Wisconsin Basketball 2025-26

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

11 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

And from me, and anyone else that appreciates Xs & Os. Just a solid, solid coach with a real knack for roster construction. He's adapted to the new landscape very well IMO.

I agree wholeheartedly. My one concern in this era has always been development, on both a team and individual level. Blackwell has really developed even after a great year last year. I am hoping the team looks BETTER in Feb/March than in December, something that hasn't always been the case on the last few years. 

Feeling optimistic despite the lack of big wins. Think this team is better than their resume to this point.

[RedStickBrew]

Feels like this team is improving and starting to figure out how to play together better. Rohde is really starting to progress with his role and it showed the last couple games. His ability to pass and defend really compliments what the other guards do. I like that he can run point when Boyd is on the bench too. 

Moving Rapp to the bench hopefully pays off by allowing him to develop at his own pace without the pressure of starting, while adding some scoring punch off the bench.

A lot to like with this team and a lot of room for improvement yet as well. 

[Playing Catch]

- I very much like moving Rapp to the microwave-role, as well as moving Winter to the 4 with Bieliauskas starting at the 5. Good job, Gard.

- It looks like Blackwell's pre-season tour of letting the other Badgers settle into their roles is over. I'm so glad that we've seen Super-John the last couple of games, and I liked seeing some of his vocal leadership, too. He's on a path to Badger legend status even though his shot's follow through looks awkward.

- In my humble opinion, Blackwell and Winter are the two most talented players on the roster, (with all due respect to how awesome Boyd and Rohde have been), and this team will only go as far as Blackwell and Winter will take them.

- I liked that Blackwell was pushing the limits of physical play. Too often, I think Gard's Badgers waste first half possibilities by fearing fouling so much that other teams just walk to the rim, or shoot comfortably, knowing they won't get touched. Sometimes laying out a good shooter early make put some doubt in the back of their mind the next time they rise up. Elite defenders are able to find the referee's limit, push the limit, and still avoid fouling out.

- Rohde. I'm not sure what to say. What an amazing addition. Like Carrington and of course, Boyd, he just fits what Gard wants from the role so, so well. Is he better than super-senior Gasser? I think he's better than Max. He's got a little Koenig in him, with his ability to use the dribble.

- The last few iterations of Badger teams have missed so many bunnies, but this team is hitting them.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, Playing Catch said:

- I very much like moving Rapp to the microwave-role, as well as moving Winter to the 4 with Bieliauskas starting at the 5. Good job, Gard.

- It looks like Blackwell's pre-season tour of letting the other Badgers settle into their roles is over. I'm so glad that we've seen Super-John the last couple of games, and I liked seeing some of his vocal leadership, too. He's on a path to Badger legend status even though his shot's follow through looks awkward.

- In my humble opinion, Blackwell and Winter are the two most talented players on the roster, (with all due respect to how awesome Boyd and Rohde have been), and this team will only go as far as Blackwell and Winter will take them.

- I liked that Blackwell was pushing the limits of physical play. Too often, I think Gard's Badgers waste first half possibilities by fearing fouling so much that other teams just walk to the rim, or shoot comfortably, knowing they won't get touched. Sometimes laying out a good shooter early make put some doubt in the back of their mind the next time they rise up. Elite defenders are able to find the referee's limit, push the limit, and still avoid fouling out.

- Rohde. I'm not sure what to say. What an amazing addition. Like Carrington and of course, Boyd, he just fits what Gard wants from the role so, so well. Is he better than super-senior Gasser? I think he's better than Max. He's got a little Koenig in him, with his ability to use the dribble.

- The last few iterations of Badger teams have missed so many bunnies, but this team is hitting them.

Gard talks a lot about Winter potentially having much more to give. Hes' kinda quietly become a double-double machine. I can certainly see where you put him above Boyd in overall talent.

Blackwell has had a few too many what I would consider not-too-smart fouls. It ultimately didn't hurt the team Saturday when he picked up three in the 1st half, but IMO guys with the size, reach & athleticism sometimes let the positioning & early anticipation--the scouting report stuff--slide a little. Within that concept, yeah, be aggressive & figure out how much you can "get away with" for sure. Overall I believe Blackwell has 'elite defender' stuff in him. Just maybe follow the rules a bit better.

To be fair Klesmit wasn't 100% most of last year. But I agree when at his best on both ends, Rohde can certainly play at a higher level. When he's locked in on the defensive end, now you've got a 6'6"-ish guy guarding hard & smart on the perimeter & that's a real plus. He's making so many good decisions lately. If he keeps this up, Gasser is a pretty good comp. Or to go further back, He's been Tom Molaski, but with a much better stroke.

