Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard understands the financial realities of college basketball better today than he would have a decade ago.

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John Blackwell’s departure to Duke is a clear example.

The Badgers lost one of the Big Ten’s most productive guards to a program operating at a different financial level. And while Gard would have obviously preferred to keep Blackwell in Madison to finish his career, he understands why those decisions are becoming increasingly common.

Speaking with CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish at Big Ten Media Days, Gard acknowledged that retaining talent has become as much about managing resources to make sound decisions as it is about developing relationships.

“It’s not only what outside competition can come forward with, but also how you’re going to construct your roster, what your process and recipe are and, quite frankly, what your budget is,” Gard said.

That’s where things get complicated for Wisconsin.

Gard isn’t suggesting the Badgers lack resources. In fact, he made a point of saying otherwise.

“Not that ours is bad, it’s really good,” Gard said of the program’s NIL budget. “But there comes a point where it becomes a business decision on both ends. Really happy for John and his family. He was great for us. Great kid, great family. Wish him nothing but success, except for when we play Duke, if we happen to meet them down the road sometime.”

College basketball increasingly resembles professional sports in that respect.

The comparison to Major League Baseball is particularly relevant right now. Some organizations can afford to retain established stars at almost any price. Others have to be more selective, identify value elsewhere, and consistently develop high school talent to remain competitive.

Gard and his staff aren’t operating without money to build a team. In fact, the Badgers are believed to have invested more in assembling this year’s roster than they did a season ago. But as the cost of competing continues to rise, there’s still a considerable gap between Wisconsin’s resources and those of the sport’s blue bloods, some of which are rumored to be spending between $20 million and $30 million annually on their rosters.

Blackwell averaged 19.1 points last season before transferring to Duke. Wisconsin wasn’t necessarily in a position where it couldn’t afford to keep him, but having the resources to retain a player and deciding how much of your budget to commit to one are different conversations. For a program that has to be more disciplined with its spending than some of the sport’s biggest brands, there are questions about how much you can invest in one player without compromising your ability to build a competitive roster.

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The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball program will have to go back to the drawing board to fill one of the frontcourt spots in its 2027 recruiting class.

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Composite four-star center Jack Thelen has decommitted from Wisconsin and reopened his recruitment, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. Thelen’s representatives at WME Basketball shared the decision.

The decision ends a commitment that lasted roughly four months and leaves Greg Gard and the Badgers with two verbal commitments remaining in the 2027 class: Jalen Brown and Baboucarr Ann.

For Wisconsin, this is a notable loss because Thelen checked several boxes the program has historically valued in its frontcourt development.

The 7-foot-1, roughly 240-pound center from Maple Grove High School in Minnesota committed to Wisconsin on June 13, only three days after receiving his scholarship offer from the Badgers. Thelen had previously visited Madison in May, with assistant coach and Maple Grove alumnus Brad Davison playing a prominent role in his recruitment.

At the time, Wisconsin’s staff was getting in early on a player whose recruitment was just beginning to take off.

Thelen continued to raise his profile during the summer, averaging 8.5 points and six rebounds per game on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. The composite ranks him as the No. 14 center in the 2027 class and places him in four-star territory, around the top 110 prospects nationally.

That development made his commitment look increasingly valuable as the summer went along.

Thelen isn’t necessarily the modern stretch-five archetype. His appeal came from being a true center with legitimate size, good activity, and a developing offensive skill set around the basket. He has shown solid footwork in the post, touch around the rim, and an ability to pass when defenses collapse, while offering rim protection and communication on the other end.

There was also an obvious Minnesota connection.

Thelen plays alongside fellow Wisconsin commit Baboucarr Ann at Maple Grove. Not to mention, the Badgers have had quite a bit of success developing Minnesota frontcourt players in recent years, including Nate Reuvers, Tyler Wahl, Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter.

Now, Wisconsin will have to decide how it wants to replace what Thelen represented in the class.

Brown and Ann remain committed, giving the Badgers a foundation to work from, but losing Thelen ahead of National Signing Day removes the true center from that group and creates another roster-building decision for Gard and his staff.

That distinction matters more than ever in the current version of college basketball.

Wisconsin can continue evaluating high school big men in the 2027 cycle, but committing scholarship and financial resources to a developmental center is no longer a decision made in isolation. The portal gives college basketball programs access to older, more physically developed options every offseason, which changes how staffs have to weigh long-term upside against immediate production. But 7-footers don’t come cheap.

Thelen’s recruitment, meanwhile, starts over with a considerably different profile than the one he carried when Wisconsin originally offered him.

For the Badgers, the 2027 class is down to two commitments, and the work to determine what comes next in the frontcourt starts again.

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The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team will be without another member of its freshman class this season.

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Greg Gard confirmed following Wisconsin’s 94-71 exhibition victory over UW-Parkside on Saturday that freshman wing LaTrevion Fenderson will not play during the 2026-27 campaign as he focuses on academics.

Wisconsin Athletics has since clarified that Fenderson was ruled academically ineligible for the 2026-27 season after his high school coursework failed to meet NCAA initial-eligibility requirements. The university appealed the decision to the NCAA, but that appeal was denied.

Although Fenderson cannot compete in games this season, he is still permitted to participate in team activities, including practices and travel.

The decision removes one of Wisconsin’s intriguing young players from consideration for minutes before the regular season begins, although Fenderson wasn’t expected to play a meaningful role this season.

A Racine native, Fenderson arrived in Madison as one of the state’s top prospects in the 2026 recruiting class.

The 6-foot-3, 211-pound wing originally attended The Prairie School, where he earned first-team Division 4 all-state honors after averaging 21.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists during the 2023-24 season.

Fenderson later transferred to DME Academy at St. John’s Northwestern in Delafield, where he averaged 14 points, six rebounds and two assists during his senior campaign.

His recruitment was an important early addition for Gard’s staff.

Fenderson committed to Wisconsin in August 2024 over scholarship opportunities from Iowa State, UW-Milwaukee and Southern Utah, among others. He eventually signed with the Badgers in November 2025.

“We are excited about the addition of LaTrevion,” Gard said on National Signing Day. “We feel that he brings a lot of physicality and athleticism to our line-ups in the future. The fact that he’s a Wisconsin kid, born and raised, and loves being a representative of the state is very important to him and our program.

“We’ve known LaTrevion for a long time and have been able to watch him mature and grow, and we’re thrilled to keep him home as a Badger. Our entire staff is looking forward to helping Tre grow into his potential both on and off the court here in Madison.”

