MADISON – Wisconsin forward Nolan Winter and Jack Janicki have both taken what head coach Greg Gard described as a “big jump” in their injury recoveries.
“Both of them were in full-go mode, other than contact stuff, major contact stuff,” Gard said after the Badgers’ March 16 practice. “So it’s the most any of them have done. They both ran full-court in some skeleton stuff we did. Both were in the drills.”
Winter has been recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in UW’s March 4 win over Maryland. He has missed the last four games, but both Gard and Winter have expressed confidence in the seven-foot forward returning in time for the men’s NCAA Tournament. He has nearly averaged a double-double with 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Janicki has been out since suffering a wrist injury in UW’s Feb. 17 loss at Ohio State. He had a procedure on Feb. 19 and has missed the Badgers’ last eight games. He has held a key defensive role for the 2025-26 Badgers, averaging 16.5 minutes in 26 games.
The positive news from the Badgers’ March 16 practice comes three days before they begin their NCAA Tournament run against 12th-seeded High Point on March 19 in Portland. (UW would then play either fourth-seeded Arkansas or 13th-seeded Hawaii.)
“Everybody felt pretty good coming out of it, so the plan is to take another step tomorrow,” Gard said.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin’s Nolan Winter, Jack Janicki take ‘big jump’ in injury recoveries
Reporting by John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
