Wisconsin’s offseason makeover has plenty to do with offense, but the Badgers’ next step may come down to something a lot less flashy: defense.
That was the problem last season. For all the excitement and scoring punch Wisconsin brought, the team never really had enough dependable defenders in the frontcourt or backcourt, and the cracks kept showing until the NCAA Tournament loss to High Point in the first round. Now Greg Gard and his staff have rebuilt the roster for 2026-27, and the group looks very different from what the Badgers rolled out a year ago.
One of the biggest changes is the expectation that Wisconsin will have more trustworthy on-ball defenders, guys who can stay attached to their man and also turn stops into turnovers and fastbreak chances. Trey Autry looks like he fits that mold.
The George Washington transfer is best known as a perimeter shooter, and that part of his game matters too for a Wisconsin team that already fires away from deep more than almost anyone in the country. But after the Badgers’ first open practice of the summer, Autry made it clear that defense is part of his identity.
“Kinda just wanting it more than everyone. There’s different levels of athleticism, there’s always gonna be those quicker, faster people, but at the end of the day it’s just how much you want it. The toughness aspect of it," he said.
That kind of attitude is exactly what Wisconsin needed more of last season. Autry also knows he isn’t walking in with the kind of physical gifts some defenders lean on. At 6-foot-4, he’s not going to win every matchup by sheer size or length, and he said he takes pride in making up for that with effort and edge.
"So that’s where I try to pride myself," he continued. "Not being seven-foot, or running a 4.1, or having a 10-foot wingspan like a lot of these guys, I just try to pride it in my heart. I take pride in wanting it more than the person in front of me.”
Autry isn’t the only new face brought in to help on that end. Miami transfer Eian Elmer and Hofstra transfer Victory Onuetu also arrive with reputations as defenders, giving Wisconsin a much different look than it had a year ago. Elmer is a lanky, bouncy 6-foot-7 wing, while Onuetu brings rare athleticism at 6-foot-11.
Offense has driven most of the conversation around Wisconsin in recent seasons, but if Gard is going to push this team to a Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years, the defense has to come with it. Based on the pieces in place, the Badgers may finally have the right mix to make that happen.
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Kirwan is drawing attention well beyond Madison, with offers from Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, UAB and Ohio State. The Buckeyes recent offer came after a camp visit, and more programs are expected to keep pushing during the season, which makes Wisconsins early move feel like the start of a real battle rather than a courtesy offer. [Read more 🡒]