Badger Basketball Exit Meetings: Zach Kinziger

Assessing the freshman guard's first season in Madison

Zach Kinziger celebrates on the Kohl Center floor after Wisconsin's 92-71 victory over No. 10 Michigan State. | UW Athletics

As the transfer-portal dust has finally settled, we have a better idea of what Wisconsin’s 2026-27 basketball team will look like. Before fully diving into next season’s team, I’ll be doing one final look at the 2025-26 team in the form of exit meetings for the players who played at least somewhat significant minutes. 

To kick off the series, we’ll take a look back at Zach Kinziger’s true freshman season. And although there wasn't a ton of game-action to assess, the experience will be valuable for the young guard come 2026-27.

2025-26 stats (4.8 minutes per game):

1.3 PPG, 0.3 RPG, 0.6 APG | 32% FG, 25% 3-pt, 50%FT

2025-26 High

Kinziger checking into the game against Central Michigan on Dec. 22 came as a surprise to many. It was a unique circumstance as Badger fans were excited to get their first in-game look at a homegrown 4-star recruit, but also concerned that he burned his redshirt. Regardless of whether people agreed with the decision, game reps–which Kinziger got–in the Big Ten never hurts a young player. 

To pinpoint a game or moment which felt like a peak for Kinziger in his limited action, I look back at Jan. 22 and Wisconsin’s dominant 98-71 victory over Penn State in Happy Valley. He matched his career-high with six points on two triples, and added a rebound and an assist. This was one of those games where the Badgers’ offense was humming, and seeing the true freshman get some minutes in a Big Ten game, and do what he does best–knock down 3-pointers–was a highlight in what was otherwise a limited sample size.

Jan 22, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Zach Kinziger (4) looks to pass the ball as Penn State Nittany Lions guard Kayden Mingo (4) and forward Ivan Juric (3) defend during the second half at Rec Hall. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

2025-26 Low

With a limited sample size, it’s difficult to hone in on a specific game as a low for Kinziger’s season. It never felt like the lows were anything out of the ordinary for a true freshman who was thrown into the fire mid-season.

Based on the statistics, the number that stands out is the 25% 3-point-percentage for a guy who’s supposed to be a great shooter. Still, there’s no reason to panic yet as the minutes were too sparse to expect Kinziger to find any real rhythm from deep. 

The stretch in Kinziger’s freshman season that stood out most to me was when he played 14 minutes over a three-game stretch against Purdue, UCLA and Michigan. He didn’t look completely lost against three of the best teams on Wisconsin’s schedule, but it was clear he wasn’t ready to be a contributor quite yet, and understandably so given what people thought would be a redshirt season.

Overall, there was no single game or moment which I viewed as the lowest point in Kinziger’s season, but that doesn’t mean the freshman growth moments weren’t apparent.

Final season grade: C

After watching Kinziger not check into a game for nearly the entire non-conference season, it felt like a given that he wouldn’t see action until the 2026-27 season. In what we did get to see, albeit limited, there was nothing unexpected in terms of what a potential role looks like, nor the struggles for the young guard. If Kinziger had played significant minutes, it would be easier to assess how successful his season was, but for now, a baseline grade feels fair. 

Mar 18, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Zach Kinziger (4) participates in a passing drill during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

What’s next?

To the surprise of no one, the homegrown Badger is returning for his sophomore year. With John Blackwell transferring, and Nick Boyd, Braden Carrington and Andrew Rohde exhausting eligibility, there is plenty of minutes to be had in the backcourt, giving Kinziger the opportunity to compete for significant minutes in his sophomore season.

Should he see real time, finding a rhythm offensively will be huge for Kinziger. The 3-point shot is what he hangs his hat on, and it’s no secret that he will have the opportunity to shoot them in bulk in an expanded role.

There wasn't a lot of action in 2025-26, but if Greg Gard felt compelled to burn the redshirt, the staff must believe in Kinziger’s ability to be a real contributor in the Big Ten, now it’s up to him to live up to take the next step.