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Kamari McGee Coming on Strong for Wisconsin Men’s Basketball

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Kamari McGee - Wisconsin Men's Basketball Point Guard
Feb 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Kamari McGee (4) celebrates a scoring run against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports

Kamari McGee is Coming on Strong for Wisconsin Men’s Basketball

Madison, Wis. – Following the offseason departure of Lorne Bowman, Greg Gard, and the Wisconsin men’s basketball staff knew they had to move quickly to address a glaring hole in their backcourt.

Chucky Hepburn was coming off a freshman season where he started 33 games for the Badgers and played north of 30 minutes per contest—so UW was going to be a tough sell to any PG on the transfer market.

Thankfully, the right fit surfaced–in their own backyard, no less.

UW-Green Bay point guard and Horizon League all-freshman team member Kamari McGee entered the transfer portal during the offseason. In 21 starts for the Phoenix, he averaged 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 38% shooting from the field.

The two sides quickly found common ground, and McGee transferred into the Wisconsin men’s basketball program with three years of eligibility remaining.

Examining the Fit

From a talent perspective, Kamari McGee is a reach for a Power 5 program.

However, the former Racine Saint Catherine’s standout was willing to accept a lesser role on his hometown team. He also had multiple years to learn the system, develop his game, and fit the Wisconsin men’s basketball culture.

The 6-foot sophomore is a scrappy + willing defender, has some playmaking ability, is coachable, and plays with energy every time he steps onto the court.

On paper, adding McGee was a no-brainer. Wisconsin men’s basketball had a set it and forget it point guard tandem for the next three seasons.

Slow Start to Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Career

Entering the 2022-23 season, Kamari McGee wasn’t expected to be a significant contributor. He was, however, expected to be a rotation fixture – which hasn’t always been the case.

Thus far, the Wisconsin native has appeared in 21 games this season, averaging 0.9 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists while shooting 42.1% from the field in 5.6 minutes per game.

Adjusting to the uptick in competition, changing systems, and learning his new teammates took some time. McGee struggled with ball screen defense, had issues with ball security early on (this is a big one), and his role on offense was unclear.

But he didn’t give up when things got hard. McGee’s role was in flux, and he began losing playing time to Isaac Lindsey, who isn’t a natural fit at point guard, IMO.

“I’m pretty patient,” McGee told Mike Lucas.

“The way my mind works, I know everybody has their moment, everybody has their time. So maybe it’s not my time yet. If that’s the case, so be it. I’m still going to support my guys … I know my time will come.”

Kamari McGee Making Noticeable Improvements

It was a slow burn for Wisconsin men’s basketball reserve point guard Kamari McGee, but the hard work has begun to pay off.

Over his last 10 appearances dating back to January 7, McGee has played 52 minutes and only turned the ball over once while registering five assists.

For reference, the sophomore point guard played 65 total minutes in his first 11 appearances, recording six assists and five turnovers. Ball security was an issue.

So, it’s no coincidence that his playing time has become more consistent as of late.

Against Michigan, McGee turned in his most impactful performance of the season, playing a season-high 14 minutes and scoring 6 points, with one offensive rebound and one assist on 3-of-4 shooting.

Through the roof,” McGee said when asked about his confidence level. “Well, my confidence is always high. But it’s definitely a booster, you know. I just feel like I’m playing at a much better pace, and I’m playing under control. So, it’s definitely gonna keep going up, but it’s always there, regardless of how I’m performing on either end. The confidence never drops.”

Final Thoughts on Kamari McGee + Wisconsin Men’s Basketball

Improving ball security and giving Wisconsin men’s basketball a defensive spark is a surefire way to earn minutes under Greg Gard.

Kamari McGee’s recent emergence has been a positive development for a program hurting for rotation depth. His progress has been slow (incremental is probably the right word), but its starting to come together.

I firmly believe that McGee can/will be a nice rotational piece during his career at Wisconsin.


Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting Roundup: Frontcourt Transfer Portal Targets

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Wisconsin Basketball
Oct 12, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, US; Wisconsin Badgers men's head coach Greg Gard speaks to the media during the Big Ten Basketball Media Days at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program have been active in the early stages of the offseason, reaching out to numerous transfer options, particularly in the frontcourt.

Wisconsin had a severe lack of depth among post options in 2022-23 following the departures of Chris Vogt (graduation) and Ben Carlson + Matthew Mors (transfers).

Unable to land a viable option in the portal last offseason, the Badgers were forced to make do with former walk-on Carter Gilmore as its top forward off the bench and unproven options like Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges to fill in whenever necessary.

Senior forward Tyler Wahl has yet to decide if he’ll exercise his COVID year and return for a fifth season in Madison (I think he will), which could leave the cupboards awfully thin if he chooses to pursue a pro career.

With the roster lacking any proven options behind him, there is a significant need to bring in at least one experienced frontcourt option that can immediately slot into minutes for the Wisconsin basketball program.

Here is an early list of some notable players Wisconsin has contacted this offseason.

Payton Sparks (6-foot-9 forward; Ball State)

National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Dushawn London from 247Sports, reported that Wisconsin was one of the teams that inquired about Ball State center Payton Sparks, who recently entered the transfer portal. 

Notre Dame, Arkansas, Florida, Butler, Ohio State, and others are involved. 

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center was an All-Mid-American Conference Second Team member this past season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 58% shooting from the field. 

