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Badgers Targeting Mid-Major Standout from Neenah in Transfer Portal

Wisconsin has been in touch with an athletic guard who hails from the Dairy State.
Seamus Rohrer|
Neenah High School's Chevalier Emery Jr. celebrates after making a three-pointer at the buzzer to defeat Kimberly High School.
Neenah High School's Chevalier Emery Jr. celebrates after making a three-pointer at the buzzer to defeat Kimberly High School. | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

Which mid-major backcourt player will Greg Gard turn into a Big Ten superstar?

It's a question that might've seemed ridiculous a mere three years ago. But after the exploits of Nick Boyd (San Diego State), John Tonje (who initially committed to New Mexico out of the portal), and AJ Storr (who came from St. John's before Rick Pitino revitalized it), it's become a tradition for Wisconsin basketball: take a dynamic player from a smaller school and turn them into a star in Madison.

With six roster spots currently open and the top two players from the 2025-26 season — by a wide margin — set to depart the program, Gard and his staff have no choice but to work their transfer portal magic once again.

With the portal officially open until April 21, rosters are being constructed and deconstructed rapidly every single day. Wisconsin has already suffered transfer three departures, but the Badgers are in the process of reloading. One target Gard and company have highlighted? Former Neenah standout Chevalier "Ice" Emery.

Emery's winding college journey

Emery has already had a storied college career. After leading Neenah High School to a state title, he signed with Merrimack. However, he only played in 15 games and averaged just 2.7 minutes as a freshman. That lack of involvement led him to transfer to the JUCO Dodge City Community College as a sophomore, where he averaged 17.4 points per game.

That led to an opportunity with Western Carolina, where he averaged 9.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists across 24.8 minutes with 14 starts in 30 games. From there, he transferred to Cleveland State, where he spent the 2025-26 season.

Chevalier Emery in his Western Carolina days.
Chevalier Emery in his Western Carolina days. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Emery came off the bench with Cleveland State, but he still made a huge impact with the Vikings. He was the Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 12.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 38.2 percent from distance. He had six games in which he scored at least 20 points, and 14 games in which he scored at least 15 points.

What stands out about the 6-foot guard's game? His three-point percentage is obviously enticing, but that's a relatively newer part of his repertoire; at Western Carolina in 2024-25, he shot just 28.7 percent from distance. But Emery also displayed a knack for getting to the rim coupled with a nice layup package and a penchant for tough finishes:

Emery would likely play the two guard role in Madison, and while there's certainly some projection involved given his transition from the Horizon League, he's proven to be a solid player at each of his last three stops.

Wisconsin didn't offer Emery coming out of high school, but it has a chance to bring the native son to Madison for his senior season.

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Seamus Rohrer
SEAMUS ROHRER

Badgers ON SI lead editor Seamus Rohrer hails from Brooklyn, NY and is a University of Wisconsin J-School grad. He's covered the Badgers since 2020 for outlets including BadgerBlitz, The Daily Cardinal and BadgerNotes.

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