Wisconsin Basketball: Carter Gilmore earns scholarship

The Wisconsin basketball team entered the off-season with 3 available scholarships. This past week the badgers added their newest scholarship athlete. No, it wasn’t from the transfer portal. It was Hartland native and fan favorite, Carter Gilmore.

Like many Wisconsinites, Carter Gilmore and his family grew up badger fans who dreamed of playing for the cardinal and white.

Gilmore played his high school basketball at Arrowhead high school where he finished his senior year first-team all-state and averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds, and over 5 assists per game. Carter Gilmore was ranked the 4th best player in Wisconsin in 2020 by prep hoops.

Following his stellar senior season, Gilmore followed his heart and accepted a walk-on spot for Wisconsin basketball over scholarship offers from the likes of Appalachian State, Brown, DePaul, Illinois-Chicago, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. All this in hopes of someday earning a scholarship.

Fast forward one season and the gamble paid off in a big way. Greg Gard awarded the in-state forward a well-deserved scholarship after just one season as a walk-on.

Gilmore appeared in nine games as a true freshman, including five meaningful minutes off the bench late in the season against Northwestern.

Carter Gilmore could be a player to keep an eye on next year with a plethora of minutes available due to six seniors’ graduation.

Coach Gard has gone out of his way to compliment Gilmore on multiple occasions and has commended him for his basketball IQ. Gilmore doesn’t really slot into any specific position on the court but is capable of playing the 2-4 in my opinion. His versatility could prove to be an asset on both ends of the floor.

Seeing Gilmore become a fixture in the rotation as soon as next year isn’t out of the question. I don’t see Gilmore playing big minutes on a nightly basis, but I do see him carving out a role and expanding on that role as his career progresses.

Everyone loves to see the hometown hero find success. Even more so when they bet on themselves and realize their dreams. For Wisconsin, this was a scholarship well-spent.

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