Sparks started all 31 games he appeared in for the Cardinals this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

John Hugley (6-foot-9 forward; Pittsburgh)

Perhaps the most notable frontcourt target of the Wisconsin basketball program, Pittsburgh transfer forward John Hugley, who Joe Tipton of On3Sports reported the Badgers expressed interest in. 

UW, Michigan, Oregon, Miami, Rutgers, Xavier, Arkansas, LSU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Maryland, Nebraska, Butler, Georgia, and several others are also involved.

The 6-foot-9, 265-pound forward played eight games this past season before deciding to sit out the remainder of the season to focus on his mental health. 

In 2021-22 however, he led the Panthers in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game and 7.9 rebounds on 47.1% shooting en route to All-ACC honorable mention honors.

Hugley has up to three years of eligibility remaining.

Dame Adelekun (6-foot-8 forward; Dartmouth)

The first frontcourt player Wisconsin basketball reached out to was Dartmouth forward Dame Adelekun, according to a report from Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers. 

Arkansas, Ohio State, Wichita State, Boise State, Clemson, Arkansas, Seton Hall, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, Loyola Chicago, and several others are also in the mix. 

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals on 56.3% shooting from the field this past season. 

Adelekun has up to two years of eligibility remaining. 


Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Connected to Ball State Transfer

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Wisconsin Men's Basketball target Payton Sparks.
Ball State men's basketball sophomore center Payton Sparks smirks after turning over the ball during a game against Indiana University South Bend at Worthen Arena Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Ball State won 86-72

Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball coaching staff have recently checked in on a MAC big man that entered the transfer portal. 

Earlier this week, National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Dushawn London from 247Sports, reported that Wisconsin was one of the teams that inquired about Ball State center Payton Sparks.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play at the highest level of college basketball,” Sparks said in the Twitter post. “With that being said, I feel like it’s in my best interest to chase my dream and enter the transfer portal. There will always be a place in my heart that is Ball State!”

Along with UW, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Utah, Oklahoma, Seton Hall, Dayton, Arkansas, Iowa State, Loyola Chicago, Florida, Butler, LSU, Georgetown, Ohio State, and several other schools expressed interest in Sparks. 

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center was an All-Mid-American Conference Second Team member this past season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 58% shooting from the field. 

Sparks started all 31 games he appeared in for the Cardinals this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Why Payton Sparks Makes Sense for Wisconsin Men’s Basketball 

Dating back to the last offseason, Wisconsin men’s basketball had a clear need in its frontcourt following the departures of Chris Vogt (graduation) and Ben Carlson + Matthew Mors (transfer). 

However, UW never found a good fit in the portal and instead relied on former walk-on Carter Gilmore as his backup “big man” and unproven options like Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges. 

Coach Gard has already made it abundantly clear that he knows what his team needs and intends to fix this glaring hole going into 2023-24. 

I expect the Badgers to be heavy players in the portal as they pursue options to improve their front-court. 


Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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Wisconsin Basketball in Contact with 2023 Recruit, New Transfer Target, More

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Wisconsin Basketball
Dec 14, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders fly the banners across the court before the game with the Green Bay Phoenix at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin defeated Green Bay 73-59. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a busy week for the Wisconsin basketball program, ladies and gents, but fear not because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Continuing to Keep Tabs on 2023 Forward  

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball program might be open to a late addition in the 2023 recruiting class.

After de-committing from Notre Dame in late January, top 150 prospect Brady Dunlap is back on the market, and Wisconsin is one of the schools that expressed interest in the sharpshooting forward, along with Villanova, Seton Hall, Oregon, UCLA, TCU, Saint Mary’s, and Butler. 

Arguably the top unsigned prospect in his class, Dunlap is the No. 147 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and the No. 22 player in California, according to the 247Sports composite.

Although the Badgers would seem to have no available scholarships, already holding commitments from four-star big man Gus Yalden and three-star prospects Nolan Winter and John Blackwell, a source indicated that Wisconsin has been enamored with Dunlap for quite some time and felt the need to kick the tires. 

With plenty of roster changes expected to occur once the season concludes, it’ll be interesting to see if UW tries to make a real run at a talented late addition to its class. 

Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Showing Interest in AAC Transfer Guard 

Speaking of players that Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball coaching staff have been in contact with, add a high-scoring combo guard from the AAC into the mix. 

Last week, Joe Tipton of On3Sports reported that Wisconsin was among the teams that expressed interest in Temlple transfer guard Khalif Battle. 

Along with UW, there is plenty of suitors for Battle because Villanova, Arkansas, Arizona, Ohio State, Memphis, Florida, USC, UCLA, and several other schools have also reached out. 

The 6-foot-5, 175-pound guard appeared in 27 games, starting eight, and led the Owls in scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game and 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals on 41% shooting from the field. 

The former four-star recruit has up to two years of eligibility remaining.

Other Wisconsin Basketball News

Well, it finally happened; St. Thomas leading-scorer, freshman guard Andrew Rohde has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. 

The Milwaukee native averaged 17.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this season en route to becoming the Summit League Freshman of the Year. 

There were rumblings throughout the season that Greg Gard and company would make Rohde a high priority if he became available — and now that he is, Wisconsin will undoubtedly make a serious play for his services.

Rohde would fill an immediate long/short-term need within the Wisconsin basketball program as a wing with the ideal size to play the “3” that can score the rock and has three years of eligibility remaining.


Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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