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The Badgers squad that fell 86-69 in Columbus is the same one that erased a massive deficit against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, because it is the same group that put itself in the precarious position of needing a historic comeback to sweep the Gophers.

Wisconsin is flawed, but its flaws are what make this basketball team so exciting. The traits that seemingly give the Badgers a chance to beat any team on a given night also make them so vulnerable.

After back-to-back wins over Illinois and Michigan State, the ceiling of head coach Greg Gard’s latest squad was realized. It did not, however, eliminate the risks of employing a team built around two ball-dominant guards and effective long-range shooting. When either of those two factors, let alone both at once, is lost, this is a basketball team that quickly comes crashing down to Earth.

But hey, that’s college basketball.

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Led by John Blackwell’s game-high 23 points, the Badgers, for the second time in eight days, escaped with a dramatic victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. By capturing the 67-63 win, Wisconsin tied a program record for the largest deficit overcome in a second half and set a new record with its longest-ever winning streak over its border battle rival.

Unpack all the history of the win, a handful of key plays, and what made this Wisconsin men’s basketball win different than its other recent come-from-behind victories. This time, Wisconsin won thanks, in part, to a hard-nosed defensive effort, and not solely on the back of its prolific offense; that signals a continued upward trajectory for these Badgers.

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If Blackwell and Winter are unable to play, UW will quickly have to find the secondary scoring options it has been lacking. Against the Central Michigan Chippewas, transfers Braeden Carrington and Austin Rapp combined for 27 points, showcasing some promise of becoming reliable options alongside Blackwell, Winter, and Nick Boyd.

A fast-paced Milwaukee team could test a questionable Badgers defense. Liam Hanley of the Shepherd Express joins Talkin’ Badgers host Kedrick Stumbris to offer the Panthers’ perspective on the non-conference matchup. This year’s version of head coach Bart Lundy’s Milwaukee Panthers is younger than his other recent teams, but it remains an offense-first program. A welcome change from years past, however, is Milwaukee’s surprising knack for taking care of the basketball.

Between injuries, high-octane offense, and the Panthers playing three games in four days, this winter break matchup may wind up more closely-contested than Badgers fans would prefer.

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The No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers are out west in Salt Lake City, Utah, to face the No. 9 BYU Cougars. Although the team that cut UW’s March Madness run short less than eight months ago is above Wisconsin in the human polls, some computers like the Badgers more than the Cougars on a neutral court.

This game, notably not on BYU’s campus, however, will not be a neutral environment. In Wisconsin’s first test away from the Kohl Center this season, it faces a daunting crowd, a preseason All-American in the frontcourt, and another former five-star prospect running point.

While the Badgers are fully healthy, the Cougars may not be. BYU is potentially down two of its starters, and that opens up a golden opportunity for UW to put a gold star on its resume before Thanksgiving. It is an opportunity most college basketball teams cannot afford to give up.

Join today’s episode of Talkin’ Badgers to find out who’s in, who’s out, and why this November matchup could mean so much for Wisconsin come tournament time.

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With 60 minutes of complementary football, Fickell just might have changed some hearts and minds.

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“The whole locker room has been behind Coach Fick since day one,” linebacker Cooper Catalano said in a post-game interview. The Germantown native logged a game-high 19 tackles–the most by any Badgers freshman since at least 1995.

Catalano and Mason Posa, both true freshmen, led the way for a classic Badgers’ victory achieved first and foremost through its defense. The duo combined for four of Wisconsin’s nine tackles for loss.

“They’re just doing a great job. They’re playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played,” Fickell boasted of the pairing thrust into the starting lineup due, in part, to injuries. “They have that energy. They bring that energy. They have a communication side to them, too. There’s some natural–I don’t want to say alpha but–there’s some natural things that you don’t teach.”

As the late hours on Saturday turned to the early hours on Sunday, Talkin’ Badgers went live to break down the Catalano, Posa, backup punter/unexpected leading passer Sean West, and the fourth-string turned gutsy go-to-guy Carter Smith of it all.

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Gard said that in the early non-conference schedule, he wants to “develop different combinations” that he can use “and see who works well together.” In a 97-72 win against the Northern Illinois University Huskies, he got to do just that. No Wisconsin Badger played more than 27 minutes and only five played over 20 against NIU.

Playing such a well-rounded lineup “is always a great idea going into it,” as Gard said. “But games always very seldom work out that way where you can do that.”

