Even though the Badgers ended their season on a low note, the team made a splash on Tuesday afternoon after UW-Green Bay guard Kamari McGee announced on Twitter that he would be transferring to Wisconsin to continue his basketball career.
McGee is a Wisconsin native, leading Racine St. Catherine’s to the 2021 WIAA State Championship as a senior in high school. He also racked up accolades, being named first-team all-county, first-team all-conference and fourth team all-state.
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He continued his success at the collegiate level by being a bright spot on a poor-performing Phoenix team, averaging 11.6 points, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. By the end of the year, McGee went from being on the bench to one of the main options, which led him to being a part of the Horizon League all-freshman team.
After losing Lorne Bowman II, Kamari will be a welcomed addition to Wisconsin’s guard rotation, serving as the primary backup to Chucky Hepburn. While McGee won’t have the same role as he did at Green Bay, he will still have an opportunity to showcase his skills by being a spark plug off the bench while also acting as a floor general for the second unit, which will help take pressure off Hepburn.
If the Badgers decide to go small, a McGee and Hepburn backcourt is definitely a possibility if Greg Gard wants to push the pace, but it is highly likely that he will make most of his time on the hardwood by coming off the bench.
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With the addition of McGee, the Badgers are adding some young firepower that will hopefully motivate the team to come out of the gates strong, especially after losing Johnny Davis to the NBA Draft.
Losing Davis and outgoing senior Brad Davison in one offseason is a tough pill to swallow for the University of Wisconsin, but adding another homegrown Wisconsin kid to the roster gives people something to root for and keeps the glass half full.
