As the Wisconsin Badgers have kicked off summer practices and begun to become accustomed to their new teammates and system, a familiar face has remained absent from live drills. That player is senior forward Nolan Winter, who has remained sidelined for the Badgers throughout the duration of summer as he continues to rehab from ankle surgery he had earlier in the offseason.
Recently, Winter was asked about how the recovery process has been going and said, “It's been good, the ankle feels good. Every day, every week we are progressing more and more with rehab and what I've been able to do,” said Winter. “All in all the offseason has been really good, and I've been in good hands here.”
Nolan Winter with a brief update on his status, too. The 7-footer is recovering after receiving right ankle surgery earlier this offseason. https://t.co/snG4kemgDc pic.twitter.com/r0CJ2myI4W
— Michael McCleary (@MikeJMcCleary) July 14, 2026
These were of course encouraging words for the 7-footer, as any progress towards a return to the court should be viewed through a positive lens by fans. However, Greg Gard gave a less encouraging update, depending on the way in which you view it, in regards to when Winter will be able to return to regular activity.
“They’re (Winter and Austin Rapp) both on time in terms of where they’re at,” Gard said. “It was the target for Nolan to return towards the end of the summer. I don't think either of them will participate in anything this summer, but they should be back by the time we reconvene in September.”
#Badgers coach Greg Gard provides an update on likely starting forwards Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp, who were both sidelined on Tuesday. Neither are expected back for summer practices, Gard said. pic.twitter.com/CqfKfBq6rx
— Michael McCleary (@MikeJMcCleary) July 14, 2026
Looking Ahead
Obviously health tops the list of importance for Badger fans, and as long as both can be back fully healthy by the time the season starts, nobody should be complaining. With that said, missing summer practices and workouts because of injury is undoubtedly a loss for Winter, as it halts the progress he was making in his development.
Coming off of a season in which he averaged 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, Winter had a chance to stamp his name in NBA Draft talks, so long as he continued to progress the way he has been. Scouts were hoping he could take a huge step forward in his shooting development, along with continuing to fill out his frame – two things that are still currently possible given his situation.
However, not having the live reps in which he can employ his newfound shot rhythm or functional weight could mean some growing pains in his first few days back on the court. Odds are that both Winter and the Badgers will work through whatever kinds of problems arise, but nonetheless it's a disappointing update.
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