When will Wisconsin forward Nolan Winter return from injury? What we know
· Yahoo Sports
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – Greg Gard did not offer a specific timeline on starting forward Nolan Winter’s injury prognosis, but the 11th-year head coach was unmistakably optimistic about Winter’s recovery.
“All early feedback that I’ve gotten from talking to our medical people is they’re very satisfied with where he’s at in terms of his progress each day,” Gard said after the Badgers’ 97-93 win over Purdue.
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The 7-foot forward suffered what’s officially categorized as a lower-body injury in the second half of Wisconsin’s 33-point win vs. Maryland on March 4 and did not appear to put any weight on his left side as he was helped off the court and into the Kohl Center tunnel.
“It’s day-to-day,” Gard said. “We’ll see how he responds. Every day has been another step forward. No pun intended because it’s a lower-body injury. … All the evaluations and everything were all good from that standpoint. Now it’s just a matter of getting back to where he feels he can be.”
Winter – unlike fellow injured player Jack Janicki, who is recovering from wrist surgery – did not travel with the Badgers to West Lafayette.
“We felt it was best to leave him back because I think he had four different recovery, rehab, treatment, whatever sessions today,” Gard said. “So it was best, knowing that he couldn’t play, to leave him back in Madison and be able to have access to do that. … I don’t think he even could watch the game other than his phone because he was booked.”
While Wisconsin managed to still upset No. 14 Purdue without Winter, his prognosis could be crucial for the Badgers’ postseason success. The junior forward has averaged 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds in 31 minutes per game. The UW-Purdue game was the first this season that Winter missed.
As hesitant as Gard is to suggest a timeline, Wisconsin’s starting point guard was more specific with his optimism.
“He’s feeling better,” Nick Boyd said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays next week. But we just want him to rest up.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: When will Wisconsin’s Nolan Winter return from injury? What we know