Wisconsin Basketball Potential Transfer Target Shuts Down Portal Talk

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kedrick Stumbris | Last updated Apr 3, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Wisconsin basketball is still looking for its first transfer portal addition. With three players gone portaling and six seniors exhausting their eligibility, the Badgers have a tall task to rebuild the roster.

Having recruited his leading scorer the past two off-seasons from the college basketball transfer portal, UW head coach Greg Gard is no stranger to scouring the 364 teams in Division I for top talent. When that talent has ties to the state of Wisconsin itself, it makes the recruitment of a transfer even more straightforward. Just ask Neenah High School product Max Klesmit, who transferred to UW from Wofford, or Racine native Kamari McGee, who came to Madison after spending a season at UW-Green Bay.

A potential suitor in that same Klesmit/McGee vein came off the board on Wednesday, as a guard opted to stay put rather than transfer.

Johnny Kinziger Has 'Unfinished Business' with Illinois State Basketball

Unfinished business pic.twitter.com/fVcUfOPVnr
— John Kinziger (@JohnKinziger) April 3, 2025

On Wednesday evening, Johnny Kinziger announced on social media that he had "unfinished business" with the Illinois State Redbirds. After helping ISU capture a post-season tournament championship at the College Basketball Invitational last week, the rising junior opted to "run it back" in Normal, Illinois.

When Randy Reinhardt of the Pantagraph asked Kinziger how he decided to stay at ISU, Kinziger said, "I just couldn't imagine myself playing with other guys, playing with four other guys. This is my home, and I'm happy to be back."

Among the other reasons Kinziger said he opted to stay was because the other rising juniors in the Redbirds' lineup did as well. The duo of Kinziger and center Chase Walker was just one of two pairings of sophomore teammates to combine for 500 points in the NCAA this season, according to ISU.

Wisconsin Basketball Will Not Reunite Kinziger Brothers

Kinziger is coming off of back-to-back All-Missouri Valley Conference seasons. As a freshman, he was named to the All-MVC freshman and bench teams. After moving into the starting lineup as a sophomore, Kinziger earned All-MVC Second Team honors.

The combo guard is incredibly talented as a shooter and playmaker. From beyond the three-point line, Kinziger is a career 38.7% shooter. Shooting a league-leading 90.4% from the free-throw line, Kinziger ranked in the top-10 in the MVC with a true shooting percentage of 60.9%. Kinziger played point guard in high school and averaged 2.9 assists per game as a sophomore for ISU.

On Monday, Kinziger was non-committal to a return to Illinois State when speaking with Reinhardt.

If Kinziger had left the Redbirds, Wisconsin basketball may have been in the mix for his services. Johnny's younger brother, Zach, will join the Badgers as a freshman this fall. The duo capped an undefeated 30-0 season by winning a state title for De Pere High School in 2023.

Although only 5-foot-11 and 170-pounds, Johnny could have helped Wisconsin replace some of the bench scoring punch it currently lacks in its backcourt rotation.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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