Over the last few seasons Wisconsin basketball has found themselves in a good place, but it’s not exactly a great place. Overall, Greg Gard has done a solid job leading this Badgers program for more than a decade though the results just haven’t been there when they mattered most. He’s won a pair of Big Ten titles and keeps leading Wisconsin into the Big Dance, but the results when they get there are the problem.
Last season this program won 24 games, finished 5th in the Big Ten, and proceeded to get upset by 12-seed High Point in their opening Tourney game. While this was the Badgers’ third straight year finishing Top 5 in the conference it was also the second time in three years they were upset in the first round by a double-digit seed, falling to James Madison back in 2024. The program hasn’t made the Sweet Sixteen since 2017 and you have to wonder how much of that falls on Gard.
Several big names left Madison
Through various means it’s going to be a different looking squad next season in Madison. Top scorer Nick Boyd ran out of eligibility while John Blackwell shockingly fled to Duke through the transfer portal. The Badgers are far from starting over with a number of returning pieces, including last season’s starting frontcourt, but the offense will be coming from some new faces, both transfers and other rising talent.
Living up to expectations is one thing, but Wisconsin can’t keep being a solid regular season team that disappears when the games matter most. Now hitting a decade since their last notable Tourney run, the Badgers really hope that this new mix of talent combines with that veteran frontcourt and can get the job done.
Projected Starters
Guard – Owen Foxwell (Senior)
An impressive 6-2 point guard from Australia, Foxwell figures to play a massive role in this new backcourt in what will be his only season of college ball. He’s had plenty of professional experience overseas and is more than just a great facilitator. Foxwell will run the point and is up for overseeing this offense, but he’s also a versatile scorer who can hit long-range shots and also attack the paint.
Guard – Trey Autry (Senior)
An intriguing new addition for the Badgers, Autry comes to town after three years largely in the starting lineup at George Washington. His work in the A-10 was very solid, including 11.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a junior, making 38% of his 3-pointers in each of the last two seasons. Wisconsin expects great shooting from this new weapon though his experience and playmaking ability are also valuable to this lineup.
Guard – Eian Elmer (Senior)
Elmer is a 6-6 wing from Cincinnati who’s another important transfer piece for the Badgers this season. He’s fresh off a successful three years at Miami-Ohio, playing a massive role in the Hawkeyes’ breakthrough season with 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds a night. Elmer is a menacing shooter, making 43% of his 3-pointers last season and brings great talent and more scoring potential into this backcourt.
Forward – Austin Rapp (Junior)
A 6-10 forward from Australia, Rapp began his career as a starting forward with Portland before settling into an important role with Wisconsin last year. The former WCC Rookie of the Year settled into a nice role late in the year with the Badgers, averaging 9.7 points and 4.0 rebounds across the season. He’s a matchup nightmare with his size and can also light it up from beyond the arc and figures to be even more vital in his second year in Madison.
Forward – Nolan Winter (Senior)
A former Top 100 prospect out of Minnesota, Winter has spent his entire career playing for the Badgers, including the last two years as a full-time starter. He’s added the outside shot to his game but has been one of the Big Ten’s best interior scorers, averaging 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds last year. Winter made 70% of his 2-pointers and really stepped up as a shot blocker as a junior, with even more responsibility in his fourth season upcoming.
Key Reserves
Guard – Braeden Carrington (Senior)
The jury is still out on his eligibility, but a fifth season from Carrington would be a great win for this Badgers squad. He’s an experienced guard with prior work at Minnesota and Tulsa who put up 8.3 points and 2.4 rebounds off the bench for Wisconsin last year. He’s a reliable outside shooter, making 40% of those shots last year, and would bring a great veteran presence and continuity to a backcourt largely full of new pieces.
Guard – Zach Kinziger (Sophomore)
Although highly-regarded coming into last season, we didn’t see a ton of Kinziger as a freshman, but this returning face in the backcourt will certainly have opportunities to prove his talent. A Wisconsin native, he played very limited minutes and averaged just 1.3 points and 0.6 assists a game. When on his game, he’s a fantastic scoring threat who could even facilitator this offense, though he’ll likely do his most damage in the mid-range and beyond the arc.
