The Wisconsin Badgers’ pursuit of a Big Ten Championship was cut short on Saturday, as they suffered a narrow 68-65 defeat to the Michigan Wolverines in the tournament semifinals. Despite the tough loss, the Badgers demonstrated remarkable resilience, overcoming a significant 15-point deficit in the second half to even take the lead late in the game. Ultimately, a clutch three-pointer from Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg with just 0.4 seconds remaining sealed their fate and propelled the Wolverines to the Championship Game, sending Wisconsin home.
This unexpected extra day of rest, a luxury the Badgers haven’t had in the past two years, was acknowledged by head coach Greg Gard as a valuable advantage. This additional recovery time is particularly crucial for a team currently managing several injuries and relying heavily on players logging extensive minutes.
Key Injury Update: Nolan Winter
The most significant absence for the Badgers was undoubtedly big man Nolan Winter, who sustained an ankle sprain last week during a game against the Maryland Terrapins. He was sidelined for the entire Big Ten Tournament. The injury, which occurred at home, saw Winter down for several minutes before heading to the locker room, causing considerable concern among fans regarding his availability.
However, Coach Gard has since provided a more optimistic outlook. He stated that the injury, while a new sprain on an ankle that hadn’t been previously injured this season, was not as severe as initially feared.
Winter himself expressed confidence in his recovery and readiness for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Despite missing the Big Ten Tournament, he participated in a pre-game warmup on Saturday before ultimately deciding he wasn’t game-ready. Speaking to the media after the game, Winter dismissed any doubts about his participation in the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m feeling good,” Winter shared with a smile. “I’ll be ready to go next week. Obviously, I wanted to be out there this weekend with my boys. Seemed like a lot of fun out there. Fans brought the juice.”
Winter admitted that playing on Saturday had crossed his mind, but he ultimately made the decision himself, prioritizing what was best for the team.
“Yeah, I woke up this morning feeling a lot better than I had previous days. Moving around pretty good,” Winter explained. “But at the end of the day, just wanted what was best for the team. Being here for a couple of days too, and with my boys, seeing how much fun it was, how much fun they had yesterday, I wanted to be out there really bad. But at the end of the day, just sat this one out and I’m ready to go [next week for the tournament].”
He elaborated on his decision-making process:
- “I don’t think there was anything specific [on why I didn’t go]. Just going through warm-ups, just didn’t think I’d give my 100 percent for the team, and that’s ultimately what I want to be doing every time I step on the court. So saving up and making sure I’m 100 percent for next week is more important to me and just for the team’s sake. And like I said, I was proud of the way they fought today.”
Initially, Winter described his reaction to the injury as more of a shock due to the unfamiliarity of the sprain on that particular ankle. However, this concern quickly subsided once the evaluations confirmed positive results.
“At the time, honestly, it was more of just like a shock to my body because I hadn’t sprained this ankle before, so I was a little, you know, concerned at the time, but once we got our tests and evaluations back, it was all good news. So when I heard the word of all those coming back, I was happy with it and got after that treatment with Brent over there. So yeah, I’ve got a lot of good training these last couple weeks and feeling really good.”
Intensive Rehabilitation Process
Winter has undergone an extensive treatment regimen over the past two weeks, beginning once the initial swelling subsided. This rigorous process has continued even while the team is on the road.
“Swelling was the biggest thing for me the first couple of nights,” Winter recalled. “So just trying to get that down, being able to, you know, start walking and moving on it a little more after those first couple of nights was the biggest thing. So getting that swelling under control and then going from there. And I think day by day, I’ve gotten better each day. So, you know, I’m at a point right now where I’m ready to start practicing with the guys and get out there next week.”
He emphasized his dedication to his recovery:
- “I’ve taken it to my fullest advantage of these last couple of weeks, been doing treatment for 5, 6 hours a day. I’m just trying to get it right and was trying to get ready for this weekend. I thought for a chance there was maybe a split second I’d be ready for this weekend, but ultimately made the decision not to, and we’ll be ready to go next week.”
- “We brought a lot of equipment for me, hopped in the hotel pool quite a bit, just really doing everything we can to get this thing going. But yeah, obviously, we’re at the games, and when I go back, I do even more treatment. So it’s just throw everything we can at it.”
Looking Ahead to the NCAA Tournament
Winter’s return is expected to provide a significant boost for the Badgers as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament. The team will head back to Madison to await their seeding on Selection Sunday. In Winter’s absence, Wisconsin has witnessed considerable growth from Austin Rapp and Aleksas Bieliauskas, both of whom are poised to play crucial roles, whether as starters or coming off the bench, in the tournament.
With Winter back in the fold, Wisconsin appears to be nearing full strength as they aim to reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2017 season.
