When the Badgers officially retained Nolan Winter for the 2026-27 season, the home-grown forward’s senior year, it was perhaps their most crucial move of the entire offseason.
The forward, who blossomed into a premier player in the Big Ten last season, is a unique talent as a mobile, sharpshooting big man with three years of experience under his belt. He would’ve easily been one of the top forwards, and perhaps players altogether, in the transfer portal had he elected to leave Madison — and he certainly could’ve landed a bigger payday.
Thus, it was incredibly crucial for Wisconsin to bring back Winter for another year, and though the loss of dynamic Duke-bound shooting guard John Blackwell absolutely stings, retaining Winter softens the blow and gives the Badgers a potential superstar in the frontcourt…