The Wisconsin Badgers had quite a busy offseason, bringing in nine new faces to offset the losses they had with outgoing players.
A big reason for that was the six seniors they had on the roster: John Tonje, Max Klesmit, Steven Crowl, Carter Gilmore, Kamari McGee, and Markus Illver.
Of the group, several have already found professional opportunities. Tonje was taken in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz at No. 53 overall. Crowl signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Jazz. And Gilmore signs a pro contract with the Den
Helder Suns in the Netherlands.
Now, a fourth senior has signed with a professional team, as Markus Illver is heading to play for Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits, who hail from his native country of Estonia.
They are a part of the top-tier league in Estonia, Korvpalli Meistriliiga (KML), and also play in the Estonian-Latvian league. They were the runner-ups in 2024-25 in the KML.
Illver spent his entire collegiate career with the Badgers, electing to remain with the program despite a lack of playing time. Head coach Greg Gard had strong praise for Illver and his character, as the forward worked hard in practice despite a lack of opportunity and always had high energy.
Illver played in 20 games as a senior, averaging 3.4 minutes per contest. He averaged 1.6 points and 0.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 35.7 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep.
Now, the 6’9 senior will look to make his mark overseas as he signs his first professional contract.
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