Badgers Expecting a Bigger Role in 2022-23: Carter Gilmore
A more prominent role for junior forward Carter Gilmore could soon be on the horizon:
Badgers junior forward Carter Gilmore initially committed to Wisconsin as a walk-on despite having scholarship offers from Appalachian State, Brown, DePaul, Illinois-Chicago, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, and UW-Milwaukee.
Gilmore, a standout at Arrowhead High School (Wisc.), was a first-team All-State selection during his senior season, averaging 26.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.
Since joining the UW program, the 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward quickly earned the trust of Greg Gard and his coaching staff, receiving a scholarship after spending just one season as a walk-on.
Last season, Gilmore appeared in 22 games, averaging 0.9 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 7.8 minutes per game. He had a consistent role off the bench early in the season for coach Gard. However, the sophomore forward was phased out in favor of a tighter rotation down the stretch.
Forwards Ben Carlson and Matthew Mors transferred in the offseason, so it would appear that a more prominent role for Gilmore could soon be on the horizon.
"This spring, Carter was dedicated to working on his strength, flexibility, speed, and agility. Of course, he also worked on basketball, but his focus was on getting his body ready for the season," his mother, Stephanie Gilmore, told BadgerNotes.
The junior forward's most significant assets on the court are his fundamentals and defensive versatility. He's counted on to do many different things for UW without making mistakes – which is why coach Gard has worked to find him minutes.
Gilmore's role last season was clear; be a low-usage player focused on taking care of the ball (led the team with a 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio), play sound defense, make good decisions, and get the starters a breather.
There's this misconception that if rotational players don't score, they're of little value, which isn't true. It's the little things that earn you playing time at Wisconsin, and those are the things Gilmore puts a premium on doing well.
In the clip below, UW runs a chin series where Lindsey feeds Gilmore the ball on the free-throw line extended after he sets a backscreen on Davis. Instead of engaging in a DHO with Bowman, Gilmore sees his defender cheating, turns the corner, takes two dribbles, and spins away from his man for an easy left-handed finish.
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