Wisconsin Coach Joe Krabbenhoft on the Badgers' Offseason Move That Made 'Everybody Jealous'

Wisconsin basketball's biggest move this offseason unsurprisingly elicited envy from opposing coaches.

That move, of course, was retaining rising senior forward Nolan Winter. The extremely skilled stretch big with three full years of experience in the Big Ten (two as a starter) coming off a season in which he averaged 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds on 57/33/74 shooting splits would've been one of the top available players in the portal had he elected to chase a bigger paycheck.

Winter's return gives the Badgers a frontcourt centerpiece, and his unique and ever-improving skillset opens the doors for so many things, especially on offense.

Appearing on The Swing hosted by Zach Heilprin, Wisconsin basketball Associate Head Coach Joe Krabbenhoft said that after speaking with multiple college coaches across the country, “The fact that we were able to keep him just makes everybody jealous.”

What makes Winter the envy of the college basketball world

Wisconsin Badgers forward Nolan Winter. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

On paper, every team in the country could probably use a player like Winter. He's seven feet tall, he has three years of experience (two as a starter) in the Big Ten as mentioned, and he's coming off an extremely strong junior season in which he really took strides as a rebounder and on the offensive end.

But the reason Winter would've been such a hot commodity in the portal is the same reason he's gotten some NBA love over the course of his college career: he's a really unique player with a really unique skillset.

A seven-footer who can put the ball on the deck, dribble and shoot the three while possessing all of the other traits expected of seven-footers doesn't come around all that often.

"I'm a bit of an analytical nerd, and studying Nolan's efficiencies and percentages and ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor is off the charts," Krabbenhoft added.

Still, Winter hasn't quite gotten the respect he deserves this offseason. Between his aforementioned unique skillset and his importance to the Badgers' 2026-27 squad, Winter is primed to take a sizable leap as a senior. He'll be the lone Wisconsin player with three years of experience in Madison, and a great portion of the Badgers' offense figures to be designed around his mobility and shooting ability at his size.

Nevertheless, while the media continues to sleep on Winter ahead of his senior season, it's certainly more telling that coaches across the country envied Wisconsin's ability to retain the star forward. It's yet another piece of evidence that points to the Badgers having one of the nation's best centers in 2026-27.

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