic on both.
Sophomore forward Nolan Winter went through a full practice Wednesday after getting three stitches on his right hand while graduate guard Max Klesmit didn’t practice and wore a protective walking boot.
Badgers head coach Greg Gard listed Klesmit as “day-to-day” after the guard landed on Rutgers guard Jeremiah Williams’ foot and rolled his right ankle.
“Just unfortunate, bad timing of it,” Gard said.
It’s the first notable rotation injury for Wisconsin (12-3, 2-2), which has used the same starting lineup for all 15 games and enters Friday’s home game against Minnesota (8-7, 0-4) on a four-game winning streak.
Klesmit has been one of Wisconsin’s iron men, holding a consecutive start streak of 67 games that is the second-longest on the roster. He’s struggled offensively for most of the season, shooting career-worst from the field (33.1 percent) and three (28.9), but has made a mark with his passing (team-high 45 assists), decision marking (2.65 assist-to-turnover ratio), and his defensive assignments against the best frontcourt player on the opposition.
Since transferring to Wisconsin after the 2022 season, Klesmit has missed only two games, sitting out consecutive road losses to Northwestern and Maryland with a facial injury in 2023.
“We will have other people step up,” Gard said. “We don’t need to replicate or duplicate exactly Max Klesmit. I just want these guys to be the best version of themselves and allow that to fit in with the flow of the team.”
Unlike the 2023 season, when the Badgers missed the NCAA Tournament, the Badgers are deeper and more efficient offensively. Wisconsin’s four healthy starters are averaging at least 9.7 points with UW’s top two reserves – Kamari McGee and Carter Gilmore – shooting 53.7 percent and 47.1 percent from the floor, respectively.
The Badgers have also seen graduate center Steven Crowl take pressure off UW’s backcourt by averaging 16.3 points on 74.3 percent shooting with 6.8 rebounds on the win streak.
“It’s next man up,” said guard John Blackwell, who is coming off consecutive 20-point outings. “Kamari’s been good. Jack Janicki, Cam Hunter, Daniel Freitag, whoever it is, we trust whoever is on the court.”
If Klesmit is unavailable, Gard downplayed the notion he'd need to change players' roles. While Blackwell has emerged as one of the best point guards in the conference, he’s worked extensively off the ball during his first two seasons and could slide over to Klesmit’s spot to make room for McGee to run the point.
The Badgers have liked the spark Janicki (1.7 ppg in 10.6 mpg) has brought off the bench while Gard noted Hunter has started to practice well after missing most of November with an illness. He has also been champing at the bit to give more minutes to senior Markus Ilver, who has been boxed out by Wisconsin’s depth.
“He’s earned the opportunity,” Gard said of Ilver, who showed his mettle by scoring eight points in less than 10 minutes against Detroit Mercy last month. “He continues to practice exceptionally well. It’s been hard. We’re deep. That group of that eight or nine have a really good rhythm going, but it will be opportunities for somebody.”
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