MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -Badger fans are going to like what they see when the season rolls around.
With the current state of college basketball, Wisconsin has just six returners on the roster — meaning there will be more first-year Badgers than familiar faces. And with that much newness, the biggest thing happening right now isn’t just on the court… it’s the team becoming a team.
As Wisconsin continues summer practices, coming together and bonding — as a team, as a family — is even more important.
“Yeah, it has to happen organically. You can’t force feed it… it’s part of doing things together through this summer — just hang it out more… that’s something that’s always a work in progress,” head coach Greg Gard said. “We provide opportunities where they can do that a little bit more intentionally… they’ve done dinners… they’ve been really good with the recruiting… it’s a very unselfish group in terms of giving of themselves to the betterment of the program.”
For the players, the chemistry is being built in the little moments — the stuff most fans never see.
“Spend all the time in the world you can with each other, especially in the summer… we’re getting amazing weather, so we’re going to pools, lakes… exploring Madison together,” Nolan Winter said. “We’re going golf tomorrow as a team… all the little things that people don’t see — those are the things that really draw us together. I think we’ve been doing a great job of that… we’re just trying to go do stuff and hang out with each other and get to know each other.”
New faces, new roles, and a new vibe — but one thing is clear: the Badgers are making sure the foundation is built now… so when the games start counting, they’re already playing like a family.
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