Seven of Wisconsin’s top ten contributors are in their first season in Madison. That makes their early-season minutes that much more valuable.

Reacting to UW’s victory, Talkin’ Badgers went live as Friday night turned into early Saturday morning to break down the win and the redshirt news Gard announced in his post-game press conference.

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BadgerNotes columnist Seamus Rohrer, who declared on September 20th, 2025, that it was time “to move on from Luke Fickell,” disagrees with McIntosh’s decision, calling it “the definition of insanity.” Nevertheless, Rohrer is “not surprised” by the news.

“I think the writing was on the wall. I think that we understood that the buyout, especially in the neighborhood of – what, $27 million? – was really steep.” Rohrer explained on Talkin’ Badgers, “I think we understood that McIntosh and his legacy are pretty directly tied to Fickell. I think we also understood that this is not a great year to get into the coaching market, the coaching carousel.”

Listen to Rohrer and host Kedrick Stumbris analyze where Wisconsin goes from here, what the “intention” of increased investment can and cannot fix, and the sticky situation the Badgers now find themselves in to assess Fickell’s job performance before 2027.

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“Coach Fickell has had my confidence throughout the season,” McIntosh said. “And we’ve had many, many conversations about how this season, and some of the challenges that we’ve faced have gone.”

Those challenges–including a six-game losing streak, a 0-9 record against ranked opponents, and an empty trophy case–have not deterred McIntosh at any turn from expressing support for the head coach hired during McIntosh’s second year on the job. In the past 47 days, the former offensive lineman, now Director of Athletics, has issued three public statements supporting Fickell.

As news broke, Talkin’ Badgers went live to discuss the news of Fickell’s return, the promise of additional resources to the Wisconsin football program, and the highly-touted “alignment” between the Office of the Chancellor down to the assistant coaches.

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Week-to-week, month-to-month, season-to-season, that internal growth has not shown up. Now, staring down the barrel of a disastrous season in terms of wins and losses, statistical production, and to generate buy-in among a fanbase longing for something to cling to, Fickell is considering a change at quarterback.

The Talkin’ Badgers After Dark crew reconvenes to break down Fickell’s odd comments, what it means for the culture in year three, and why Wisconsin has been incapable of getting opposing offenses to cough up the ball.

Plus, stick around for a palette cleanser as the guys discuss why Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Greg Gard is “excited about what this team isn’t.”

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The potential switch comes amid seemingly endless questions about the availability of injured players, not just for UW’s quarterbacks but for impact players throughout the lineup. Eight of Wisconsin’s projected Week 1 starters did not play against the Oregon Ducks. No position group has seen more consistent inconsistency than the offensive line. In eight games, the Badgers have trotted out seven different starting fives on the OL.

Talkin’ Badgers breaks down the latest injury updates shared by Fickell, including three season-ending injuries, and how it impacts the four regular-season games remaining. Plus, what has been the Wisconsin offense’s biggest Achilles heel: the quarterback or the bodies in front of him?

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Locked in a five-point contest with under nine minutes to play, Campbell head coach John Andrzejek sensed a turning point in the game.

“We got it to maybe, 67-62, or something, and it was that kind of a big moment of like, alright, what is this game going to become?” the first-year head coach and former Florida Gators assistant reflected. “Is it going to become sort of this nervous type, nervy game that kind of goes back and forth? And it didn’t become that.”

Instead of falling victim to the nerves, Wisconsin responded with a 31-4 run to close out the victory, showcasing the competitive edge in this veteran-laden Badgers team.

“I think, you know, we have a mature group that knows when to lock in and just get stops,” John Blackwell said after a 31-point outburst. “Like, it’s sweating time now.”

After the game, Talkin’ Badgers went live from the Kohl Center to break down the biggest takeaways from the first of 17 afternoon/evenings to come from the Wisconsin men’s basketball team in Madison this winter.

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With the expectation of being a team to finish in the top half of a loaded Big Ten, Badgers head coach Greg Gard will be challenged to find a way to connect more new faces than ever before. If he manages to do so, UW’s talented starting five and frisky bench rotation could make a deep run in March.

Listen before tonight’s season-opening tip to learn the questions facing Wisconsin’s defense, the inexperienced frontcourt, and preseason All-Big Ten honoree John Blackwell in a Badgers basketball season unlike any before it.

It will be a long four months until March, but if you blink, you might just miss something amazing inside the Kohl Center this Winter.

