Wisconsin Badgers hoops will feature a new look squad next season with John Blackwell and Nolan Winter being the only ones retained from last year’s starting five.
The team will no longer have Max Klesmit, John Tonje, and Steven Crowl in the starting unit but head coach Greg Gard found reinforcement through the transfer portal.
For Blackwell, they are not just simple replacements. He thinks they are the perfect pieces to create an exciting unit.
The team had their practice on Thursday and Blackwell, who went back to the team after withdrawing his NBA draft application, previewed his dynamics with transferees Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde who will become part of the starting backcourt.
“I would me, Nick, Andrew, Jack Janicki, we will all contribute just as much, give it our all,” the third year guard told reporters in a video posted by Badger Extra’s Michael McCleary.
“If it’s my night, they gonna let me rock out. If it’s their night, let them rock out. I think we complement our games really well.”
John Blackwell, Nick Boyd going at it in practice
Nick Boyd has the same opinion about the Badgers’ 2025 backcourt. He thinks him, Blackwell, and Rohde can be a three-headed monster with anybody capable of doing damage.
To bring out the best in players, Gard is having them go at each other in practice for now instead of them playing in one squad.
“I’ve intentionally kept them on opposite teams just because they’re both alphas,” Gard said after practice last week.
“To have them, spar off or face off against each other is good. I think it’s good for both of them to keep pushing each other’s bar a little higher.”
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