The composite three-star prospect and cousin of former Wisconsin guard Kamari McGee brings an interesting mix of athleticism, physicality, and scoring potential to the program.

At his best, Fenderson uses his strong frame to attack the basket, finish through contact, and create opportunities off the dribble. He’s also a capable rebounder for his size and has shown an interest in taking difficult defensive assignments.

There are still developmental areas in his game, particularly his perimeter shooting and ball-handling, but the physical tools give Wisconsin something to work with long-term.

For now, however, that development will take place away from game competition. Fenderson’s absence also means Wisconsin will be without two freshmen this season.

Fellow freshman guard Josh Manchester previously suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during practice, further reducing the number of young players Gard will have available as he works through his rotation.

Fortunately for Wisconsin, the backcourt still has considerable depth.

Owen Foxwell, Jack Janicki, Eian Elmer, Trey Autry, Hayden Jones, Zach Kinziger, and Jackson Ball are among the available options, along with Braeden Carrington, whose status depends on the outcome of his lawsuit.

That gives Gard several experienced players to lean on for minutes this season while the younger members of his roster continue developing.

The bigger picture is that Fenderson’s absence doesn’t necessarily change Wisconsin’s immediate expectations, but it does put his development on a different timeline.

For a player who arrived with a lot of untapped upside for this staff to unlock, the priority this season will be getting everything in order academically before turning his attention back toward contributing on the court.

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The Wisconsin men’s basketball team gave its fans an early look at a considerably different roster on Saturday afternoon, opening its exhibition schedule with a 94-71 victory over UW-Parkside at the Kohl Center.

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Greg Gard’s team shot 57.1% from the field, placed five players in double figures, and led by as many as 25 points. The Badgers were without junior forward Austin Rapp and freshman guard LaTrevion Fenderson, giving several newcomers an opportunity to make an impression.

Now, there’s only so much you can take away from an exhibition against Division II competition. But with eight new faces and plenty of roles still being sorted out, there were some encouraging signs, along with a few things worth monitoring as the regular season approaches.

With that in mind, here are three observations from Wisconsin’s exhibition win over UW-Parkside.

1. Nolan Winter made the most of his opportunities offensively

If there was one player who looked entirely comfortable in Wisconsin’s new-look offense, it was Nolan Winter.

The senior forward finished with a team-high 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and a block in just over 22 minutes. He connected on 7-of-9 field-goal attempts, including one 3-pointer.

More importantly, Winter established himself early.

He scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half, helping Wisconsin build a 52-33 halftime advantage. Whether finishing around the basket, running the floor, or stepping outside, Winter looked like someone capable of handling a larger offensive responsibility when games start to count.

That’s important considering how much production Wisconsin lost with Nick Boyd and John Blackwell departing.

Winter isn’t necessarily going to replace their scoring by himself, but he’s positioned to become one of the primary offensive options on this roster.

The competition matters here. Wisconsin won’t enjoy these same physical advantages against Big Ten opponents. Still, the 7-footer from Minnesota did exactly what you’d expect an established high-major player to do against an overmatched opponent. And that’s a positive starting point.

2. Owen Foxwell offered an encouraging first look at Wisconsin’s new backcourt

One of the biggest questions entering this season was how Wisconsin would replace the production and experience it lost in the backcourt.

Owen Foxwell’s first appearance offered some encouragement.

The 6-foot-2 Australian guard finished with 10 points and a team-high six assists in approximately 22 minutes. He shot 3-of-5 from the field, made all three free throws, and helped Wisconsin generate some quality scoring opportunities.

Foxwell’s ability to facilitate was particularly noticeable in the box score.

Wisconsin finished with 17 assists on 36 made baskets, and Foxwell accounted for more than a third of them. But there was a tradeoff.

He also committed four turnovers, contributing to Wisconsin’s 15 giveaways overall. That’s an area to monitor as the competition improves, especially for a team relying on Foxwell to run its offense. But you have to give a team still learning to play together a certain amount of grace.

Eian Elmer also had an encouraging debut, scoring 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting, while Braeden Carrington, who is eligible until further notice, added six points on two made 3-pointers.

There’s clearly some offensive talent here. The question is whether those pieces can function consistently together against better defenses.

3. Wisconsin’s size made a difference, but the execution wasn’t always clean

Gard has talked about wanting a bigger, more physical roster, and Saturday provided an early glimpse of what that could look like.

Wisconsin dominated the paint, outscoring UW-Parkside 56-28, and finished with a 42-28 rebounding advantage.

Victory Onuetu contributed 10 points, seven rebounds (four offensive), and two blocks in approximately 15 minutes. Will Garlock added 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists (four turnovers) off the bench.

Those contributions were especially valuable with Rapp unavailable.

Wisconsin also forced 17 turnovers, converting them into 24 points, while holding Parkside to 39.7% shooting. But the Badgers weren’t particularly sharp throughout.

After shooting 65.5% in the first half, Wisconsin cooled to 50% after halftime. The Badgers also made just three of their 13 second-half 3-point attempts, allowing UW-Parkside to keep pace offensively over the final 20 minutes, with Wisconsin holding a narrow 42-38 scoring edge.

None of that should overshadow a comfortable exhibition victory. It does, however, reinforce that this team is still figuring out its identity. Wisconsin has the pieces to be interesting. How well they fit together will ultimately determine its ceiling.

The Badgers continue their exhibition schedule Thursday, Oct. 15, against UW-Green Bay at the Resch Center, with tipoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

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There was a time not too long ago when building a Wisconsin men’s basketball roster meant recruiting players who would spend four or five years in the program, develop within the system, and eventually become the next group responsible for carrying its traditions forward.

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That version of college basketball is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain, and the further we get from it, the harder it is to remember.

Greg Gard knows it. And entering his 12th season leading the Badgers, he’s made it clear that Wisconsin isn’t going to spend its time wishing things were different.

Speaking at Big Ten Media Days in Rosemont, Illinois, Gard discussed how his approach to roster construction has evolved, why player development remains central to Wisconsin’s identity, and what it takes to maintain the program’s standards in an era of constant turnover.

“I don’t think we can get caught worrying about the past,” Gard said. “We can obviously revel in it and talk about how good it was and how fun those were.”

That doesn’t mean Gard has abandoned what made Wisconsin successful.

He still wants players who value the university, earn their degrees from a world-class institution, and build relationships that extend beyond their playing careers. But Gard also understands why players pursue opportunities elsewhere, particularly when significant money is involved.

