Owen Foxwell may not arrive in Madison with the kind of scoring résumé that turns heads right away, but Wisconsin could be getting exactly the kind of guard who makes everyone around him better. And that matters because the Badgers are coming off an offseason that forced Greg Gard and his staff to rebuild after losing multiple key pieces, including John Blackwell and Nick Boyd.
Foxwell, a standout in the NBL, looks like the biggest talent addition Wisconsin made this offseason. The catch is simple: he’s not the sort of lead guard who piles up buckets the way Boyd, Blackwell or other recent Badger primary ball-handlers have. He’s a hard-nosed, pass-first guard, the kind who wants to set the table instead of run up the score himself.
That style could reshape how Wisconsin looks, and it may end up being especially good news for Nolan Winter.
Winter, a 7-foot soon-to-be senior, has shown steady growth during his time at Wisconsin. But one part of his game that hasn’t fully come alive is his scoring.
Most of his offense has come from the dirty work: putbacks, dump-offs, loose balls and other finishes around the rim. He’s also flashed some post creation and proven he can be a solid perimeter threat, which gives him a useful foundation.
The problem has been opportunity. Winter hasn’t had much help from elite passing in the backcourt, and that has limited how much of his offensive game Wisconsin has been able to tap into. Boyd, Blackwell and Tonje were all more isolation-heavy and didn’t bring the kind of high-end playmaking that could consistently feed a big man like Winter.
Foxwell changes that equation.
With a more natural distributor running the show, Wisconsin can get Winter involved in ways that fit his size and skill set. He should have a better partner in pick-and-roll action, with more chances to catch passes while rolling to the rim or popping out to the perimeter. A guard who thinks pass-first also tends to create more touches for everyone else, and Winter’s feel for the ball suggests he could be one of the biggest winners.
That doesn’t make the job automatic. Winter still has to sharpen parts of his own game.
But his development at Wisconsin has already shown a clear upward track, and now the roster around him appears more favorable than ever. With Foxwell in place, Winter looks set up for a season where more of his scoring ability finally gets a chance to show.
In Other News...
Wisconsin May Already Have 3 Freshmen Ready To Force The Issue
Wisconsins willingness to let freshmen crack the lineup looks a little different now with the NCAAs 5-in-5 rule in place, and the Badgers seem prepared to live with the growing pains if the talent is ready. In a class that still has time to develop, three 2026 recruits have already started to separate themselves as the most plausible early contributors: Yahya Gaad, Carson Eloms and Keeyshawn Tabuteau.
The path is not the same for each of them, especially with the line positions usually demanding more time and the defensive backfield and receiver room each carrying their own layers of urgency. Gaad, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound EDGE who flipped from UCLA, and Eloms, an early-enrolling corner with speed and NFL ties, both fit needs Wisconsin may have to address sooner rather than later, while the wide receiver group is crowded with transfers and still searching for proven production from the returnees. [Read more 🡒]
Which Greg Gard Recruiting Class Was Really Wisconsin's Best
Greg Gards recruiting history at Wisconsin has been a study in patience as much as talent evaluation, with the Badgers often getting more mileage out of developmental wins than splashy rankings. The breakdown of his classes from 2015 through 2027 shows how the staff has pieced together everything from under-the-radar contributors to higher-end talent, and why some classes age better once the players actually get on the floor.
The 2027 group adds a fresh layer to that conversation, since it is already sitting near the top of the national rankings and has a chance to reshape how Gards recruiting legacy is viewed in Madison. Still, the answer to which class ultimately stands above the rest depends on what the newest arrivals become once their Wisconsin careers are written, which is exactly what makes the comparison so interesting for a program that has long valued proof over promise. [Read more 🡒]
John Tonjes Celtics Path Suddenly Feels Far Less Certain
John Tonjes path in Boston has entered a quieter, more uncertain stretch as the Celtics sort through the final pieces of their Summer League roster. The former Wisconsin standout is still in the mix as a restricted free agent, and the teams decision to keep him in that status gives it a chance to hold onto him while other NBA suitors remain in play.
Tonjes case is built on promise more than volume after a brief NBA look last season and a strong run with the Maine Celtics in the G-League. With Boston still shaping the rest of its Summer League group, including the expected addition of veteran guard Kyle Mangas, the next step for Tonje will depend on how the Celtics choose to use the flexibility theyve preserved. [Read more 🡒]