[Jim French Stepstool]

I was maybe the only person in Wisconsin that watched much of Nebraskas' game with Creighton on Sunday since it was oppo Packers-Bears. Rienk Mast is now 24 years old and a real problem offensively whether it's shooting from outside, driving the ball or finding teammates. Just one of these solid guys who can make others around him better when he's playing well. And the guards (Lawrence & Sam Hoiberg) do a nice job of decision-making & deferring to others when needed. Defensively they played man but with what kinda looked like zone principals to me. They sagged, helped & recovered and doubled on the baseline. Looks like driving the ball will be a major chore tonight. Winnable for UW but it's going to take a real impressive performance.

Our old friend Connor Essegian (ankle) is out for the remainder of the season.

[yourout]

UW women are of to a somewhat surprisingly good start at 8-3.

Granted they only have one big 10 game behind them but that was an upset win over MSU

[yourout]

This isn't going to end well.

[yourout]

We look like Fran versions of Iowa. 

No defense and no work to get inside.

[Playing Catch]

I really want to see a stronger half here, win or lose.

[Jim French Stepstool]

Biggest story of the half was UN made themselves much, much harder to guard than we did. Their roll started with a stretch of several possessions in which UW shot nothing but 3-pointers, some of them OK looks & some not. Combine that with a final 5 minutes of the half in which we decided to revert back to BYU-level regarding lack of poise, and here we are.

Despite our help, a very good defensive 20 minutes from UN. But Boyd & Blackwell need to understand that hero ball isn't the way to solve things. On the offensive end, Mast just does so very many things well.

Then there's the old adage (at least it SHOULD be an old adage)-------when Berke Buyuktuncel knocks down a three from the corner, maybe it just isn't your day.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Rough night for Bucky in Lincoln. Nebraska looked even better than I thought. A lot of that might be how many minutes those guys have logged together. Team looks poised to take the leap.

From our side of it, this one turned in the last 5 minutes of the first half. Big run for Nebraska, and a close game is out to 16 at the break.

Nebraska shot it well, but they also really spread us out, and we never made the adjustment. So much space to operate. Pair that with some tough shot choices on the other end, and you get a 30-point blowout.

We really haven't played too many close games this year, have we? I'm not sure what that means, but I'm kind of just waiting for these guys to find their level. 

[yourout]

At this point I'd say the ceiling for this squad is making the dance and the absolute ceiling is getting to the second weekend. 

Will not be adding any hardware to the trophy case this year.

[adambr2]

5 minutes ago, yourout said:

At this point I'd say the ceiling for this squad is making the dance and the absolute ceiling is getting to the second weekend. 

Will not be adding any hardware to the trophy case this year.

So kinda like the football Badgers every year, the dance being “a bowl game.”

[yourout]

2 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

So kinda like the football Badgers every year, the dance being “a bowl game.”

It used to be.

[Jim French Stepstool]

On the surface, it might appear we hoisted up a lot more threes than they did. Actually we shot 32; UN shot 30. The difference is how much we relied on it, due to some terrific halfcourt D & our inability to deal with it. A lot of hands in the passing lanes on the screen & roll. Their defense was probably even better than it was their last time out, and it was pretty damned good vs Creighton. On the other end Nebraska shot about the same # of twos as threes (31) but made 22 of them for a fairly ridiculous 71%. That more than anything is going to give you some very comfortable looks from three. Their man-ball movement was so much better than the UW defense. Communication has to improve. One way or another the two men going with the screener--or both men staying with the ball--has to stop.

[Jim French Stepstool]

11 minutes ago, yourout said:

At this point I'd say the ceiling for this squad is making the dance and the absolute ceiling is getting to the second weekend. 

Will not be adding any hardware to the trophy case this year.

If the defensive communication doesn't improve dramatically I'd tend to agree. Gards' teams usually get better in that department as the season unfolds. There's time for that to happen; but what's disheartening is vs the top two offensive squads they've faced so far the defense & at times the rebounding has been ugly. The guards, including Carrington & Janicki, are usually solid but today they all were soundly beaten with the possible exception of Boyd. Among the bigs, all of them save for Winter need the light to come on at some point regarding switching, hedging, communicating on a consistent basis. That'll happen by the next game, or the 1st of the year, or by March. Or next season. Stay tuned, I guess.

