Nolan Winter couldn't pass up a chance to play with his AAU teammates one last time.
An ankle injury sidelined the 6-11 Lakeville North senior for the last couple of months, but he hopes to finally play this week when Howard Pulley 17U ends its summer schedule in Las Vegas.
"It's feeling good right now," Winter said. "I'm looking forward to playing."
The Gophers and Wisconsin coaching staffs will be in attendance in Vegas to watch Winter's possible return to the court Wednesday night. The border rivals are two of the programs recruiting the 2023 standout the hardest this summer.
An official visit with the Badgers is scheduled for Winter on Aug. 3. No official visit is set yet with the home state program, but Winter is already familiar with the Gophers.
Winter's father, Trevor, played for the U's 1997 Final Four team. Winter's built a strong relationship with coach Ben Johnson and assistant Dave Thorson.
"I'm in constant contact with Coach Johnson and Coach Thorson," Winter said. "They've been to every one of my games. I'm going down to Vegas and Coach Johnson and Coach Thorson are coming down there [not knowing] if I'm going to even play. They're really making me a priority and showing they really want me."
Since the Gophers offered him a scholarship last summer, Winter's grown a couple inches and established his own identity as a player. He is nearing his 7-foot father in height, but they have completely different playing styles.
"He's been playing well, and he keeps growing," Trevor Winter said of his son. "He has a lot of things going for him."
Nolan Winter has made a name for himself as one of the best outside shooting big men in his class. He's the No. 2 player in 2023 in Minnesota behind Totino-Grace's Taison Chatman and No. 88 nationally, according to PrepHoops.com.
"The schools who have offered me know my dad, but they said that's not why we offered you," Winter said. "My dad was a great player, but my game is nowhere near what his was. He was a bruiser in the post with a short corner jumper. I'm a stretch four playing on the perimeter. I'll go inside but I'm working on getting in the post a lot more."
Being the son of an ex-Gopher won't influence Winter's decision. Neither will the fact his high school has sent players to the Badgers in recent years with former center Nate Reuvers and current starting forward Tyler Wahl.
Winter also said Wisconsin's coaches have compared him to former Orono and Badgers big man Jon Leuer, who played in the NBA.
"I'll take an official out there and I'll see how I'm feeling about it," Winter said. "The Minnesota-Wisconsin pipeline and the fact that all the Lakeville kids went there — it's not influencing me to go there. I'll make my own decision and do what's right for me."
Getting to finish the summer on the floor with Howard Pulley is what's most important to Winter right now. A timetable for his college announcement isn't clear, but it might not be long after visiting schools next month.
"I don't want to be a super late decision into December or something like that," Winter added. "I definitely want to make a decision before the high school season starts."
