Nolan Winter is a breakout candidate for Badgers next season

Winter played in all 36 games for Wisconsin as a true freshman last season.

Mar 14, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Nolan Winter (31) celebrates his basket against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Wisconsin men's basketball had a busy offseason, adding three transfers and two high school recruits. The team has a lot to replace with A.J. Storr, Chucky Hepburn and Tyler Wahl out of the picture, and returning sophomore big man Nolan Winter could be a potential breakout candidate.

Winter added to the Lakeville North High School (Lakeville, Minn.) to Wisconsin pipeline when he signed with the Badgers. In the class of 2023, 247Sports ranked him as the No. 2-ranked player in Minnesota and the No. 151-ranked recruit in the country.

He was named Minnesota's 2022-23 Gatorade Player of The Year after he averaged 23.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game while shooting 64.1% from the field as a senior, leading his team to the Minnesota Class 4A state tournament semifinals.

"Nolan has been on our radar for several years, which has allowed our staff to watch him grow and develop as a player," Badgers coach Greg Gard said last offseason. "He has a tremendously high basketball IQ and a versatile skillset that will allow him to be effective in the post, off the dribble and a terrific shooter from the perimeter. His game is a perfect match for who we are and where the game of basketball is going, which requires multi-dimensional players with diverse skill sets."

The 6-foot-11 forward played in all 36 games as a true freshman for Wisconsin last season. He averaged 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game on 42.3/30.8/69.6 shooting splits.

Winter's best game of the season came in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament when he had six points, five rebounds and two assists against Maryland in only 15 minutes.

Winter's true freshman numbers do not jump off the page, but they're quite comparable to recent Minnesota natives and Badgers big men in Wahl and Steven Crowl, who averaged less than three points per game as true freshmen, as well, but went on to become key contributors in their careers.

Winter will likely find himself behind Crowl as the true backup five in 2024-25, but playing the pair alongside each other could unlock a level of offensive versatility that would be tough to defend.

Despite a small offensive role, he attempted 1.1 3-pointers per game, showcasing an ability to stretch the floor and provide spacing for the offense.

Northern Illinois transfer Xavier Amos will likely fill the Badgers' starting four position, but pairing Amos/Winter/Crowl together could be a potential experiment for Gard and his staff to try.

Ultimately, Winter is too talented of a player to be playing less than 10 minutes per game. If Wisconsin wants to reach its full potential next season, finding a bigger role for its sophomore forward will go a long way in increasing its ceiling.