Wisconsin’s first exhibition game of the 2026-27 season offered a pretty clear snapshot of where this roster stands: bigger, deeper and a lot more comfortable scoring in bunches.
The Badgers rolled past UW-Parkside 94-71 on Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center, leaning on size and clean offense to control the game from the early going. All 11 players who logged meaningful minutes scored, and Wisconsin never really let the Rangers get comfortable after an early surge opened things up.
Nolan Winter led the way with 15 points and nine rebounds, while transfer Eian Elmer added 14 points in a sharp debut-like showing. Winter, who missed most of the offseason conditioning while recovering from ankle surgery, looked lively in 22 minutes.
It was the kind of performance that matched the profile Greg Gard has been talking about all preseason. He’s said repeatedly this is the biggest team he’s had in his 12 years at Wisconsin, and even with junior forward Austin Rapp out, that was obvious against a Parkside roster that didn’t have a starter listed above 6-foot-7.
Wisconsin spent the afternoon punishing the paint. Twenty-seven of its first 36 points came either inside or at the line, and 14 of those points came during a 20-4 run that stretched the margin to 36-15 just 12 minutes in. From there, the Badgers kept at least a 14-point cushion the rest of the way, led by as many as 25, and shot better than 50 percent in both halves.
Elmer was one of the clearest bright spots. He scored from inside and outside, finishing 4-for-8 from the field, 1-for-4 from three and 5-for-5 at the free throw line. The hope around Wisconsin is that he can keep up the kind of transfer development Gard has turned into a trend over the last three seasons.
Owen Foxwell, Victory Onuetu and Will Garlock all finished with 10 points as well. The rest of the scoring came from Braeden Carrington with six, Jones with six, Janicki with five and Jones with four. Wisconsin also got seven points apiece from Autry and Kinziger.
Parkside’s Brian Hawthorne led all scorers with 19 points. The Rangers are coached by former Wisconsin director of recruiting and scouting Kyle Blackbourn.
With Rapp, LaTrevion Fenderson and Josh Manchester unavailable, Wisconsin used all 12 healthy bodies. That included Carrington, who is playing while his court case seeking a fifth year of eligibility continues. He had six points and did not commit a turnover in 13 minutes.
The numbers tell the story of the mismatch. Wisconsin finished plus-14 on the glass, scored 56 points in the paint and added 18 fast-break points.
Onuetu’s first impression was mixed. He came in with a reputation for rebounding and rim protection, but foul trouble remains the obvious issue.
He was one of the most foul-prone players in college basketball last season, and that carried over early here: three fouls and a turnover in his first four minutes. He settled in later, though, finishing with eight points and no fouls in 10 second-half minutes.
Wisconsin also flashed something else that could matter later on. After finishing last season 56th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and 236th in points allowed by its own metrics, the Badgers opened this exhibition by showing a 1-2-2 press in the first half to give Parkside a different look.
The only non-Division I opponent on Wisconsin’s schedule is now in the rearview mirror, but the first exhibition still pointed toward a team that has more ways to score and more size to lean on than it did a year ago.
Next up is a short trip to Green Bay for another exhibition against the Phoenix on Thursday night. Doug Gottlieb took Green Bay from four wins in his first season to an 18-15 record and a tie for third place in the Horizon League.
Wisconsin is 27-1 against the Phoenix and 3-1 in games played in Green Bay, and Thursday will be the first exhibition between the programs, the first meeting since 2022 and the first in Green Bay since 2013. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m., with no television coverage.
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Wisconsin Already Has One Early Question In Its New Look Offense
The first look at Wisconsins new offense brought plenty to like in a 94-71 exhibition win over UW-Parkside, especially from the players expected to help shape the next version of the Badgers. Owen Foxwell, Will Garlock and Nolan Winter all had moments that suggested the group can bring more pace and variety than fans have been used to seeing in recent seasons.
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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 🡒]