One Wisconsin basketball freshman is making waves early on in the season. Jack Janicki has had an unexpected start to the year.
Jack Janicki is a redshirt freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At White Bear Lake, Janicki averaged over 22 points per game as a senior and set an all-time scoring record at his high school. Janicki had multiple scholarship offers. So why did Janicki pass those up to come to Wisconsin as a preferred walk-on?
“The culture here was different than the other places I got offered a scholarship. Growing up in Minnesota, you’re always watching the Wisconsin Badgers play basketball. I had a decent relationship with the coaches, and ended up feeling confident in coming here,” said Janicki.
Last November, Janicki announced his decision to take a redshirt year.
“There were a lot of factors. I needed to get bigger and stronger. The second was that our roster was full with a lot of upperclassmen that earned opportunities, and that made sense to me. I talked to coach (Greg) Gard about what would be best for my development as a player, and that redshirt option allowed me to focus on getting my skills better and my body to a point where I could play in the Big Ten,” said Janicki.
Janicki feels as though that redshirt season has paid off.
“Coming into practice every day and guarding guys like Chucky and A.J Storr kind of puts you into the fire. I developed through that and watching games, and seeing what worked,” said Janicki.
Now, Janicki is looking to make an impact upon a Wisconsin basketball roster with three transfers and four freshmen. While there is a lot of new blood on the Badger roster, Janicki emphasizes that the transition has been seamless in the locker room.
“Our coaches recruit both skills and character. All seven guys we got, either through the portal or out of high school are all solid dudes who want to get better and become a part of something bigger than themselves,” said Janicki.
Janicki saw action in the Red and White scrimmage this past Sunday, knocking down a few jumpers. With one week remaining until the opening exhibition game against UW-River Falls, Janicki is looking forward to the start of the season.
“There are a little bit of nerves. This is a higher level of hoops, and more people are watching. But to be honest, most of it is excitement. I’ve been waiting for a long time, and I’ve been waiting, and I feel like this opportunity is just gravy,” said Janicki.