Wisconsin has won both of its exhibition games, but the starting five Greg Gard has used is already raising eyebrows.
The Badgers are getting set for the season while fans are juggling the Milwaukee Brewers’ playoff run and what Luke Fickell has been doing on Saturday, but basketball is right around the corner. After two exhibitions, Wisconsin’s lineup choices have become the bigger story than the final scores, and the current starting group looks more like an experiment than a finished product.
Gard has opened with Owen Foxwell at point guard, Jack Janicki at shooting guard, Eian Elmer at small forward, Victory Onuetu at power forward, and Nolan Winter at center.
The most obvious issue is Janicki. He has no business starting, and he probably does not belong in the top part of the rotation, either.
His value is clear enough: he plays hard, and he is a culture leader that Badger fans appreciate. But that effort has not consistently shown up in games.
There is a place for him, just not this high on the depth chart. He can be unleashed in practice and kept lower in the rotation.
Onuetu in the starting five is a smaller problem, but it still looks off. There are spots where he could absolutely make sense as a defensive starter against certain opponents, but that job should belong to Austin Rapp, with Onuetu coming off the bench.
There are reasons Gard might be doing this. One possibility is that he is still not fully convinced Braeden Carrington will be eligible, so he is trying to see whether Janicki can fill that role.
If that is the plan, it is not working. Janicki played only 12 minutes against Green Bay, went 0-3 from three, and picked up three fouls.
He did chip in three rebounds, but Wisconsin was basically running even with Green Bay during his time on the floor.
Gard also has a reasonable explanation for Onuetu. He may be the best defensive option in that spot, and Rapp is still working his way back from an injury.
Rapp has looked rusty, but the exhibition reps matter because he needs time to get his shooting stroke back. Wisconsin already knows what he can do when he is right.
If the Badgers are going to settle on a cleaner starting five, the answer is starting to look pretty clear. Gard has other options to mix in after that.
Zach Kinziger looked good against Green Bay, Hayden Jones continues to provide useful minutes, and Will Garlock has shown strong flashes. Trey Autry is still someone the Badgers are hoping can heat up and find his shot.
Whatever the explanation, Wisconsin cannot go into the season with the exhibition lineup. It has already caused problems, and it needs fixing.
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