[Jim French Stepstool]

35 minutes ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

 

From our side of it, this one turned in the last 5 minutes of the first half. Big run for Nebraska, and a close game is out to 16 at the break.

 

Yeah. People talk about the last 5 of the half & first 5 of the 2nd half. Nebraska owned those segments. To see UW finish off the half like they did, then come out after halftime & as far as defensive effectiveness & getting quality shots are concerned nothing changes, that's painful to see.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

We've got some time off and a few buy games after Villanova. Only three games left in NC, and, I have to say, this is a very bubbly resume right now. No bad losses, but 1-3 in the top 2 quadrants. Again, too early to care much about that, and some of it is because the Big East looks worse than expected. The TCU loss is the one you want back.

There are going to be tons of chances in B1G play, but, right now, we'd be maybe 9th or 10th in line for a bid in the league. They don't give bids to conferences, but you know what I mean. There's work to do, especially on the defensive side.

[Jim French Stepstool]

52 minutes ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

 There's work to do, especially on the defensive side.

Watched the presser after the game. Gard was his usual restrained self (which I like), but at the same time alluded to playing time going to people who defend, and sitting those who don't. In Bieliauskas, Rapp & Garlock we're talking two freshmen and a soph so there is going to be a learning process. But unless the bigs not named Winter get more consistent, his only option that I see is going smaller at the 4 like he did vs TCU. That would mean Janicki, Carrington or Jones, who Gard actually mentioned as having done some good things in his late stint. Villanova is a team you could get away with playing smaller against, and I'd love to be a fly on the wall the next 8 days on the practice floor.

Along with consistency, I think Gard is looking for toughness, on both ends. They've effectively replaced McGee, Gilmore & Klesmit talent-wise, but..........?

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

8 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Watched the presser after the game. Gard was his usual restrained self (which I like), but at the same time alluded to playing time going to people who defend, and sitting those who don't. In Bieliauskas, Rapp & Garlock we're talking two freshmen and a soph so there is going to be a learning process. But unless the bigs not named Winter get more consistent, his only option that I see is going smaller at the 4 like he did vs TCU. That would mean Janicki, Carrington or Jones, who Gard actually mentioned as having done some good things in his late stint. Villanova is a team you could get away with playing smaller against, and I'd love to be a fly on the wall the next 8 days on the practice floor.

Along with consistency, I think Gard is looking for toughness, on both ends. They've effectively replaced McGee, Gilmore & Klesmit talent-wise, but..........?

I didn't see the presser, so that's good to hear. I like the idea of going a little smaller as matchups dictate, though, like you said, that's trouble against Michigan and even Purdue. I like the compete of all three guys you mention, and it's not like I'm seeing a bad attitude or lack of toughness yet. Honestly, it looks to me like a team that hasn't figured out how to communicate yet, especially in the halfcourt. They got backscreened to death last night.

Still genuinely optimistic about this roster. This is exactly the kind of team that can succeed in a one-and-done format. They're deep, they shoot a lot of threes, their guards are really, really good, and they're really hard to prepare for given the ways they can generate shots. Someone mentioned Fran's Iowa teams as a comp, and that's not bad. I'd like to think this one is going to be much better defensively than those crews were. If they are, lookout. I just don't see the bottom falling out. Maybe they're a bubble team, but I also see a high ceiling. 

In retrospect, last night was really a lot of these guys' first taste of life on the road in the B1G. Let's see if they adjust. It's a tough early schedule. If they get two out of Villanova (neutral), Purdue, UCLA, @Michigan, that'll keep me largely in optimistic mode. They get three, I'll be really excited. 1-3 or 0-4, and I might re-evaluate, but no real judgments from me until Jan 11.

 

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

I didn't see the presser, so that's good to hear. I like the idea of going a little smaller as matchups dictate, though, like you said, that's trouble against Michigan and even Purdue. I like the compete of all three guys you mention, and it's not like I'm seeing a bad attitude or lack of toughness yet. Honestly, it looks to me like a team that hasn't figured out how to communicate yet, especially in the halfcourt. They got backscreened to death last night.

Still genuinely optimistic about this roster. This is exactly the kind of team that can succeed in a one-and-done format. They're deep, they shoot a lot of threes, their guards are really, really good, and they're really hard to prepare for given the ways they can generate shots. Someone mentioned Fran's Iowa teams as a comp, and that's not bad. I'd like to think this one is going to be much better defensively than those crews were. If they are, lookout. I just don't see the bottom falling out. Maybe they're a bubble team, but I also see a high ceiling. 