“You can’t fault the players who are moving that are able to do that for financial reasons,” Gard said.

The challenge is finding a way to preserve what Wisconsin basketball has traditionally stood for while accepting that the methods required to sustain it have changed.

“I think that’s been the one thing that our program has been able to do really well is evolve and continue to stay tethered to the traditions and the history that we’ve had,” Gard said. “But at the same time we know we’re going to have to continue to get better and improve and tweak some things here and there.”

There’s evidence that approach has worked.

Wisconsin won 24 games last season, finished fifth in the Big Ten and produced a top-10 offense nationally in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency rankings. The Badgers also beat eventual Final Four participants Michigan and Illinois during the regular season.

But the roster that accomplished those things looks considerably different now. There are eight new players on this re-tooled roster.

Nick Boyd and John Blackwell are gone. Gard retained an established frontcourt featuring Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp, then supplemented it with transfers and international additions like Owen Foxwell from the Australian NBL, who will be asked to contribute immediately.

The personnel has changed, but Gard believes the developmental responsibility hasn’t.

“I think trying to continue to push, whether we’re going to have you for five years or five months, here’s our plan to make you better,” Gard said. “And our staff has done a phenomenal job of developing players and putting them in position to really shine with us.”

That philosophy helps explain Wisconsin’s interest in players like Eian Elmer and Trey Autry.

Elmer arrives after helping Miami (OH) win 32 games last season, bringing proven perimeter shooting and experience in a winning environment. Autry has more than 100 college games under his belt and grew up around the sport with his father, Adrian Autry, now coaching at Virginia.

For Gard, those backgrounds matter.

“Winning translates,” Gard said. “I don’t care what league you’re in. Those habits and that culture translates. They understand what winning looks like.”

It’s also why Wisconsin’s retention of Winter and Rapp was so important.

In a sport where roster continuity has become increasingly difficult to maintain, both provide an established foundation for a team still figuring out how its new pieces fit together.

Gard isn’t pretending the transition will be seamless. Wisconsin may not have the same financial resources as some of the Big Ten’s biggest spenders. Regardless, the Badgers have shown they can remain competitive by identifying the right players, developing them, and adapting to the realities of modern roster construction.

The expectation hasn’t changed simply because the sport has.

“And as the world changes, we’ve got to keep changing with it,” Gard said.

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Wisconsin men’s basketball doesn’t need to reinvent an offense that finished among the nation’s best last season.

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But it might need to redistribute where the production comes from.

Nick Boyd and John Blackwell are gone after combining for nearly 40 points per game, leaving Greg Gard without the two perimeter scorers who carried much of Wisconsin’s shot creation a year ago. What returns is an established frontcourt led by Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp, with more size behind them than Gard has had in years past.

So the Badgers aren’t abandoning what worked. They’re tweaking it around what this roster does best.

Wisconsin’s offense isn’t going backward

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The first batch of takeaways from the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s local media day centered on the bigger-picture questions surrounding Greg Gard’s team: how its size could reshape the defense, how the rotation might come together, and what the Badgers have at point guard.

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But there was plenty more worth unpacking.

Gard also provided a meaningful update on Braeden Carrington’s availability, explained why he believes Nolan Winter still has another level to reach, and offered a look at how Wisconsin plans to expand Eian Elmer’s role.

Here’s what else stood out from Gard’s availability at local media day.

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The Wisconsin men’s basketball program has spent the last few months assembling a roster that looks considerably different from the one that won 24 games and earned a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament last season.

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Now comes the process of figuring out exactly what Greg Gard has.

The Badgers have eight newcomers to integrate, a new point guard in Owen Foxwell, and significant perimeter production to replace. They also return an established frontcourt built around Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp, with more size and lineup flexibility behind them than Wisconsin has had in recent years.

Local media day gave Gard a chance to offer a more detailed assessment of where that process stands as Wisconsin prepares for the 2026-27 season.

Here are the three things that stood out most from what he had to say.

Wisconsin believes its size can change the defense

Gard has spent much of the offseason talking about Wisconsin needing to improve defensively. Local media day provided a clearer picture of how he thinks that can happen.

It starts with size.

Wisconsin finished 56th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency last season, but this roster gives Gard options he simply didn’t have a year ago. Nolan Winter is back, while Victory Onuetu and Will Garlock give Wisconsin two more legitimate centers who can protect the paint.

“With two guys that are seven feet plus, we can play much differently in ball screens,” Gard said. “And use more drop coverage and more mobile with mobile fives, you can park them in the paint, and they can cover up.”

That matters schematically. Drop coverage allows Wisconsin’s bigs to stay closer to the basket rather than pulling them farther away from the rim while defending ball screens. If Onuetu and Garlock can consistently provide that back-line presence, the Badgers can shrink the floor and make opponents work harder to generate shots around the basket.

Gard still identified transition defense as the top priority. Once Wisconsin gets set, though, the objective is pretty straightforward.

“Once we get settled in the half court, we have to keep people away from the rim,” Gard said.

In theory, the personnel should provide Wisconsin with several ways to accomplish that goal.

Gard has more lineup options than he knows what to do with yet

We knew Wisconsin was deep on paper. Gard made it pretty clear that determining exactly how to use that depth remains one of his biggest preseason puzzles.

“There’s legitimately 12 guys right now that could and probably should be on the floor,” Gard said.

That’s significant because this isn’t necessarily 12 versions of the same thing.

Wisconsin can play Winter alongside another seven-footer in Onuetu or Garlock. Winter and Austin Rapp already give the Badgers a proven shooting frontcourt combination. Gard mentioned Eian Elmer and Hayden Jones as options at the four when Wisconsin wants to play smaller, while Braeden Carrington has experience doing the same.

The frontcourt competition has also produced tangible development. With Winter and Rapp limited during the summer, Onuetu and Garlock spent extended stretches matched up against each other.

“The evolution of those two has been impressive to watch because they’re both much better than where they were when we got back on June 15th,” Gard said.

Eventually, Gard will have to establish a core rotation. Production, health, and matchups will help make some of those decisions for him. But the larger takeaway is that Wisconsin doesn’t have to play one way. Gard has enough size, shooting, and positional flexibility to alter lineups depending on what a game requires.

Figuring out which combinations work best might be one of the defining stories of November.

Wisconsin’s point guard picture is starting to come into focus

There were two meaningful developments at point guard on Tuesday, beginning with the most important.

The NCAA has fully cleared Owen Foxwell.

