The Badgers are getting one guaranteed starter back in 2025.
The Wisconsin Badgers have seen a lot of movement this offseason, as six seniors, including three starters, are departing the program. In addition, three others (Daniel Freitag, Camren Hunter, and Chris Hodges) are entering the transfer portal.
Then came the news of sophomore guard John Blackwell entering the 2025 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility, adding a fourth starter and another potential departure to the mix.
But, the fifth and final starter is guaranteed to return, as sophomore forward Nolan Winter announced that he’ll be back in 2025, seemingly signing a new deal as well.
Nolan Winter is returning. Seems like he was taken care of by the #Badgers. https://t.co/5Y8piWr8wJ
— Bucky’s 5th Quarter (@B5Q) April 4, 2025
Winter had a breakout season as a sophomore, starting all 37 games and averaging 9.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game as the team’s power forward.
That came after a freshman year where Winter was thrown into the fire as the backup center, playing 9.4 minutes a contest in 36 games behind Steven Crowl.
Winter was the team’s most efficient player offensively, shooting 56.4 percent from the field, while also hitting 35.8 percent from deep as a stretch-four.
Wisconsin is actively in the transfer portal, looking to complete next year’s roster. They landed their first transfer on Thursday with Virginia wing Andrew Rohde. But, it’s the returners that are set to be the core for the Badgers, and one is in the fold with Winter, while another two key players are expected back: John Blackwell and Jack Janicki.
Winter is expected to assume the starting power forward spot once again in 2025, where he’ll look to build off his breakout season and become a frontline starter for the Badgers.