Guard – Jack Janicki (Senior)
Whatever role he’s set to play this season, Janicki remains a backcourt weapon with familiarity with this system. There hasn’t been a ton of playing time, but he saw more time last season, averaging 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds largely off the bench. The former walk-on isn’t going to play a starring role even as a fourth-year player under Gard, but we can’t ignore his experience and valuable contributions.
Forward – Victory Onuetu (Senior)
A new toy in the frontcourt, Onuetu is a 6-10 forward originally from Spain who spent last season playing an important role at Hofstra. A season of ups and downs saw him put up 4.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for the Pride while showcasing some of his potential. The 22-year old has great size and is fantastic on the offensive boards, giving an experienced backup between these two returning stars in the frontcourt.
Guard – Jackson Ball (Freshman)
A 6-5 point guard out of New Zealand, Ball looks like he could be a future star in Wisconsin’s backcourt. Beyond his great work overseas, he’s a feisty and athletic floor general who can score and make players around him even better. How much run he’ll get right off the bat remains to be seen, especially with new veteran pieces around him, but Ball has the playmaking ability and potential to be great if he sticks around in Madison.
Guard – Hayden Jones (Sophomore)
Another player on the rise after limited work as a freshman, Jones is a 6-7 guard from New Zealand who figures to take a real step forward into his second collegiate campaign. He averaged 1.7 points and 1.0 rebounds in limited minutes as a freshman, but the potential is right there for him to blossom into a notable shooting guard, with great shot-making ability and solid fundamentals.
Forward – Will Garlock (Sophomore)
One final returning piece seeking a bigger role, Garlock is a 7-footer from Middleton, Wisconsin who brings fantastic size into this frontcourt. He averaged 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds as a reserve in his freshman season with the Badgers and is still developing his game. As things continue to come together for him, there’s no questioning his size and presence in this lineup, perhaps securing a bigger role moving forward.
Schedule Outlook
A relatively easy start to the season gives the Badgers four early home games before their first big trip. Wisconsin heads to the Bahamas for the Baha Mar Championship, playing Seton Hall on November 19th and then either NC State or Murray State the next day. They come back home for another easy one to finish November, but December is far more challenging.
That early look at Big Ten play features a road test at Northwestern and a tough home date with Purdue, but between those games comes a trip to Milwaukee on December 5th and their matchup with rival Marquette. A week later they’ll see a great Villanova squad in Philadelphia for the Philly Hoops Showdown and then later make it to Nashville, facing Auburn in the Bad Boy Mowers Series. They’ll finish nonconference play with late December home games though Colorado State on December 30 is no joke.
Stiff tests early will test the Badgers’ resolve, hosting Illinois right after New Year’s before tough road trips to Iowa and the Los Angeles schools. They get two cracks at those teams and Minnesota, but at least avoid road games against Michigan and Nebraska. Still there are plenty of roadblocks in Big Ten play, including ending the season at East Lansing against Michigan State.
Season Outlook
As we mentioned earlier, Wisconsin has been good but not great in recent years. This has been a good program at accumulating talent and especially turning those guards into prolific scorers and playmakers. This has been a good coaching staff at getting the best out of their frontcourt weapons and reliable performances, but that hasn’t translated to March in recent years.
This offseason was especially important in replacing the production from Boyd and Blackwell. First and foremost, Foxwell is a fantastic name who should shoulder the load and run the show for the Badgers, though we’ll see if there’s any issue with his transition into the college game. Beyond that, adding both Autry and Elmer gives Wisconsin experience and players who can really shoot the ball, though you know the Badgers would love to see someone like Jones or Kinziger take that next step as well.
The continuity in the frontcourt is the big story for the Badgers and the play of Rapp and Winter has to be one of the headlines this season. Wisconsin has talent but won’t be able to lean as heavily on high scoring guards, needing those two returning starters to hold their own both on offense and on defense. There’s absolutely potential in younger pieces like Garlock and Onuetu but it’s pretty clear where Wisconsin is leaning here.
A lot will change and be determined as the games start being played, but it certainly looks like a Wisconsin team that hasn’t handle the NCAA Tournament pressure didn’t exactly get better in the offseason. Let’s not ignore the influx of talent and the excitement in weapons like Foxwell and Elmer, but Wisconsin really needs someone to emerge and play a starring role, much like a John Tonje or a Blackwell have done in recent years.
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