Wisconsin had been awaiting a ruling after submitting documentation related to Foxwell’s professional career in Australia. The 22-year-old spent the past five seasons with the South East Melbourne Phoenix in the NBL and averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game last season after taking over as the team’s starting point guard.

Gard said the Badgers learned roughly a week ago that Foxwell, Wisconsin’s expected starter at the position, had received complete clearance.

That removes one significant preseason unknown. It also sounds increasingly like Zach Kinziger is positioning himself to handle some of the minutes behind him.

Gard acknowledged how far the sophomore has come as a decision-maker after playing sparingly as a freshman.

“A year ago this time, he was throwing it around the gym like he was handing out Halloween candy,” Gard said. “He’s tightened that up. He’s gotten better with the ball in his hands. He’s gotten better at decisions.”

The next step for the in-state product is learning when to attack and when to value the possession. Gard described that balance as becoming “intelligently aggressive,” particularly when Kinziger is navigating ball screens and deciding where the next pass needs to go.

That’s encouraging considering Wisconsin doesn’t necessarily need Kinziger to become another Foxwell. The Badgers have other capable decision-makers and have built an offense that doesn’t require every possession to run through a traditional point guard.

If Kinziger can defend, make shots and reliably initiate the offense when Foxwell rests, Wisconsin may already have its answer behind him.

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We’ve spent most of the offseason talking about the big questions surrounding the Wisconsin men’s basketball program.

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Can Owen Foxwell handle the transition from professional basketball in Australia to playing in the Big Ten? Who replaces the shot creation Wisconsin lost with Nick Boyd and John Blackwell? How much better can Nolan Winter become as a senior?

Those questions still matter. But with preseason practice underway, I’m more interested in some of the decisions underneath them.

Greg Gard has more lineup flexibility than he’s had in a while, at least on paper, and several players who might not lead the Badgers in scoring could have a significant say in how this team ultimately functions.

So for this mailbag, let’s get a little further into the weeds.

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Wisconsin men’s basketball is finally practicing again, which means the process of turning a roster with eight newcomers into an actual team has entered a different stage.

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Assistant coach Sharif Chambliss joined Brian Butch on Butchie’s Den following Wisconsin’s official start to practice and offered some insight into what the Badgers have been working on behind the scenes.

There was plenty of optimism, particularly about the size and depth Greg Gard has assembled. But Chambliss also acknowledged how much remains unsettled.

“It’s still like Jell-O,” Chambliss said. “You got to leave it in the fridge, let it sit, let it settle, and see how it’s going to shake out a little bit.”

Here are three things that stood out.

Wisconsin is putting a lot on its guards in the ball-screen game

We’ve spent plenty of time discussing what Owen Foxwell brings to Wisconsin as a pass-first point guard with pro experience, and Chambliss has even described him as a “coach’s dream” so far.

Chambliss also offered some insight into what Wisconsin needs from its guards within an offense increasingly reliant on ball screens.

“A little bit of everything,” Chambliss said. “Obviously, the IQ, we’re playing in a lot of ball screens now. Them making the start to make the right reads consistently, putting pressure on the defense when we start to get up and down.”

Chambliss later boiled successful ball-screen play down to one thing: consistently making the correct read. That becomes particularly interesting when considering Wisconsin’s options behind Foxwell.

He specifically mentioned Zach Kinziger, the De Pere (Wis.) native whose shooting ability has never really been the question. Kinziger appeared in 16 games as a freshman after the staff pulled his redshirt, averaging 1.3 points and 0.6 assists in 4.8 minutes per contest. Now the Badgers are asking the 6-foot-3 sophomore to expand his game.

“He’s getting more consistent in that ball screen, trying to make the right reads,” Chambliss said. “Obviously, we know he’s a great shooter. He was one of the leaders in the EYBL, which is probably one of the better youth leagues for AAU in the country. And he shot it at a high level.

“Now, when that ball screen comes at your size, can you make the right read consistently? Are you able to hit the pocket? Are you able to get downhill and throw the lob when the big comes over late? Are you able to make somebody pay if a guard gets caught going under? Now you’ve got to be able to make a shot off the dribble.”

That development could become important because Wisconsin doesn’t necessarily need Kinziger to become another Foxwell. It needs someone who can keep the offense running when Foxwell isn’t controlling it.

Will Garlock keeps generating buzz

Lance Randall praised Will Garlock’s development earlier this offseason. Chambliss independently landed on the same player when Butch asked who had made the biggest jump.

“For me, it’s been Will Garlock,” Chambliss said. “Will Garlock’s taking a huge jump.”

Garlock appeared in 30 games as a true freshman but played a limited role, averaging 1.1 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in just under seven minutes a game. His path to a larger role became more complicated when Wisconsin added Hofstra transfer Victory Onuetu, but Chambliss believes that competition has actually helped accelerate Garlock’s development.

“I think it’s been great for him to have Victory Onuetu here to go in there and bang against every day,” Chambliss said. “I’m sure they get sick of each other some days, but they’ll probably be best of friends when it’s all said and done.”

That’s worth monitoring.

Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp give Wisconsin two established frontcourt pieces, while Onuetu brings a different dimension as a physical rebounder, rim protector, and vertical threat. Garlock doesn’t necessarily need to beat any of them out for a major role once the season starts.

But if the 7-foot sophomore has legitimately taken the jump Wisconsin’s coaches keep referencing, Gard’s frontcourt may be even deeper than it appeared entering preseason practice, provided there are no injuries.

Wisconsin knows where its defense needs to improve

Improving the defense has become one of the most consistent messages from Wisconsin’s staff throughout the offseason.

The Badgers finished 56th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency last season. Gard has made becoming more physical and consistent defensively a priority, and Chambliss offered perhaps the simplest explanation yet for where that improvement needs to begin.

“I think the defensive part starts just individually guarding your man,” Chambliss said. “And we’ve worked on that the first day, one-on-one. You got to be able to guard your man mano-a-mano.”

The logic is straightforward. Keep the ball in front, and everything behind it becomes easier. So much of good defense starts with staying connected to your assignment and not forcing four other guys to cover for you.

“If you can take away straight line drives, then it takes away the help,” Chambliss said. “You don’t have to give as much help. Then guys are able to rotate to their guys, and then our team defense is collectively better.”

Wisconsin should have more size and lineup flexibility to work with this season. Eian Elmer gives the Badgers a 6-foot-6 wing with switchability. Onuetu adds legitimate rim protection. Chambliss even identified transfer Trey Autry as the team’s best on-ball defender so far in practice.