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A couple of young defensive standouts limited the damage in the final scoring margin, but questions surrounding Luke Fickell’s tenure remain. Clock management miscues against the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks provided further data points for a larger trend: Fickell’s ultra-conservative approach yields disappointing results week after week.

The Talkin’ Badgers After Dark crew reconvenes to break down the scoring output of various football, baseball, volleyball, and hockey teams. Plus, a brief recap of the Wisconsin basketball preseason.

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Greg Gard and the new-look Wisconsin Badgers are headed to Milwaukee to take on the Oklahoma Sooners. Both Gard and OU head coach Porter Moser have brand-new rosters loaded with transfer portal talent, ready to take the court inside Fiserv Forum.

After UW’s annual Red-White scrimmage, what, if anything, was revealed about Wisconsin’s overhauled team? Can the Badgers continue their three-point shooting prowess? Will the defense hold up with all the new moving pieces?

Plus, what Oklahoma Sooners players should Wisconsin Badgers fans know heading into the matchup? Moser has re-tooled his roster with a slew of high-major contributors from around the country, including the original NIL wunderkind, former Miami Hurricanes guard Nigel Pack.

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Hythloday1, Managing Editor of the Oregon Ducks-focused site Addicted to Quack, helps make sense of the Oregon side of the primetime matchup. Hythloday provides insight into what makes the Ducks’ offense, led by quarterback Dante Moore, tick, the Xs and Os of head coach Dan Lanning’s defense, and the sometimes head-scratching strategic decisions made by the UO staff.

You can also find Hythloday1 and special guest Kedrick on “It Never Rains on this Podcast” for a breakdown of where Wisconsin’s roster stands amidst a slew of injuries.

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Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard led an offensive revolution in Madison last season, but the Badgers seem to think they are just getting started. Players and coaches are eager to say UW will push the tempo even faster, shoot more threes, and score more points this year. Despite how high-flying the Wisconsin Badgers were offensively last year, there is a compelling case to be made that Wisconsin will again be led by its offense rather than its defense.

Gard has been excellent on the recruiting trail lately. Between standout portal additions such as John Tonje, Nick Boyd, and Austin Rapp, the two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year has established himself as a player-acquisition aficionado. Braeden Carrington might be a sleeper addition for the Badgers this year, the 2025 freshman class could be Gard’s best yet, and the UW head coach is “really focused a lot” on a 2027 class that features four top-100 players from the state of Wisconsin.

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Head coach Luke Fickell, however, continues to make puzzling in-game decisions. Talkin’ Badgers breaks down the year-over-year trends for the third year UW head coach, who appears to be getting even more conservative in game management. Middleton Middle School head coach Ryan Eilers offers his expert analysis after compiling a 1-4-2 record with the Cardinals.

In Wisconsin’s upcoming matchup with the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Badgers look outmatched in the first three phases. Perhaps, they have an advantage in the fourth phase after using the 42 points surrendered last year to Iowa as a rallying cry all year long.

In a classic Big Ten West matchup, do the Wisconsin Badgers need to build a roof over Camp Randall Stadium to get a victory?

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A late-night edition of Talkin’ Badgers explores the good and bad of a switch to one transfer portal window, how it would have affected Wisconsin this spring, and how much rule-breaking fans should expect (spoiler: a lot).

Additionally, some preliminary thoughts on the NCAA's recent decision to allow athletes to wager on professional sports. It will almost certainly lead to the most predictably stupid college football scandals imaginable.

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Following Fickell in the never-ending battle against expectations is Greg Gard. In his eleventh season at the helm of Wisconsin basketball, Gard underwent a late offseason staff shakeup, replacing Kirk Penney, the “offensive coordinator,” with Brad Davison as Special Assistant to the Head Coach.

Plus, some insider perspective on the coaching change after conversations with Gard and Davison at Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball practice.

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Smith will likely not be on the field for Wisconsin, but the question of who will start at quarterback for the Badgers remains up in the air. What is not in question, however, is the effectiveness of the Wolverines’ ground game.

Wisconsin has one of the stoutest rush defenses in the country, but Michigan has one of the most effective rushing offenses in the country. The Wolverines have disrupted opposing passing attacks with 14 sacks through four games, and Wisconsin has struggled in pass protection.

Kellen Voss of Maize n Brew joins Talkin’ Badgers to preview the ins and outs of the Michigan Wolverines, what the Wisconsin Badgers must do to give themselves a chance at the upset, and to give his assessment from afar on the state of the Badgers under head coach Luke Fickell.

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