The University of Wisconsin’s basketball team is being careful with their senior guard as he gradually recovers from a persistent injury.
Max Klesmit’s status going forward continues to be day-to-day after he was absent for Saturday’s 71-62 defeat against No. 8 Michigan State.
The 6-foot-4 guard has been struggling with a lower-body injury since exiting a match against Washington on Feb. 26 after only five minutes of play.
Although Klesmit tried to push through it, the problem didn’t get better before the game against the Spartans.
Head coach Greg Gard stated that the choice to bench Klesmit wasn’t made at the last moment, but he did not offer a clear schedule for his comeback.
“No, I was aware of Wednesday.” “Realized last Wednesday that he likely wasn’t going,” Gard stated after the game. “Therefore, it’s daily.” We’ll observe how matters unfold with the doctors and medical staff. They will decide when he will return.
“They will decide, but it wasn’t a choice made at the last moment.” We were aware for two to three days, and we were getting ready for him not to participate.
With Klesmit absent from the lineup, Kamari McGee took on the starting position for the Badgers, who fell to 22-7 overall and 12-6 in Big Ten competition after the defeat in East Lansing.
McGee concluded the game with three points, three rebounds, and three assists while shooting 1-of-8 from the floor and missing all five three-point attempts in 35 minutes.
Klesmit has been managing a lower-body injury since prior to the start of Wisconsin’s season. In 27 games—all as a starter, Klesmit has been averaging 9.7 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 28.4 minutes of play per game.
He has assumed a significantly bigger role as a ball handler and shot creator, and although his efficiency has declined—recording a career-low 35.3% shooting from the field and merely 28.8% from three—he is still managing the ball well, achieving an impressive 74-to-31 assist-to-turnover ratio. If Klesmit continues to be sidelined, the Badgers will depend more on McGee and walk-on guard Jack Janicki.
The team is still keeping an eye on Klesmit’s condition, but no official word has been given about when he might be back in the lineup. Wisconsin is back on the court on March 5 for an away game versus Minnesota.
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