Nolan Winter is preparing for his junior season, and the new videos coming out of practices prove that he may be preparing for a breakout year. The Big Ten may not be ready for a 7-footer that can move, shoot, or attack the hoop like Winter. In the latest installment of Nolan Winter at practice, John Blackwell even reacted to how impressive it was, calling him "different."
The original video was posted by Reid Ouse, who trains college and NBA players and can help the development of college players wanting to make the jump to the NBA. He is working through a drill that shows how to use a behind-the-back dribble to crash to the hoop when a defender cuts off the lane.
It starts with Ouse showing the drill, and then Winter doing the drill with ease, and the caption says, "Not many 7 footers can move like this." And let me tell you, it's impressive, you have to see it yourself to believe it.
Different https://t.co/dB3YNs2hah
— John Blackwell (@_Johnblackwell1) August 1, 2025
Nolan Winter is getting NBA training ahead of his breakout junior season
Winter took a massive leap from his freshman to his sophomore season, and the jump to junior year may be even bigger with all the work he is putting in. In his freshman campaign, he averaged 9.4 minutes a game, scoring 2.4 points and securing 1.8 rebounds. Last season, becoming a regular starter and averaged 21.1 minutes a game. He scored an average of 9.4 points and 5.8 rebounds.
He's now going into his second season as a full-time starter with a new cast around him, except for John Blackwell. But those two returning starters may end up being two of the top players in the Big Ten. While all the attention is going towards Blackwell, Winter is quietly putting in the work to secure his own impressive year. Winter is going to benefit tremendously from having two alphas getting him the ball in the paint or out beyond the arc.