Wisconsin’s first exhibition offered a pretty clear snapshot of what this team wants to be, and who it wants to lean on.
The Badgers rolled past UW-Parkside 94-71 at the Kohl Center, controlling the game from the opening stretch and easing off once the margin was safely in hand. Even in a preseason setting, there was enough here to sketch out the early pecking order and the way Greg Gard’s group is shaping up.
At the center of it all was Owen Foxwell. He finished with 10 points and six assists, and the ball kept finding its way to him whenever Wisconsin needed a steady hand.
Foxwell looked comfortable running the offense, handling pick-and-roll action as both a scorer and a creator, while also giving Wisconsin solid minutes defending at the point of attack. It’s hard not to come away thinking this is his team.
Nolan Winter made a strong case for himself as well. With John Blackwell and Nick Boyd gone, Winter was the obvious name for Badger fans to circle as a candidate for a big jump, and he delivered in this one.
He posted a team-high 15 points and nine rebounds, added two assists, and looked sharp on both ends. He showed more ability to put the ball on the floor and create for himself, while continuing to bring the defensive presence Wisconsin will need from him.
Will Garlock also looked like a player ready to matter. The sophomore big man had been one of the summer’s buzzier stories after adding weight, sharpening his skills and getting more chances to shine while Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp missed a lot of practice.
Against UW-Parkside, he backed that up with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists. Greg Gard used him in a few different ways, and Garlock looked more comfortable every time he was out there.
That makes him an easy breakout candidate if the minutes are there.
There was still a wrinkle that could matter once the games start counting. Foxwell is going to carry a huge load, but Wisconsin needs someone else who can handle the ball when he’s off the floor.
Zach Kinziger, Jackson Ball and Trey Autry each had moments, but none of them looked fully settled as the lead guard in this game. It’s early, and chemistry is still coming together, but that spot is something the Badgers will have to sort out.
More broadly, this Wisconsin team looks built differently than the groups Badger fans have gotten used to lately. The offense no longer appears ready to revolve around just one or two primary options.
Instead, Winter, Foxwell, Austin Rapp and Eian Elmer all look capable of being top scorers on a given night. The structure may still be fast-paced and driven by 3-point volume, but the production should be spread around a lot more evenly.
That kind of balance could make Wisconsin tougher to game-plan against, and this exhibition gave the first real taste of it.
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Wisconsins New-Look Roster Showed Promise And One Early Concern
Wisconsins exhibition win over UW-Parkside offered an early glimpse of a roster that looks different, deeper and more physical than it did a year ago. The Badgers rolled to a 94-71 victory, with all 11 players who logged significant minutes getting into the scoring column, a sign that the offense may not have to lean on just one or two options while the group finds its footing.
Nolan Winter set the tone inside with 15 points and nine rebounds, and transfer Eian Elmer added 14 points in a debut that hinted at how much help the Badgers may get from newcomers. Wisconsin also flashed better defense and a clear size advantage throughout the night, keeping a double-digit lead in hand most of the way, even as the game offered one early reminder that this roster will still need time to settle into its best rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin's Top TV Ranking Comes With One Huge Catch
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That leaves the current ranking looking a little sturdier than it really is, at least until more Wisconsin games land on network television. Big Ten Network and Peacock broadcasts are not part of the data being cited, so the picture could shift once more ratings are added in, but when that happens and how much it changes remains unclear. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Gets A First Real Test Of Its Biggest Problem
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Gard has made it clear that defense remains the standard, and the opening stretch should offer the first real gauge of whether this group can live up to it. Adding two portal defenders signals where the staff saw the need, and now Wisconsin has to turn that intention into execution once the games count. For a team with plenty of physical tools, the real test is whether those tools translate into the kind of consistent defensive edge that has long defined the Badgers at their best. [Read more 🡒]