With the recent news that Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball big man Nolan Winter is returning to school, many speculated as to why he didn’t follow in former teammate John Blackwell’s footsteps, hitting the portal in search of greener grass. However, in a recent interview with Brian Butch, Winter revealed his reasoning behind his decision, parts of which were surprising.
The non-surprising part was the fact that the 7-footer wanted to stay home and remain loyal to the school that believed in him when hardly anyone else did. Winter made it clear in the interview and to the people around him that he wishes to be a Badger for life, which has become an increasingly rare occurrence in the current landscape of college basketball.
Nolan Winter said he sat down with his parents, agents, and coaches the day after the season ended. Made the final decision to stay with #Badgers a few weeks later. Wants to get to the NBA and feels Wisconsin is the best path to do so.
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) April 27, 2026
"I'm happy here. I love it here." pic.twitter.com/LetkFHH59e
With that said, Winter also mentioned his NBA aspirations when giving his reasoning for returning to school, believing that Wisconsin was the best stepping stone for him to reach that goal. At face value, that statement may seem a bit ridiculous, as the Badgers aren’t exactly the most traditional NBA pipeline.
However, when factoring in a few things, this statement begins to look a lot less outrageous. For one, Winter clearly possesses NBA size and talent. It’s no secret that the NBA covets interior physicality and perimeter skill, two things that Winter has proven he can provide.
Improving Skillset
The Minnesota native put all those skills on display during his junior campaign with the Badgers, averaging 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game — both vast improvements from his sophomore year. Winter did take a dip in three-point percentage, dropping from 35.8% to 32.6% from beyond the arc. However, his increase in attempts per game suggests that under another offseason of development, he could take a leap in that facet as well.
A leap in shooting would be wildly impactful for Wisconsin as a team as well, as it will need a new source of offense following the departure of its two leading scorers. The Badgers will likely be forced to lean heavily on Winter for offensive production next season, making any improvements he can make pivotal to the team's success.
Future Outlook
Those expectations may seem lofty, but in reality, they create the perfect environment for Winter to boost his draft stock. If he were to transfer elsewhere, odds are he would be forced to take a back seat, playing an ancillary role on a more well-rounded team. However, since Winter chose to stay home, he will likely be given a long leash in his senior year, creating an opportunity for him to showcase the full extent of his skillset.
Whether he can capitalize on that and boost his draft stock beyond the late-second billing he is currently placed under remains to be seen, but it would be hard to argue there is a better spot to do that than Madison.
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