Wisconsin Badgers' Nolan Winter has been a breakout star, and he's not done shining

Greg Gard had a smirk on his face when asked about Nolan Winter picking up his second double-double in the Wisconsin Badgers' first three games of the season.

The smile wasn't to express his pleasure in the performance but rather to acknowledge the absurdity of what he was about to say next.

"I'm complaining about a double-double," Gard said.

It wasn't a knock to Winter, who had just logged 19 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes against Ball State, it was a testament to just how much belief and confidence Gard had in Winter.

"I think he's got more in him," Gard continued. "I think he's not anywhere near where he can be, and that's the exciting part."

Gard delivered a similar message after Winter posted 17 points and 12 rebounds in a season opening win over Campbell, saying there were probably five more rebounds Winter could have pulled down.

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It's a stream of productive criticism and encouragement that has helped build Winter's mental fortitude and self-belief, a message that's been an important part of the pair's relationship.

"Coach Gard has done a lot for my confidence," Nolan Winter said after a practice in mid-January. "Having just kinda personal talks where he's really mentioning to me what I can become and what I need to be for this team... from that point in the beginning of the season to now, I think my confidence has just grown knowing that the trust that he has in me."

"Coach is gonna be one me, and I love that, and that's what I need. I need a coach to be on me at all times and not let me slack off or anything."

Wisconsin forward Nolan Winter (31) out rebounds UW-Milwaukee forward Simeon Murchison (9) during the first half of their game Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A breakout season in the making

Winter has evolved into one of the Big Ten's most prolific big men, and he's quietly been putting together one of the better statistical seasons by a center in Wisconsin's history.

After posting a career-high 26 points with 12 rebounds and two blocks in Saturday's overtime loss to Indiana, Winter is up to 11 double-doubles this season.

He's just the third Badgers player this century to have at least 10 double-doubles in a season, joining Ethan Happ and Frank Kaminsky in the exclusive club.

Double-double machine#Badgers Nolan Winter has joined some elite company in Madison pic.twitter.com/03ldNGZgKZ
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) January 31, 2026

With eight regular-season games and the postseason remaining, Winter is just two double-doubles away from reaching the top 10 for most double-doubles in a season in program history.

Averaging 14.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 blocks per game this year, Winter is having a season that Gard thinks worthy of an All-Big Ten selection.

It's easy to see Gard's argument. Winter ranks third in the Big Ten in rebounds per game, and he's tied for the sixth most blocks per game.

Working as a tertiary option in the Badgers' offense, Winter's scoring output may put him behind other Big Ten frontcourt elites. However, he's been one of the most efficient scorers in the conference, knocking down 58.5 percent of his field goal attempts and 72 percent of his attempts from inside the three-point arc.

Just another day in the office for @NolanWinter5

▪️ 18 points
▪️ 6-for-6 from the field
▪️ 2-for-2 from 3-point land pic.twitter.com/KVpQHSBh2S
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) January 19, 2026

His field goal percentage, as it stands, would be the third best in program history.

Winter had been a highly effective scorer over the past two seasons while backing up or playing alongside Steven Crowl, but he's taken it to another level in 2025-26, despite a significant uptick in shot attempts.

Winter credits his teammates and a boost in confidence for his high field goal percentage.

"I know my capabilities and I know the sky's the limit for me," Winter said. "Credit to my guards, finding me in the right spots, and it's just that confidence that the coaches give me to knockdown shots."

Mental growth

Physical tools and athletic traits have never been an issue for him. It's been the refinement of what goes on above his shoulders that took a major leap over the offseason and has allowed him to continue growing during the 2025-26 campaign.

"I think there's confidence and willingness to make plays on my own," Winter said of his biggest growth this season. "Not depending so much on others to make a play for me. Instead, kind of taking it upon my own... within the system to go make plays for myself.

"That itself gives me the confidence, but now with this year, seeing what I'm able to do in flashes, (I'm) trying to put that together for the rest of the season."

Winter's improvement as a playmaker hasn't exclusively come on the offensive end. He's become a much-needed shot blocker and has held his own against some of the Big Ten's most physical centers.

His offseason training focused on gaining weight and adding muscle, and Winter put in plenty of work with director of player development and former NBA center Greg Stiemsma to improve his defensive fundamentals.

Nolan Winter said he's eating a meal every 2-3 hours. Eating something every hour. Putting on that weight, trying to be the interior presence the #Badgers need. Has put on 11-12 pounds. pic.twitter.com/4AlA1zv098
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) July 17, 2025

But, once again, it was his experience and a push from the coaching staff that allowed Winter to blossom into a true shot-blocking threat.

In film review, Winter said, Stiemsma would practically beg the seven-footer to step over and go block a shot, trusting that his teammates would be able to rotate and cover the player Winter abandoned to go contest the shot.

"That's what our defense is built on," Winter said. "It's a confidence in this team, and the defense that everyone's got their back. And then personally, in year three now, (I'm) just more and more confident, feeling stronger out there."

Even with the massive jump Winter has made over the past 10 months, he still has a key area he's looking to improve going forward.

"Just being even more consistent, whether it be in leadership, or with my voice in the locker room, or on the court in practice, or whether it be my output in games," Winter said. "We're gonna go through some highs and lows, but just being that voice and that leader for this team, knowing this is year three now, and I've been through it all."

John Blackwell came to Wisconsin in the same recruiting class as Winter and has recognized the mental leaps that have accompanied Winter's on-court growth.

"He's just had a killer mindset in a way. More of a dog mindset," Blackwell said. "Of the whole (team), he has the most NBA potential... I'm proud of the jumps he's taken. He just kept grinding, he just kept getting better."

"There's no doubt in my mind he's gonna be a pro."

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