MADISON (NBC 26) — Freshman year at a Big Ten school comes with high expectations and plenty of unknowns. Kelly Hallinan spoke with De Pere native Zach Kinziger about his journey from stepping on campus to scoring his first points for the Badgers.
Q: When you arrived at Wisconsin, what did you picture your freshman year would look like?
A: “I wasn’t really sure exactly what it would look like. My main goal just coming in was to compete for playing time and help the team any way I can. You know, no matter where you are, it’s hard for a freshman to get on the floor, especially at a Big Ten school like this. So I just wanted to come in, enjoy my time, get better each and every single day — that was really my main goal — and playing time would kind of fall into place. My playing time came a little bit unique, but now that it’s here, I’m ready to continue to help the team any way I can.”
Q: Was redshirting originally a part of the plan?
A: “No. I came in, like I said, just trying to compete for time, and as the season kind of shook out, I found myself maybe a little bit in the back half of the rotation. So I went to Coach Gard and we had a conversation about redshirting. He said he wants to help me any way he can, and he was really good about it that way, and told me that I’ll be kind of on a ready-need basis. Now I’m ready, and he thought it would be a good time to put me in there and see what I can do.”
Q: When did that conversation kind of shift to, ‘Alright, we might need you?’
A: “After our Thanksgiving trip, I started getting more confident and more comfortable every single practice. Right before our Villanova game, he came to me with the idea of potentially pulling my redshirt, and I was all for it. I was ready to help the team any way I could. I saw this as my opportunity to help us win games. So I told him I was all in, and he said, ‘OK, let’s just take it from here then.’”
Q: What do you think the coaching staff saw that made them feel like you were ready to go?
A: “I think when I got here I was a little bit sped up — just freshman struggles, as I’m sure a lot go through. But I think they just saw me ease my way in, be more comfortable offensively, especially handling the basketball, which was probably the biggest thing, being able to play that point guard too. Just kind of settling in, adjusting to the speed of the college basketball game — I think I’ve done a really good job over the past couple of months doing that. I think they just saw that I was ready defensively as well.”
Q: When did you feel like you were ready — like, ‘OK, I’m at this level now?’
A: “After our Thanksgiving trip in San Diego, that’s when I really started having my best practices. I started getting into a little bit of a flow offensively, and part of that was just because I really had no pressure on me. I was on the scout team. I could just kind of go play freely and ball out how I can. That was when I realized, ‘Hey, I belong here. I have a future here.’ And then it came a little bit sooner than expected.”
Q: You hear your name get called and you’re checking into your first game. What’s going through your mind?
A: “A little bit of nerves for sure when I checked in. Definitely a little antsy, a little anxious. But once you get in there, it’s basketball at the end of the day. He told me that before the game — he was like, ‘Don’t be nervous. Just go in there. You’ve been playing this game for 18 years of your life. What’s one more game?’ So I took that into perspective, and now every time I go in, I’m just getting a little bit more comfortable. It’s going to be a new setting, but I’ll settle in like I do.”
Q: We saw your teammates’ reaction to your 3-pointer. What did that feel like for you?
A: “It was great to see the support that all my teammates and coaches have. They all have my back, which is what we do here at Wisconsin — we’re all brothers. That was really cool to see, especially after that first college bucket. It was kind of like a weight lifted off my shoulders, just waiting for that moment. It was a really cool moment to have everyone in on it. The fans were loud in the gym, so it was cool, and I can’t wait to provide some more.”
Q: Did knocking down that shot make this all feel real — like, ‘OK, I’m a Badger?’
A: “Yeah, it’s been obviously a dream of mine ever since I was a little kid to score points for the Badgers. To realize that dream — my mom said she was getting a little bit teary-eyed up in the stands, just realizing the journey that it takes to get here. To play for your home state, to be a Badger, it’s really special. I’m not taking anything for granted right now. Every time I’m out there, I kind of look around the building to realize where I am now. But then after that, it’s time to compete, and I’m here to win games.”
Q: Did you tell your friends you might play, or did they find out in real time?
A: “I told them after the Villanova game. We just text in our group chat like we always do, and I let them know. They were all tuned in because they knew I was going to play. I think most people didn’t know — everyone was kind of like, ‘Whoa, he’s going in.’ But my close friends and family were all nervous before the game because they knew I was going to play.”
Q: How many text messages did you have after that game?
A: “A lot. Instagram, Snapchat, whatever. I’ve had people text me and reach out to me that I haven’t spoken to in years, which is really cool to see. I didn’t realize all the support that I had from all across the state of Wisconsin. That’s one of the reasons why I came here — just being an in-state kid, all the support that you do have. It’s really cool to see.”
Q: Growing up in Wisconsin and knowing you have that support from all around the state, what does it mean every time you put on that jersey?
A: “It means everything. I play for the front of the jersey, and then the back just gets pronounced from there. Being a Badger — everyone here, no matter if you’re from Wisconsin, Australia or Lithuania, knows what it means to be a Badger. Being a home-state kid definitely makes it a little bit more special each and every time I get to go on the floor and realize where I’m at in my journey.”
Q: What’s one area of your game you feel has really improved since being here?
A: “Ball handling is the obvious one for me. I’ve really put an emphasis on that when I’m working on my own game every single day. I saw myself as probably being more of a point guard at this time in my career, so being able to slow the game down a little bit, watching film of other guys — Nick Boyd, John Blackwell — just picking up from what they show me each and every day in practice has been a really big step for me, just playing at my pace like I used to back in high school.”
Q: Are there any similarities between the FRCC and the Big Ten as conference play ramps up?
A: “The games feel a little bit different once you get to conference play. Everyone wants to win a championship. That’s why you play basketball. When you get into conference play, whether it was the FRCC or the Big Ten, everyone’s laying it on the line every single night because it means a lot to the program and the whole state.”
Q: If you could tell your younger self that you’d not only play at Wisconsin, but contribute as a freshman, what do you think he’d say?
A: “I think he’d be shocked, for one — but also just to see what a 6’2 kid from De Pere, Wisconsin can really do. It would give him a lot of confidence, knowing I can go out and compete with anybody, take away the nerves a little bit, and rely on all the work I’ve put in over the years so there are no nerves when I get out there.”
