Wisconsin Basketball 2025-26

[yourout]

Zebras are the only thing keeping Michigan in this. 

Same contact on both ends is not getting a whistle

[yourout]

That was some really poor officiating.

[Jim French Stepstool]

In the lead-in, I thought I heard Grant Hill say that Michigan would get whatever they want on offense. I guess they 'wanted' their season low in first-half points😁.

Lots of sloppiness on both sides, but both teams are flying around really well defensively, too. Michigan can tend to turn it over, and with Cadeau out w/the two fouls there was an opportunity to build a bigger lead if we could've kept from fumbling it around ourselves. What kept UW from getting into the half w/the lead more than anything else was a couple of bad plays late by Rohde--fumbling away the ball on a drive to the hoop, then retreating way too deep on the dribble w/a few seconds left on the shot clock.

First 5 min of the second half are often talked about as being critical. My gut tells me it's definitely the case today.

[yourout]

15 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

In the lead-in, I thought I heard Grant Hill say that Michigan would get whatever they want on offense. I guess they 'wanted' their season low in first-half points😁.

Lots of sloppiness on both sides, but both teams are flying around really well defensively, too. Michigan can tend to turn it over, and with Cadeau out w/the two fouls there was an opportunity to build a bigger lead if we could've kept from fumbling it around ourselves. What kept UW from getting into the half w/the lead more than anything else was a couple of bad plays late by Rohde--fumbling away the ball on a drive to the hoop, then retreating way too deep on the dribble w/a few seconds left on the shot clock.

First 5 min of the second half are often talked about as being critical. My gut tells me it's definitely the case today.

They look spent. Third game in 3 days and overtime yesterday. 

If you knew you weren't going to win tomorrow I'd rather lose today and get an extra day of rest.

[adambr2]

It was cool to beat Illinois even when the 3’s weren’t falling. 

Michigan is just too good to beat when the 3’s aren’t falling.

[adambr2]

Now they’ve started falling again in a big way…

[homer]

This team is never out of it.

[adambr2]

Reloads.

[adambr2]

So close. On to selection Sunday.

[Jim French Stepstool]

If what I saw the last couple days defensively & on the backboards becomes a trend, then they can make a run in the tournament. The results Bieliauskas & Rapp have gotten vs Michigan & Illinois AFA 'dirty work' is concerned is off the charts when compared to November & December. Combine that with Winters' assumptive return--and maybe you get fortunate with Janicki being able to give you minutes--leaves me feeling pretty good. Started to run out of gas due to the third day in a row and playing eight, with limited minutes from two of those eight. Given all that, finding the second wind to go up four vs that team was one of the most impressive things they've done all year IMO.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Hard to feel AT ALL bad about that one. Fun basketball game. UW is basically the only team (aside from Duke) that's given Michigan all they can handle. Over 80 minutes, it's dead even, and neither game was at the Kohl.

Badgers had a foul to give that last possession. I would've given it, but the much bigger issue is just completely losing Yaxel. Honestly? I can kind of live with that shot (you'd obviously like a better close out). Mara had gotten so many easy ones late that a 22-footer, even a wide open one, feels reasonable. He hit it, all credit to him.

Badgers had two and a half stretches (one to start the game and one to start the second half) where they really struggled to score. They also couldn't capitalize on three possessions in a row at the end of the game. One an AB shot I didn't like (early clock, Rapp was on fire). One a decent look from Boyd for three. One Boyd missing in the lane. 

Other than that, it's the turnovers. Sloppy with the ball. Maybe some tired legs. Rohde was a spark early, so big credit to him.

The thing you absolutely have to take away is that the defensive was very, very good. If they guard like that? This is a sleeper Final Four team. I know that's the case for pretty much everyone, but still. To say that after where they were after dropping the game versus Villanova and getting blown out in Lincoln is really something.

It's March! Anything can happen. They could lose in a horrible performance on Thursday morning. But you really couldn't ask this team to be in a better spot than where they are right now. Hopefully the matchups cooperate, and this thread is still nice and active on the second weekend. This looks like a group that has a real shot to get Gard back there.

[Jim French Stepstool]

18 minutes ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

 

Badgers had a foul to give that last possession. I would've given it, but the much bigger issue is just completely losing Yaxel. Honestly? I can kind of live with that shot (you'd obviously like a better close out). Mara had gotten so many easy ones late that a 22-footer, even a wide open one, feels reasonable. He hit it, all credit to him.

 

Didn't realize they had one to give. I'd have done it the moment Mara received the pass in the post area (had they fed him).

Lendeborg was Carrington's responsibility. Looking at the replay, Boyd was screened by Morez Johnson & stayed with him on the switch. When the ball went towards the baseline, Carrington might've been too cognizant of packing the defense in the lane, perhaps thinking Boyd needs help on the size mismatch. Looked like perhaps a sec of indecision, which is all you needed to create the open look.

If there was an opportunity to do so, you sub in Rohde. But there really wasn't.

[Jim French Stepstool]

34 minutes ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

 

Other than that, it's the turnovers. Sloppy with the ball. Maybe some tired legs. Rohde was a spark early, so big credit to him.

The thing you absolutely have to take away is that the defensive was very, very good. If they guard like that? This is a sleeper Final Four team. I know that's the case for pretty much everyone, but still. To say that after where they were after dropping the game versus Villanova and getting blown out in Lincoln is really something.

 

They got a lot better at ball security in the second half, which usually happens. But Yeah, ten for the game is a few more than you'd like.

When you know you're in the tourney regardless, it's easy to look at the big picture & find positives. I agree 100% about the defense, both yesterday & today. And Winter can only help, by rim protection, his ability to switch & just giving you another large body. And it might be wishful thinking but I hope Janicki can haul his arse out there. His ability to guard & just make good decisions would be a boost.

