The Wisconsin Badgers are staring down a tough reality: at 7-4, they’re off to their worst start since the 2019-20 season. The latest stumble came in a 76-66 overtime loss to Villanova-a game that was a rollercoaster from start to finish.
A sluggish first half, a resurgent second, and then an overtime frame where everything unraveled again. It was a game that didn’t just sting-it revealed some deeper truths about where this team stands.
Head coach Greg Gard didn’t sugarcoat it. He leaned heavily on his starters, with the bench contributing just two points all game. That’s not a stat you want to see in late December, especially when depth was supposed to be a strength coming into the season.
Gard made it clear postgame: he’s found a core group-five or six players-who are playing up to the program’s standard. The rest? They’ve got work to do.
“We’re not chasing a ghost anymore,” Gard said after the loss. “We know what it looks like, and I also know you can do it. So now it’s a matter of doing it again.”
That’s the message he’s driving home-consistency. He saw flashes of it in the second half, especially on the defensive end, where the Badgers looked more connected and engaged. But when overtime hit, that cohesion disappeared, and so did their shot at a statement win.
This isn’t the version of Wisconsin basketball fans expected to see this season. On paper, the roster looked solid-veterans, transfers, and a freshman class that brought some intrigue.
But so far, that mix hasn’t gelled. Outside of forward Aleksas Bieliauskas, the freshmen have looked understandably raw, and the bench as a whole hasn’t taken the leap the staff hoped for.
Gard isn’t lowering the bar. In fact, he’s doubling down on what the standard is, and he’s putting the onus on the rest of the roster to rise to it.
“I don’t lower the standard to meet where they are,” he said. “They have to improve to meet where the standard needs to be for this program.”
That’s classic Wisconsin basketball-demanding, disciplined, and built on accountability. But right now, the execution isn’t there. Whether it’s offensive flow, defensive rotations, or simply closing out games, the Badgers have been inconsistent on both ends of the floor.
The non-conference slate is winding down, and Big Ten play is looming. That gives Gard and his staff a small window to tighten rotations, build chemistry, and get more out of a bench that’s been largely missing in action.
There’s still time to turn things around. But if Wisconsin’s going to find its footing, it’s going to take more than just a strong half here or a defensive stretch there. It’s going to take the whole roster buying in, matching the standard, and doing it again-and again-and again.