Badgers film room: What does UW have in Green Bay transfer Kamari McGee?
Wisconsin's season came to a disappointing end in the round of 32 when starting point guard Chucky Hepburn sustained an ankle injury that left the Badgers scrambling without a primary ball-handler.
The need for another PG became all the more important when Lorne Bowman entered the transfer portal earlier this offseason. That's why Greg Gard and his coaching staff moved quickly to find his replacement in the backcourt; thankfully, they found a replacement PG in their backyard.
It wasn't long before UW-Green Bay transfer PG Kamari McGee announced that he would be staying in his home state of Wisconsin and committing to play for the Badgers. The Racine native is joining the program with three years of eligibility remaining.
The UW-Green Bay standout also heard from Minnesota, BYU, Bradley, UC-Davis, Holy Cross, Tennessee State, Illinois State, Colgate, UT-Chattanooga, Northern Kentucky, Detroit Mercy, and Southern Indiana while in the transfer portal.
McGee, a former Racine Saint Catherine’s standout, comes from a rebuilding Green Bay Phoenix program where he made 21 starts and averaged 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 29 minutes per contest as a freshman.
Under head coach Will Ryan (Bo’s son), the Wisconsin native was named Horizon League Freshman of the Week three times and was also a member of the Horizon League All-Freshman team.
“Kamari is the kind of person and player we want representing our University and program," Gard said in a UW press release. "He is a leader and role model in his community of Racine and is a motivated student, who will thrive both on and off the floor here at Wisconsin. A ferocious competitor, Kamari makes his presence felt on the defensive end of the floor. He also brings experience and leadership to our backcourt, which is vital to our team’s success. We are excited to add Kamari to our Badger Family and to get to work with him as he pursues his goals as a student-athlete here at the University of Wisconsin.”
So, what exactly does McGee bring to Wisconsin? Let’s unpack the film and find out:
BadgerNotes Film Room:
For those who don't know, I also cover UW-Green Bay basketball for HoriZoneRT. So, I've watched every game the 6-foot, 170-pound PG played this past season and saw his development firsthand. That said, I think this move makes a ton of sense for the Badgers.
McGee is a tenacious on-ball defender with a nose for the ball who excels at taking what the defense gives him and has a nice overall feel for the game.
Wisconsin is getting a team-first player that will do whatever it takes to win and should provide some stability off the bench leading the Badgers' second unit. He is a hard worker that will accept whatever role is asked of him because he wants to be a part of something bigger than himself.
Last season, McGee excelled at utilizing ball screens to penetrate the defense and get to the bucket or get off his mid-range jumper.