Wisconsin Basketball: Exploring Freshman’s Absence From the Bench

There have been plenty of people asking about the absence of freshman big man Gus Yalden from the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s bench as of late. Some even wondered if Badgers head coach Greg Gard dismissed him from the program when he wasn’t at the Big Ten tournament.

But those whispers have started getting louder now that Yalden officially didn’t make the trip with Wisconsin basketball to New York for their first-round matchup against James Madison in the NCAA Tournament.

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Although the Badgers never formally announced Yalden’s redshirt status for the season, it has been evident since December that the four-star recruit wouldn’t see action in his freshman year. But redshirting alone doesn’t prevent you from traveling with the team. Look no further than Jack Janicki and Ross Candelino for proof, both of whom are in New York.

Jim Polzin of BadgerExtra was the first to report, and I was able to confirm with a department representative that Yalden’s absence from Wisconsin is being labeled as a “coach’s decision.”

Gus Yalden Not With the Wisconsin Basketball Team

It’s been a rocky first season with the Wisconsin Badgers basketball program for Yalden, who took a short leave of absence from the team in November due to a personal family matter.

Further complicating matters, Yalden’s leave came shortly after UW-Madison police cited him for underage drinking during a Wisconsin football game in September. He also received a verbal warning for possessing a fake ID. Subsequently, Yalden received another citation for possession of marijuana at his residence hall in October. It’s worth noting that this charge was later dismissed.

Given the off-court injury, a leave of absence, and some non-basketball-related issues, Yalden fell behind fellow freshman forward Nolan Winter on the Wisconsin basketball depth chart during preseason practices.

It’s clear that Yalden’s freshman season has proven to be a learning curve for the Appleton native in more ways than one. Yalden’s long-term status with the Badgers is unknown, but Gard’s decision not to have him with the team during the NCAA Tournament is telling.

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