 

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

44 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Didn't realize they had one to give. I'd have done it the moment Mara received the pass in the post area (had they fed him).

Lendeborg was Carrington's responsibility. Looking at the replay, Boyd was screened by Morez Johnson & stayed with him on the switch. When the ball went towards the baseline, Carrington might've been too cognizant of packing the defense in the lane, perhaps thinking Boyd needs help on the size mismatch. Looked like perhaps a sec of indecision, which is all you needed to create the open look.

If there was an opportunity to do so, you sub in Rohde. But there really wasn't.

Good point on Rohde. 

Definitely an error from Carrington, but one you understand. Michigan can hurt you so many ways, and that felt like Mara was going to be option A and B. 

If Winter comes back (seems very likely) and they can keep Rapp and AB, that's a really strong front court. Who knows what happens with Blackwell, but, point is, I love the way those two bigs have gotten better in the second half here. Nice to see Garlock and Jones getting some minutes too. 

 

[adambr2]

I’ll say we’re a 4 or 5, doesn’t make a big difference which.

I guess I could see a 6. Anything less than that should not happen.

[Jim French Stepstool]

I'll guess 5. If it's a 6 I think the culprit would be the USC & Oregon losses & a few of the horror shows early in the season.

[LouisEly]

On 3/13/2026 at 3:39 PM, Samurai Bucky said:

I know I am jumping the gun here.  I wonder if there will be a top-quality guard who would take over Boyd's place from the portal next year?

Oh, yes.  Last year agents for players were contacting Gard in January telling him that if the Badgers were interested their player would go in the portal.

I guarantee the same is happening this year.  Storr, Tonje, Boyd... they know they can come to UW and blossom.

 

[Playing Catch]

There was a lot of growth from pre-season to the conference season. But the growth we've witnessed since January 1st has been coach-of-the-year kind of growth.

I was worried about Boyd and the Bigs in November. I was worried about the Bigs in January. But now March Madness is here, and I'm not worried about a thing.

They've proved they can win without 3pt%, they've proved they can defend without fouling. They can defend playing aggressively, or with creative defenses out of timeouts. They take care of the ball at a Bo Ryan-level, they out-rebounded the tallest team in the country, and hung in there against the best front-line in college basketball. The top 7 rotation pieces all are threats from the perimeter. AND, they feature the Best Backcourt in the Country, who were the better backcourt in nearly every B1G game that meant something this season.

Madness is unpredictable, but this is the most confident I've ever felt about a Badger team on Selection Sunday (aside from maybe the 2015 team, but they had F4 expectations, so it was a little different).

They are primed to truly believe they can win the whole darn thing.

[adambr2]

UW versus High Point. That’s going to be an upset special pick for a lot of brackets.

[Jim French Stepstool]

22 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

UW versus High Point. That’s going to be an upset special pick for a lot of brackets.

Yes. It'll be a predictable pick by many. JMU was. So was Belmont years ago.

My initial reaction is that we lucked out a little because McNeese is also a twelve & I didn't really want to play them.

Austin Rapp returns to his former college stomping grounds.

[adambr2]

2 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Yes. It'll be a predictable pick by many. JMU was. So was Belmont years ago.

My initial reaction is that we lucked out a little because McNeese is also a twelve & I didn't really want to play them.

Austin Rapp returns to his former college stomping grounds.

Overall, I didn’t see anything too egregious for Big 10 teams. A 4 seemed appropriate for Nebraska and a 3 seemed appropriate for Illinois.

I thought a 2 was pretty generous for Purdue, but I would have expected us to be a 3 if we had won the tourney and they went into it a bit above us, so I can’t really argue with it.

[Jim French Stepstool]

Clark Kellogg immediately fell all over himself picking High Point. One of his comments was 'they're big'. No, they aren't, especially when compared to Wisconsin. They DO have pretty good rebounding #s in the Big South, and my main concern is age/experience in the frontcourt--they do possess that. They go around 6'7"-6'8" with a little more size on the bench that I'm sure they'll go to if they feel the need.

They shoot just over 35% from three, and like to turn you over (over 16 TPG) and collect points off TOs. Their most impressive win on paper was probably Furman, which occurred in their first game of the season.

W/O delving deeply into it I'd say High Point is capable of advancing, but a pretty large part of that equation would have to be UW just not playing well. Take care of the ball, rebound & defend like they have the last two games & we should see a reunion with our old friend Calipari on Saturday.

EDIT: Gametime Thursday, 12:50 CT. TBS.

[Samurai Bucky]

18 hours ago, adambr2 said:

UW versus High Point. That’s going to be an upset special pick for a lot of brackets.

It took Clark Kellogg 1.8 seconds to blurt out that it was an upset pick.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I like the High Point matchup. They're pacy. The worst matchup would have been a grind it down team like UNI IMO. HPU basically plays UW's style with less talent. As others said, maybe they shoot the lights out, and we don't, but, of all the 12s, this is the one I'd have wanted.

Arkansas, on the other hand? Yikes. I guess I'd rather get them than Bama, but was hoping for Kansas. Acuff will be the best player on the floor, and the athleticism on that side is going to be a huge advantage in the frontcourt. Plus, that team is smoking hot. Hawaii is very talented (I think they're better than High Point tell the truth), so maybe they clip the Hogs. Or maybe UW has really learned defensive cohesion and they give Cal trouble. Wouldn't be the first time.

Some great games up and down the bracket. Looking forward to Thursday!

[Playing Catch]

3 hours ago, Samurai Bucky said:

It took Clark Kellogg 1.8 seconds to blurt out that it was an upset pick.

I took that as Clark throwing a bone to the handful of High Point fans and all the other minnows and fans of cinderella out there.

He had it in his head that he was going to pick High Point regardless of the matchup.