Max Klesmit's absence the last two Big Ten games has been felt, but Wisconsin is expected to have him back against Illinois

MADISON – Minutes after Wisconsin’s 18-point loss Wednesday at Maryland, Greg Gard quietly acknowledged he hoped to get an important player back for UW’s next game.

One day later, Max Klesmit was back at practice and the junior guard appears on track to return to the lineup when UW (12-7, 4-5 Big Ten) hosts Illinois (14-6, 5-4) at 2 p.m. Saturday.

"All things point to go," Gard said after practice Friday.

What does Gard expect Klesmit to bring to the team?

"Just the voice," he said, "and specifically defensively. That is why we recruited him and that is why he has been starting for us.

"He brings a lot of those intangibles...He does a lot of things that they don't keep stats for. Brad (Davison) did that. Josh Gasser, who ironically was in my office last night, did that. (Zak) Showalter did that.

"Just his voice here in practice today alone. You could tell the difference. He is definitely welcomed back."

Klesmit had missed UW’s previous two games – losses at Northwestern and at Maryland – because of injures he suffered from an elbow to the face in the first half of UW’s victory over Penn State on Jan. 17. He required more than a dozen stiches and had to recover from a concussion.

Max Klesmit's absence is being felt in recent Big Ten games

Without Klesmit’s defensive work, the Badgers struggled to contain dribble penetration by the guards in the losses to the Wildcats and Terrapins.

“That is a big piece of it,” Gard said when asked about Klesmit’s defense.

Guards Boo Buie and Chase Audige combined to hit 13 of 30 shots and score 36 points in the Wildcats’ 66-63 victory over UW.

Guards Jahmir Young and Hakim Hart combined to hit 14 of 24 shots and score 35 points in the Terrapins’ 73-55 victory over UW.

Klesmit is averaging 7.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals in Big Ten play. However, several players noted that Klesmit’s tenacity and toughness were more important than any statistical contribution.

"I love playing with Max," Chucky Hepburn said after practice Friday. "He is just like a young Brad Davison. He is going to do whatever it takes to win games. We definitely missed that."

Klesmit said Friday he didn't lose any teeth his mouth feels fine and he is rested and eager to return to the lineup.

"It’s not all about putting the ball in the basket," he said. "We’ve got to be able to play both ends of the floor. Coming back, doing whatever I’ve got to do."

Klesmit's return should give Chucky Hepburn a boost

The return of Klesmit could also help ease the burden on point guard Chucky Hepburn because Klesmit can run the point and allow Hepburn to work off the ball.

Hepburn hit just 4 of 16 shots in the loss to Northwestern. He had four assists and no turnovers at Maryland but appeared passive on offense and took just three shots.

“We demand a lot,” Gard said. “He’s got a lot on his plate in terms of trying to help this team. And he is a targeted person. Opponents are getting after him. We’ve got to do a better job of having his teammates help him out…

“Hopefully we can get him back being the good player that he is.”

Gard took one step Thursday when he called Hepburn into his office to talk about basketball and life. Tuesday was the one-year anniversary of the shooting death of Vincent Burns, an unofficial member of the Hepburn family in Omaha.

"It was definitely a tough week for me," Hepburn said. "I’m mentally in a better place than I was at the start of the week. Not being able to help my team… it hurt me. I talked to coach Gard yesterday. That helped me. It brought my spirits up a little bit. That is why I love this team.

"I was down. I just wasn’t myself. He noticed that and he wanted to help me through it."

UW traveled to Maryland late Monday, immediately after the loss to Northwestern. On Tuesday, while the Badgers were preparing to face the Terrapins, the Burns family and friends were back in Omaha trying to honor his memory. They marked the one-year anniversary of his death with a celebration of his life.

Hepburn was invited but obviously could not attend because of UW's schedule.

"He has never really left my mind," Hepburn said. "There’s not a day that I don’t think about him. But life just moves so fast, that I didn’t realize he isn’t here, you know?

"So what hurt me is that they had a one-year celebration, a balloon release down in Omaha. It was Tuesday. His mom invited me to it but I wasn’t able to make it."

Gard acknowledged the anniversary sneaked up on the staff.

"You’ve got to remember these guys have lives outside of here, too, and there are a lot of things they deal with," he said. "That was very public last year when that happened and he is a very thoughtful, giving person. And very emotional in those scenarios. That has impacted him."

Steven Crowl added that if one player is struggling it is up to his teammates to help compensate.

“He is one of our better players," Crowl said. "It is a team sport. We can’t just rely on him. Other guys have to step up.”

The return of Klesmit should help.

Badgers women's basketball:Julie Pospisilova scores 1,000th point in victory over Valpo

Badgers men's hockey:Jared Moe stacks shutouts, defenders make impactful return for Wisconsin

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin basketball guard Max Klesmit could play Saturday vs Illinois