Max Klesmit injury update: Wisconsin star's status revealed for Big Ten Tournament

The Wisconsin Badgers got some good news going into the Big Ten Tournament. Reportedly, fifth-year guard Max Klesmit has returned to practice and is expected to be available on Thursday when the Badgers are in action for their conference tournament.

Klesmit has been dealing with a lower-body injury, which has forced him to miss the last three games for Wisconsin. During that time, the Badgers are 1-2 without him. Those losses include to Big Ten regular season champion Michigan State and a team that missed the conference tournament in Penn State.

This season, Klesmit is averaging 9.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. He’s also shooting 35.3 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from three-point range. Those shooting percentages are well down from his career averages, as he’s a career 42.4 percent shooter from the field and 35.3 percent from three-point range. On the defensive end, he has 0.1 blocks and 0.9 steals per game.

Now in his third season at Wisconsin, Klesmit is in his fifth season of college basketball overall. In all three years at Wisconsin, Klesmit has started in every single game he’s been able to play in. That’s 27 games this season and 96 games over the three seasons he’s spent in Madison. He previously played for Wofford. That’s experience that’s very difficult to find and even harder to replace.

The injury itself is one that has been bothering Klesmit all season long. In the preseason, he was reportedly on a pitch count in practice. That’s because he was rehabbing an ankle injury at the time, and it seemingly never completely went away. In early January, he fell awkwardly on a shot attempt and would also have to miss time then.

In his absence, Klesmit had been replaced by senior Kamari McGee and redshirt freshman Jack Janicki. His return will put less pressure on those players to replace his production. It was also add some depth back to the bench.

Heading into March, Wisconsin has dealt with several injury concerns. Nolan Winter is another Badger who has been banged up. There is hope he can also go in the Big Ten Tournament but nothing is set in stone. Regardless, that’s two out of five starters for the Badgers.

Wisconsin has the fifth-seed in the Big Ten Tournament. There, the Badgers are set to take on the winner of the Minnesota vs. Northwestern game in the first round of the tournament. That game is set to be played on Thursday, March 13th.