But none of those additions automatically make Wisconsin a better defensive team. It still starts with keeping the ball in front.

And with eight newcomers still learning how to play together, Chambliss isn’t pretending Wisconsin is a finished product after one official practice. His message to Badgers fans was instead to pay attention to how it develops.

“Enjoy watching the process of our journey,” Chambliss said. “Start early. Watch this team grow. Watch this team come together. We have an opportunity to be pretty good if everything is headed in the direction that we believe it is.”

We appreciate you taking the time to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. Your support means the world to us and has helped us become a leading independent source for Wisconsin Badgers coverage.

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Wisconsin men’s basketball will send one of its most established players and one of its most intriguing newcomers to Rosemont next week.

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The Big Ten announced that senior forward Nolan Winter and Miami (OH) transfer Eian Elmer will join head coach Greg Gard as Wisconsin’s representatives at Big Ten Basketball Media Days on Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.

The men’s programs will take center stage Thursday after the conference’s women’s programs appear on Wednesday. Big Ten Network’s live coverage is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. CT.

Wisconsin spent much of the offseason reshaping the roster around a handful of returning pieces, adding experience, shooting, size, and athleticism through the transfer portal while trying to build a more balanced group. The staff has also emphasized becoming more physical and improving defensively after last season, all while figuring out how the newcomers fit together. Plenty of roles still need to be sorted out, but the general vision for what Gard wants this team to become is taking shape.

For Wisconsin, the selections offer a pretty good snapshot of where Gard’s roster stands entering the 2026-27 season.

Winter is the known commodity.

The 7-foot, 235-pound senior returns for his fourth season at Wisconsin after developing into one of the Big Ten’s better frontcourt players as a junior. Winter averaged 13.1 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds last season, finished second in the conference with 12 double-doubles, and shot 69.9% from two-point range, which ranked 10th nationally.

Keeping Winter in Madison was one of Wisconsin’s most important offseason investments. Now healthy after undergoing a cleanup procedure that limited the Lakeville North product for much of the summer, Winter enters his senior season as one of the few established pieces on a roster that will otherwise feature plenty of new faces.

Elmer represents the other side of that equation.

The 6-foot-6 wing arrives after earning second-team All-MAC honors at Miami (OH), where he started all 34 games for a team that finished 32-2. Elmer averaged 12.7 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds while knocking down threes at a 42.9% clip. He also contributed 42 steals and 23 blocks.

Those numbers explain why Wisconsin was interested. What’s more intriguing is what the staff believes could still be left to develop.

Gard praised Elmer’s combination of size, power, and skill when Wisconsin signed him, and the Badgers believe his offensive game has another layer beyond being an elite catch-and-shoot threat. This staff wants to put the ball in his hands more and see whether he can become another source of creation on a roster replacing most of last season’s perimeter production.

Gard, meanwhile, enters his 12th season leading Wisconsin with a 237-128 career record and a 131-83 mark in Big Ten play. The Badgers have reached eight of the 10 NCAA tournaments held during his tenure and are coming off a 24-11 season that included a 14-6 conference record.

With preseason practice underway and another significantly reshaped roster to mesh together, Media Days will offer the next opportunity to hear how Gard, Winter and Elmer view what Wisconsin has assembled.

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Preseason practice is officially underway, the roster is essentially set outside of one spot, and Wisconsin men’s basketball has reached the point where offseason opinions start becoming convictions.

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Some of those convictions feel well-deserved. Others? I’m not so sure.

We’ve spent time breaking down Greg Gard’s roster-building philosophy, the Badgers’ success in the transfer portal, and why this team looks noticeably different from the one that won 24 games a season ago and earned a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Now that the Badgers are back on the court, it feels like a good time to take stock of what we think we know about this roster. A few themes have become pretty clear over the last several months. But a couple of assumptions still deserve a second look before we get too far ahead of ourselves.

So let’s play a quick game: two truths and a lie. Three takeaways about Wisconsin men’s basketball as preseason practice gets underway. Two narratives I fully believe. One I think people could be getting wrong.

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Wisconsin men’s basketball spent Saturday building relationships with several of the state’s most intriguing young prospects.

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The Badgers hosted four in-state recruits on unofficial visits: 2029 prospects Max McMullen, Jayden Jackson, and Gibran Spector, along with 2031 guard Braylin Calhoun (yes, an 8th grader).

All four are still incredibly early in their recruitments. Even so, each has already emerged as a player worth tracking closely as Greg Gard and his staff continue to identify talent several classes down the road.

McMullen, a 6-foot point guard from Brookfield East, is considered one of the top prospects in Wisconsin’s 2029 class and already holds a Division I offer from Milwaukee.

As a freshman, McMullen averaged 17.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, according to GoBound — while helping Brookfield East finish 22-6 and reach the sectional finals. He shot 51% from the field and 37% from three, showing an intriguing combination of scoring ability and playmaking at a young age.

McMullen also plays for Team Herro on the EYBL circuit, where his quickness and ability to create off the dribble have stood out.

“Thank you @BadgerMBB for hosting me on a great unofficial visit,” McMullen wrote.

Wisconsin also hosted Jackson, a 6-foot-8 forward from Monona Grove who plays alongside McMullen with Team Herro.

Jackson’s size immediately separates him in the 2029 in-state class, but there is more to his game than being a bigger body. He has shown the mobility to run the floor, attack the basket, and defend around the rim while continuing to develop his perimeter skill set.

As a freshman at Monona Grove, Jackson averaged 6.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 43% from the field and 32% from beyond the arc. His recruitment remains in its early stages, although Wisconsin and Marquette are among the programs that have already shown interest.

Jackson also spent time around the Badgers previously at Wisconsin’s advanced camp.

“Thank you @BadgerMBB for hosting an amazing unofficial visit,” Jackson wrote.

Another 2029 prospect on campus was Wauwatosa East wing Gibran Spector, who was pictured alongside the other visitors.

The 6-foot-4 Team Herro standout is ranked among the top five players in Wisconsin’s 2029 class by Prep Hoops. Spector has already built a reputation as a high-energy defender and passer with good size and length for a guard, while his offensive game continues to develop.

The youngest visitor of the group was Calhoun, a 2031 guard from Milwaukee Academy of Science.

Calhoun is already 6-foot-4 despite being several years away from making any college-related decisions, and he recently picked up his first Division I offer from Incarnate Word. He originally played in Michigan before moving to Wisconsin, where he now competes for Milwaukee Academy of Science and KL Power 5 on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.

