Wisconsin basketball: Isaac Gard added to the 2022-2023 roster as a walk-on
The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team will look very different than it did a year ago after losing three players via graduation, Johnny Davis to the NBA, and a trio of reserves to the transfer portal.
In an attempt to offset the significant turnover from last year's roster, Greg Gard and the Wisconsin coaching staff made some meaningful additions of their own this off-season.
In terms of scholarship talent, the Badgers added point guard Kamari McGee from UW-Green Bay, and shooting guard Max Klesmit from Wofford by way of the transfer portal, as well as shooting guard Connor Essegian as part of the 2022 recruiting class.
Wisconsin did not stop there, as the team added several walk-ons to help fill out the 2022-2023 roster. Combo-guard Luke Haertle signed with the Badgers as part of national signing day back in April, while Florida wing Ross Candelino announced his intentions to walk on in mid-May.
With remaining roster flexibility, Wisconsin officially welcomed another walk-on Thursday, with Greg Gard's son, Isaac Gard, appearing for the first time on the Badgers' official 2022-2023 men's basketball roster.
Isaac joins the Badgers after playing for nearby Oregon High School (Wis.), where he averaged 9.6 points and shot just shy of 40% from three-point range as a senior.
At 6-foot-2, Isaac will likely be a guard for the Badgers and provide the team with an extra player for practice. He does not come to UW with the same level of fanfare as the other walk-ons with the team, but his understanding of Wisconsin's system should allow him to help the team.
It is not uncommon for coaches to add their sons to the roster, though it will be new for Wisconsin under Greg Gard. Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery will have both of his sons on the roster next season, while Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim did something similar with his sons as well.
The Badgers still have some wiggle room to potentially add a scholarship big man for next year, and it will be interesting to see if any new names pop up this summer as viable options. With the team heading overseas to play four games in France next month, the Badgers are running out of time to have anyone come in from the transfer portal before the trip, but there is still hope that Wisconsin will add another scholarship player before the season begins in the fall.
With Gard's addition, the Badgers roster now stands as follows:
- Jahcobi Neath (senior guard, No. 0)
- Jordan Davis (junior guard, No. 2)
- Connor Essegian (freshman guard, No. 3)
- Kamari McGee (sophomore guard, No. 4)
- Tyler Wahl (senior forward, No. 5)
- Isaac Lindsey (sophomore guard, No. 10)
- Max Klesmit (junior guard, No. 11)
- Luke Haertle (freshman guard, No. 12)
- Justin Taphorn (junior guard, No. 13)
- Carter Gilmore (junior forward, No. 14)
- Isaac Gard (freshman guard, No. 15)
- Chris Hodges (RS freshman forward, No. 21)
- Steven Crowl (junior forward, No. 22)
- Chucky Hepburn (sophomore guard, No. 23)
- Ross Candelino (freshman guard, No. 30)
- Markus Ilver (sophomore forward, No. 35)
Related links:
- Five Wisconsin Badgers playing in the 2022 NBA Summer League
- Wisconsin basketball offers Davion Hannah and Kai Rogers
- Wisconsin to face Wake Forest in the 2022 ACC/Big Ten Challenge
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