The Wisconsin Badgers basketball season is inching closer and closer, as the team is just four days away from their first of three exhibition games, with this one being against UW-Parkside at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin has a much different team this season, especially in the backcourt, where they added Owen Foxwell, Trey Autry, and Eian Elmer to their projected starting lineup. But much looks the same in the frontcourt, led by Nolan Winter, who is back for his fourth season with the Badgers.
Winter
has taken a step forward in each of his three seasons at Wisconsin, and he had another efficient season in 2025-26, averaging 13.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks while shooting 56.9 percent from the field. All of those figures were career highs, even as he battled some injuries.
Now coming off offseason surgery, Winter is looking to take on an even bigger role with the Badgers, and could be the face of the team in his potential final year in Madison.
Well, there are high expectations for the Badgers star, as he was named to the preseason All-Big Ten Team alongside 10 other players. Here’s the full list:
David Mirkovic, Illinois
Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois
Pharrell Payne, Maryland
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
Trey McKenney, Michigan
JEREMY FEARS JR., Michigan State
PRYCE SANDFORT, Nebraska
John Mobley Jr., Ohio State
Trent Perry, UCLA
Rodney Rice, USC
Nolan Winter, Wisconsin
Fears and Sandfort were unanimous selections, with Fears being named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.
Winter is expected to be one of the best bigs in the country this season, and especially in the Big Ten. We’ll get a first glance at him this month when Wisconsin takes on UW-Parkside (October 10th), UW-Green Bay (October 15th), and Oklahoma State (October 27th).