His athleticism has helped him stand out against older competition, but Calhoun has also shown the ability to create off the dribble, finish through contact, and knock down shots from the perimeter. He earned Co-MVP honors at the Junior Pangos All-American Camp and was also one of the youngest players to participate in Wisconsin’s advanced camp.

“Thank you, BadgerMBB, for a great unofficial visit today,” Calhoun wrote.

None of these recruitments are anywhere close to reaching their final stages, particularly with Calhoun still in the 2031 class. That makes these visits more about relationship-building than anything else.

Wisconsin has made a point of getting the state’s best young prospects on campus early, allowing the staff to evaluate them in person while beginning relationships well before scholarship decisions become urgent.

McMullen, Jackson, Spector and Calhoun all fit that mold.

Each still has a long way to go in their respective development, and that distinction matters. Identifying a young player, bringing him to campus, and even eventually offering a scholarship are all very different from deciding, years from now, to commit real roster and financial resources to him over a more proven option from the transfer portal.

Wisconsin still wants to recruit and develop as much of its roster as it can. But in the current version of college basketball, those decisions are more complicated than they used to be.

For now, this is exactly what it should be: get talented in-state players into the building early, build the relationship, and keep evaluating. With all of these players, anything beyond that is still a long way off.

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The Wisconsin men’s basketball team officially begins ramping things up next week, and Greg Gard has a pretty clear idea of what needs to happen between now and the start of the season.

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Following the Badgers’ annual run up Bascom Hill, Gard met with reporters and provided a few updates on Braeden Carrington and his ongoing eligibility situation, the health and development of several key players, and Wisconsin’s efforts to improve defensively after finishing 56th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency last season.

Here are three things that stood out.

Wisconsin is still waiting on Braeden Carrington

There still isn’t a resolution to Carrington’s pursuit of another season of eligibility.

Carrington has remained around the program throughout the offseason while Wisconsin waits to see how his case and the broader eligibility landscape unfold. Gard said the case Carrington is attached to is expected to come at the end of September.

“We’re like everybody else in the country. We’re watching what’s happening nationally every day,” Gard said. “So we’re just floating in that regard, knowing that there could be some curves in the road.”

Wisconsin intentionally left itself positioned to wait this out rather than moving in another direction, and it’s easy to understand why. Carrington appeared in 34 games last season and averaged a career-best 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 18 minutes per game while shooting 40.1% from three off the bench.

“We wanted to walk down this road as far as we could until we either got a green light or a red light,” Gard said. “So, and we’ll ride that out.”

Asked later how he handles having this much uncertainty surrounding a potential rotation player this close to the season, Gard acknowledged that it comes with the territory in modern college basketball.

“Just have to stay chill and relaxed and calm and just know it’s coming,” Gard said. “You just have to be flexible. You can’t get caught up emotionally in that because those things are out of your control, right? You control what you can control.”

For now, Wisconsin waits.

Gard likes how much more physical Wisconsin looks

Wisconsin’s defensive shortcomings last season haven’t been forgotten.

The Badgers were terrific offensively, finishing inside the top 10 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency, but their defense never came anything close to that level. Gard made it clear that has to change.

“We were terrific offensively. We were not good enough defensively to be where we wanted to be,” Gard admitted. “We have to continue to be really good offensively. We’ll be a little different. We’re going to look a little different. I think points will come from different places, but defensively we have to turn the screws and be at a higher level.”

Gard believes Wisconsin is better equipped physically to make that jump.

Nolan Winter has added size after spending much of the summer away from live work, while Will Garlock and Victory Onuetu have made significant strides. Gard also singled out Hayden Jones, Jackson Ball and Owen Foxwell when discussing the physical development he has seen.

“Nolan Winter looks much improved physically,” Gard said. “He’s bigger, and I think him sitting out for most of the summer or not having the live wear and tear on his body was a good thing because it allowed him to really put on muscle mass and really put on weight.”

That size was intentional.

“Some of it was through the recruiting and what we did intentionally with some of the things on the front line,” Gard explained. “Having depth and size was important, and that will help your defense.”

The real defensive work starts next week. Gard said Wisconsin has intentionally avoided going too hard too early because playing good defense requires an intensity that can’t really be replicated halfway.

When practice ramps up, so will that emphasis.

Wisconsin is taking the long view with its frontcourt

There was also some encouraging news regarding forwards Winter and Austin Rapp, who both underwent cleanup procedures and were limited throughout the offseason.

Wisconsin made a significant investment to retain both players this offseason, giving Gard two proven frontcourt pieces to build around. Winter averaged 13.1 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game while ranking second in the Big Ten with 12 double-doubles. Rapp averaged 9.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists, with the Badgers going 12-1 when he scored in double figures.

Gard said both remain on schedule. Winter has already returned to some live contact on what Gard described as a “pitch count,” while Rapp is less than two weeks away from reaching that stage.

“They both have progressed, I think, at the right level, and we followed the medical team’s instructions and what we felt best,” Gard said.

Wisconsin isn’t interested in rushing either one back for September workouts.

“Where they are September 17th isn’t as important as where they are on January 17th, December 17th, or March 17th,” Gard said. “We have to look at the big picture of having them ready to go and not trying to rush them back.”

Onuetu, a 6-foot-11 transfer, was also held out of the Bascom Hill run after pushing himself hard during the previous week and experiencing some discomfort. He averaged 4.7 points and tied for the team lead with 6.9 rebounds per game at Hofstra while shooting 56.6% from the field.

Gard characterized the decision to hold him out as precautionary.

“I keep looking at the calendar, and I don’t need him to block shots today,” Gard said. “I got to have him ready to block shots in November and December.”

That’s the approach Wisconsin can afford to take right now.

The Badgers staff feels it has more size and depth up front than it did a year ago. But with eight new faces to integrate, the priority over the next several weeks is making sure everyone is healthy while giving this group enough time together to find its rhythm before the games start to matter.

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Wisconsin men’s basketball has reached the point in September where roster projections start giving way to actual competition.

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The Badgers have spent the summer installing, evaluating, and trying to integrate several important new pieces around their returning core. Now, with workouts ramping up and the season drawing closer, Greg Gard and his staff are beginning to learn what this team may actually become.

Wisconsin is coming off a 24-11 season that included a 14-6 Big Ten record and a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but also ended with a first-round loss to No. 12 seed High Point. With the program’s standard well established and another March run in mind, associate head coach Joe Krabbenhoft offered some insight into what comes next during an appearance with Mike Heller on the Badger Connect podcast.

Here are three things that stood out.