In retrospect, last night was really a lot of these guys' first taste of life on the road in the B1G. Let's see if they adjust. It's a tough early schedule. If they get two out of Villanova (neutral), Purdue, UCLA, @Michigan, that'll keep me largely in optimistic mode. They get three, I'll be really excited. 1-3 or 0-4, and I might re-evaluate, but no real judgments from me until Jan 11.

 

Toughness can be quantified in different ways. Rebounding & 50-50 balls is one way, and I think they've been competing but outfought at times in that regard, especially in the losses. Another way is responding with poise to adversity, to runs by the opposition, particularly on the road. I consider the BYU game as much of a roadie as last night, and IMO the response was pretty poor in both instances. I won't throw anyone under the bus because in both cases the opponents played really well. But at times, even when responding to the halfcourt D by TCU I thought the mental toughness left something to be desired. I agree the attitude & willingness to play hard is still there.

Still a talented group and yes, reason to be optimistic. You mentioned communication. Gard refers to it as 'connectiveness'. That's a huge key, to be sure.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

5 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

You mentioned communication. Gard refers to it as 'connectiveness'. That's a huge key, to be sure.

Brad Stevens' Butler teams embodied "connectiveness" better than anybody I've seen this century in college hoops. They had a pro (Hayward) and a PG (Mack) who was very close to NBA-level, but that team just knew every spot on the floor. It was like having five Shane Battiers (for my money, a top-5 all-time NBA defender). Fully believe they'd have been NCAA champs if it weren't for a very similarly built and more talented Duke team. Anybody else in the country, I think they win.

Closest team to that this year for me is Iowa State. Otzelberger (a Wisconsin guy through and through--Saint Thomas More grad, I think?) might be one of the best coaches in the game right now. They had to fight tooth and nail to hold on against Iowa tonight, but they got it done. At 12-1, they're my early title pick.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

Brad Stevens' Butler teams embodied "connectiveness" better than anybody I've seen this century in college hoops. They had a pro (Hayward) and a PG (Mack) who was very close to NBA-level, but that team just knew every spot on the floor. It was like having five Shane Battiers (for my money, a top-5 all-time NBA defender). Fully believe they'd have been NCAA champs if it weren't for a very similarly built and more talented Duke team. Anybody else in the country, I think they win.

Closest team to that this year for me is Iowa State. Otzelberger (a Wisconsin guy through and through--Saint Thomas More grad, I think?) might be one of the best coaches in the game right now. They had to fight tooth and nail to hold on against Iowa tonight, but they got it done. At 12-1, they're my early title pick.

Yep, TJ is a STM guy. And he's continued the trend of ISU recruiting Wisconsin well, so I hate him. Didn't see the game tonite, but vs Purdue Momcilovic was fantastic. Don't know if UW had a chance at him but I know they didn't rate him as highly as they should have, nor did I. And his HS coach was a former Badger, too.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Kind of a prove-it game for both sides tonight. Each has a top-40 KenPom rating (surprised to see Nova slightly ahead at 34 v. 39) and some good performances, but no real marquee wins to speak of. Badgers are maybe a surprise favorite, giving 4.5. The computers seem to like Nova better.

Easy analysis is that this will be decided by pace. Villanova is one of the slowest teams in the country, while the Badgers are running a top-60 tempo. We'll see if Wisconsin can speed up the Wildcats. I expect they will, but I'd probably take Villanova to cover. Hope I'm wrong. Willard's experience in the Big East and this being a huge game for that league, in a building with which Nova has a lot of familiarity, all that makes me a bit nervous.

As of today, this is a Q1 opportunity for Wisconsin. It's a major chance to get a Q1 win against a good but not great team, close to home. A loss would be disappointing. A win probably makes the noncon a success overall. A loss, and I think we're all a bit on edge heading into buy games and league play. It never comes down to one game, but this is bigger that I think it would seem given that it's December 19th and neither team has a number beside their name.

[Jim French Stepstool]

The key tonite for me is seeing how UW comes out defensively. Their performance on that end vs Nebraska was at times abhorrently bad, and they've had over a week to work on it. As I said earlier, if Gard feels his best defense includes going small then Villanova is someone you could do that against. I'm hoping if they do it it's by choice, rather than due to Bieliauskas & Rapp still not getting it.

I expect Blackwell to make a statement tonite. He was uncharacteristically lousy on both ends in Lincoln.

We're going, and will see at least part of the opening game & two former Badgers (Luke Haertle & Matthew Mors) suited up for South Dakota State vs UWM.