How Wisconsin's Max Klesmit, Nolan Winter fared in return from injury vs Northwestern

Wisconsin basketball rolled to a 70-63 win over the Northwestern Wildcats on Thursday afternoon in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Despite shooting 41% from the field and 32% from outside, Wisconsin cruised to the victory with relative ease. The Badgers forced 14 Wildcat turnovers and pushed them to shoot just 37% from the field and 25% from outside. The Badgers also received at least seven points from six different playmakers on Thursday in one of the team's more balanced offensive outputs of the season.

Most notably, both sophomore center Nolan Winter and program veteran Max Klesmit looked as composed as they have all season for Greg Gard's group. Klesmit scored nine points, grabbed two rebounds, secured one steal and dished out two assists in his return from a nagging ankle injury, an ailment that kept him sidelined for essentially four full games.

The Neenah, Wisconsin, native did so on 3-of-5 shooting from the field in just 24 minutes of action. He hadn't suited up for the Badgers since Feb. 25 against Washington, a game during which he played for just five minutes in the first half. Thursday's performance was an important sign with his status a major question mark entering postseason play.

This Max Klesmit step-back triple was NASTY 😳 @BadgerMBB #B1GMBBT on BTN 📺 pic.twitter.com/fXj7plAiU5
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 13, 2025

Winter, meanwhile, spearheaded Wisconsin's offensive attack. The sophomore finished with a team-best 18 points off 4-of-5 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line, the latter a strong indication of his aggressiveness throughout the afternoon. Winter also grabbed six rebounds, notched a pair of assists and pocketed two steals in 26 minutes of action.

The Minnesota native appeared 100% healthy after suffering what appeared to be a shoulder injury early in the second half of Wisconsin's 86-75 loss to Penn State on March 8. He played just 14 minutes in that loss, staying on the bench for the final 11 minutes of action.

Klesmit and Winter's performances should encourage those invested in what the Badgers could accomplish this postseason. Their presence on the hardwood alleviated some of the responsibilities that typically land on John Tonje and John Blackwell's shoulders offensively. Importantly, each provides an impactful two-way spark.

Wisconsin will look for another strong set of outputs from the pair of starters when it faces the UCLA Bruins on Friday. The team will get a chance to avenge an early-season loss to the Bruins with a trip to the Big Ten Tournament semifinal at stake.

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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Basketball Nolan Winter Max Klesmit Northwestern Stats

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