Wisconsin believes this group has a high ceiling

Krabbenhoft didn’t shy away from acknowledging how significant the roster turnover is.

Wisconsin has retained important pieces, but Owen Foxwell, Eian Elmer, Trey Autry, Victory Onuetu, and others will be asked to fill meaningful roles immediately.

That turnover also shouldn’t overshadow what Wisconsin managed to retain. Retaining Nolan Winter was a significant offseason win, while Austin Rapp returns for his second season in Madison after developing into an important piece of the Badgers’ frontcourt. That gives Gard two proven building blocks to construct the rest of the roster around.

The hope is that Wisconsin can surround them with enough shooting and playmaking to produce another highly efficient offense after finishing in the top 10 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency last season. The bigger question is whether the Badgers can pair that with an improved defense after finishing 56th in adjusted defensive efficiency.

“Coach, we talked today to the team, and he talked about a tremendous challenge for this group and for our staff specifically to bring this many important new players into the fold,” Krabbenhoft said.

That challenge also comes with some real optimism.

“We know the opportunity is great,” Krabbenhoft said. “We know we have a chance to do something special with this group, but it’s going to be a challenge, and we got to bring it all together.”

The goal isn’t being hidden, either.

“The goal is to play deep in March,” Krabbenhoft said. “Let’s not go away from that, and we’ve addressed that, but I think we understand as a staff the process that it takes to get to that point.”

That’s probably the most important distinction.

Wisconsin likes its roster. The staff believes the talent is there. But as we’ve seen across college basketball in the portal era, assembling talent is only part of the equation. It can take time for a group with this many new pieces to develop the chemistry needed to play together in a way that flows naturally.

Wisconsin’s back end of the rotation is wide open

The top of Wisconsin’s rotation is easier to envision.

What happens after that could become one of the most interesting storylines of the preseason.

“I think probably more than ever there’s going to be some tough decisions at that 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 hole,” Krabbenhoft admitted. “The guys who are going to be the guys that can come in off the bench and play meaningful minutes because there’s a lot of hungry, talented players both old and young alike.”

That’s where Wisconsin’s depth becomes both a luxury and a problem Gard and his staff will eventually have to solve.

Players like Hayden Jones, Jack Janicki, Zach Kinziger and Will Garlock have all been discussed throughout the offseason as possible contributors. There are freshmen trying to force their way into the conversation, too. The Badgers will undoubtedly have options.

Somebody is going to earn those minutes. Somebody else won’t.

Gard isn’t penciling anybody into the rotation

Krabbenhoft offered perhaps the clearest explanation yet of how those decisions will be made.

“I don’t decide playing time. You do,” Krabbenhoft said, describing Gard’s message to the team. “He always points up to the cameras. Put it on tape. We’ll be watching.”

That’s about as straightforward as it gets.

Wisconsin isn’t short on playable depth, particularly on the perimeter, and reputation alone isn’t going to settle those battles.

“The players will decide the minutes,” Krabbenhoft said. “That is very true and at the highest level. It’s a competitive world. We got a lot of good young talent. We got a lot of guys that can play at a high level and, you know, you can only play five at a time.”

That competition has already started to intensify.

Krabbenhoft said Wisconsin recently reached what felt like the unofficial kickoff to its fall workouts, and the change was noticeable.

“You could feel the level of intensity even jump, just because here we are in September,” Krabbenhoft said.

There are still plenty of questions surrounding this team. But Wisconsin doesn’t appear concerned about having enough potential answers.

The next several weeks will be about figuring out which ones Gard can trust when the games finally start to matter.

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Wisconsin men’s basketball is still several weeks away from games that count, but the picture of this year’s team is starting to come into focus.

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Assistant coach Lance Randall joined Brian Butch on Butchie’s Den and offered one of the clearest windows yet into how the Badgers are taking shape. There is still plenty to sort out, particularly on the perimeter, but a few themes are already becoming difficult to ignore.

Here are three takeaways from Randall’s conversation with Butch.

1. Wisconsin’s frontcourt could look very different

The first thing Randall emphasized was size.

“I think that we’re, hey, we’re looking more like a European team,” Randall said. “I think our front line is deep. We’re big, and we’re athletic on the front lines, skilled on the front line.”

Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp did not practice this summer while recovering from cleanup procedures, but Wisconsin already knows what it has in them. The more interesting development has been the depth behind them.

Randall specifically pointed to Will Garlock’s progress and Hofstra transfer Victory Onuetu’s ability to add athleticism, rim protection, and vertical pressure. That matters because Wisconsin may be able to create offense in ways it simply couldn’t last season.

“I think the Badger fans will see us a little differently,” Randall said. “I don’t think we know exactly what it’s going to look like yet, but I think one thing you’re going to notice is just our bigs. I think our bigs can do a lot of things.”

2. The offense should be much more balanced

Last season, Wisconsin had players like Nick Boyd and John Blackwell capable of taking over games, helping power an offense that finished 10th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency.

This group may be built differently.

“I think that perimeter play is going to look very different,” Randall admitted. “We’re not star power, ball dominant. It’s not going to be that way. We can’t be that way.”

That doesn’t mean Wisconsin lacks scoring. But it does mean the production may come from more places.

Randall described Owen Foxwell, who spent the past five seasons playing professionally in Australia’s NBL and averaged 10.8 points and 4.5 assists as a starting point guard last season, as a unique, pass-first playmaker who should keep the offense flowing rather than dominating possessions.

“He’s more Steve Nash-ish,” Randall said of Foxwell. “He’s a pass-first flowing guy, a great leader, can score, make the open three, but he has a good feel there for sure.”

Between Foxwell, Miami (OH) transfer Eian Elmer, Trey Autry from George Washington and Wisconsin’s returning guards, the Badgers believe they have several players capable of producing on any given night.

What remains unsettled is who becomes the secondary creator late in possessions.

Randall acknowledged that roles on the perimeter are still very much up for grabs, naming Hayden Jones, Jack Janicki and Zach Kinziger among the players Wisconsin needs to take another step before games start.

“Hayden Jones has made a huge jump,” Randall said. “He’s an interesting player. He’s not very prototypical. He’s kind of a no-position guy from a perimeter standpoint. I love his offensive rebounding. He plays at this strange pace.”

Another potential answer for the Badgers could come from Braeden Carrington, last season’s sixth man, although his pursuit of another year of eligibility due to the new 5-for-5 rules remains tied up in the courts.

“We’re trying to evaluate what we know to be true, where we are right now and what we definitely have,” Randall said. “We’re working within those initial parameters, but you also have to have an eye on the potential of just about anything.”

3. None of it matters unless the defense improves

This was probably Randall’s most important point.

Wisconsin’s offense was elite last season. Its defense wasn’t, finishing 56th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency and frequently struggled to generate stops when they mattered most.

“I think we’re going to need to take a jump defensively,” Randall admitted. “We just need to take a jump defensively and get back to old Badger basketball and get some stops more consistently.”

Randall believes the current personnel gives Wisconsin more flexibility against ball screens, particularly with its size up front. He also noted that this group has shown an ability to create deflections, generate steals, and rebound outside its area, which haven’t always been strengths.

Those extra possessions matter in a league like the Big Ten where so many games are decided late. Wisconsin’s roster appears deeper, bigger, and potentially more balanced than it was a year ago.

Now comes the important part.

The Badgers need to turn those traits and mold them into a defined identity when Greg Gard and company open the 2026-27 regular season against Denver at the Kohl Center on Nov. 2.

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The Wisconsin men’s basketball team entered August with one scholarship available and several possibilities for how to use it.

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A federal court ruling may have just introduced the most impactful option. Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court in Colorado granted a class-wide preliminary injunction requiring the NCAA to give an additional year of eligibility to qualifying Division I athletes who began competing in 2022-23 and exhausted four seasons by the end of 2025-26.

The ruling is temporary rather than a final resolution, and the NCAA is expected to appeal. Regardless, it opens an immediate path for affected athletes to compete during the upcoming season. The NCAA strongly objected to the decision. President Charlie Baker argued that continued court intervention has made it increasingly difficult to enforce uniform eligibility rules nationwide and renewed his push for congressional action.

“Without Congress, failed professionals will continue to use college sports as a fallback option — robbing the next class of young athletes of college scholarships,” Baker said, referring to the proposed Protect College Sports Act. “Today’s rulings and the chaos they bring to college sports are exactly why it’s time to pass this bill.”

Regardless of where the court case ultimately lands, one player who could benefit immediately from the injunction is former Wisconsin guard Braeden Carrington — which raises the question:

Q: Does this week’s court ruling mean Braeden Carrington could return to Wisconsin, and would the Badgers want him back?

- Mike in Sun Prairie

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John Tonje’s professional basketball journey has already included three NBA organizations, two G League affiliates and no guarantees.

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But the former Wisconsin men’s basketball star keeps creating opportunities for himself.

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed Tonje to a two-way contract, giving him another chance to establish himself at the NBA level after a strong showing with the Boston Celtics during NBA Summer League. He fills Portland’s final two-way roster spot.

For Wisconsin fans, the way Tonje earned this opportunity should feel familiar.

His basketball journey has rarely followed the most direct path. Tonje spent five seasons between Colorado State and Missouri before transferring to Wisconsin as a sixth-year senior, with relatively modest expectations surrounding his addition.

In one season under Greg Gard, Tonje developed into a consensus second-team All-American, a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection and one of the most prolific single-season scorers in Wisconsin history.

Tonje averaged 19.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for the Badgers while shooting 38.8% from three and 90.9% from the free-throw line. The 6-foot-5 guard’s 724 points were the second-most in a season at Wisconsin, behind only Frank Kaminsky (732), while his 231 made free throws established a new program record.

That breakout season helped him become the No. 53 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, where the Utah Jazz selected Tonje in the second round.

His rookie season was spent primarily in the G League before Utah traded him to the Boston Celtics. Tonje later appeared in six NBA games for the Celtics, averaging 2.5 points in seven minutes per contest, while continuing to show his scoring ability at the developmental level.

Across his G League appearances, Tonje averaged 18.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He also delivered a 42-point performance for Maine that offered a reminder of the microwave scoring ability Wisconsin fans watched throughout his lone season in Madison.

Tonje entered Summer League without a guaranteed contract waiting for him. He responded by averaging 14.8 points over five games while shooting 45.2% from three-point range and showing growth defensively.

Boston Summer League coach Amile Jefferson publicly praised Tonje’s development and said he believed the former Badger was an NBA player.

“He’s one of the guys I’m most proud of because he wants to make it,” Jefferson said. “And when a guy wants to make it, and when a guy wants to be in the NBA, that’s how you look. If somebody wants to know how hard it is to be in the NBA — you can all see how good he is. He’s given himself a really good chance. He is definitely an NBA player.”

That performance ultimately helped Tonje earn his next opportunity, even if it came somewhere other than Boston.

“Everyone wanted to see the defense from John, and I think he showed that at a super high level,” Jefferson said. “I am proud of the effort he’s given. He is a high-level shot-maker at all three levels. He can get to the rim, he can shoot the mid-range, and he can catch and shoot the three and off the dribble.

“You just want to see, for his position, can you guard the ball? Can you pressure the ball? Can you be in your shifts? Can you be where you need to be? And I think he showed that he can do that at a high level.”

A two-way deal does not guarantee Tonje a permanent NBA role. Tonje will still need to prove himself with Portland and the Rip City Remix while competing for minutes on a young and developing roster.

But Tonje has spent most of his basketball career proving that the first evaluation does not have to be the final one.

Wisconsin gave him the platform to change the trajectory of his career. Since exhausting his eligibility, Tonje has continued to do what made his season with the Badgers so memorable: staying ready, scoring when called upon, and making it difficult for NBA teams to overlook him.

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The offseason is often when some of the most interesting questions about the Wisconsin men’s basketball program come into focus.

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Wisconsin has a new athletic director in Shawn Eichorst, raising an obvious question: Is that a good thing or a bad thing for head coach Greg Gard? The Badgers once again attacked the transfer portal aggressively to reshape the roster this offseason, but someone will need to emerge and fill the scoring void. Who might that be? And despite no longer being on staff, Kirk Penney’s fingerprints remain all over the program’s recruiting efforts.

Let’s dive in.

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The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball program didn’t enter the offseason looking for another point guard to carry the offense.

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The Badgers had already invested heavily in building around one of the Big Ten’s most talented frontcourts. What Greg Gard needed was a point guard capable of organizing the offense, leading a new-look roster and helping change the identity of a defense that struggled to get consistent stops a season ago.

That's why, when Australian guard Owen Foxwell became available after LSU's coaching change, Wisconsin quickly renewed its pursuit. Existing relationships, particularly with forward Austin Rapp, along with the involvement of New Zealand basketball legend Kirk Penney, helped the Badgers land one of their most important offseason additions.

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