2025-26 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Wisconsin Badgers

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Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2025-26 season.

Previously: Rutgers, Penn State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, Maryland, Iowa

Today: Wisconsin (27-10 overall in 2024-25, 13-7 in Big Ten play)

Wisconsin enjoyed one of its best seasons of Greg Gard’s tenure behind the leadership of the sport’s most unexpected star. John Tonje, ranked as the No. 296 transfer heading into last season, was an AP All-American second team member and guided the Badgers to 27 wins, a Big Ten tournament championship game appearance and a tightly-contested round of 32 exit.

Wisconsin’s roster movement

Players returning with eligibility: Nolan Winter, Jack Janicki, Ricardo Greppi, Jack Robison, John Blackwell

Players departing due to exhausted eligibility: John Tonje, Max Klesmit, Steven Crowl, Carter Gilmore, Kamari McGee, Markus Ilver

Players departing via transfer portal: Xavier Amos (to Loyola-Chicago), Camren Hunter (to Central Arkansas), Daniel Freitag (to Buffalo), Chris Hodges (to Montana State)

Players arriving via transfer portal: Nick Boyd (from San Diego State), Andrew Rohde (from Virginia), Austin Rapp (from Portland), Braeden Carrington (from Tulsa)

Players arriving from high school/overseas: Zach Kinziger (247sports Composite top 100), Will Garlock, Hayden Jones, Aleksas Bieliauskas

The Badgers are losing a lot both productively and in terms of program familiarity – the All-American Tonje marks the biggest departure. Still, the other five Badgers without eligibility all played at least three seasons in Madison. Gard brings in high school and transfer classes that rank among the top 60 nationally. Top-75 transfer Nick Boyd is the prize recruit, alongside top-100 high schooler Zach Kinziger and West Coast Conference freshman of the year Austin Rapp. But as Tonje proved last year – he was the lowest-rated transfer of Wisconsin’s class last year – the Badgers’ next breakout star could be anyone.

What to like about Wisconsin

The Badgers boast a formidable backcourt, led by Blackwell. Boyd is a good facilitator who can protect the ball and Blackwell excelled as a scorer this past season. Both are dependable shooters and the duo provides good balance and will pace Wisconsin’s offense.

Last year’s team featured an explosive offense with a reliable defense, but next year’s Badgers project to be better on the defensive end, currently predicted to be a top-25 team in adjusted defensive efficiency. Four of Wisconsin’s five projected starters posted positive defensive box plus-minus seasons last year.

This team has a lot of solid 3-point shooters. All five starters are capable of knocking down shots from beyond the arc and will have great floor spacing. Kinziger may be the best shooter off the bench if his high school numbers translate.

What to question with Wisconsin

There isn’t a lot of depth to this team, at least that can be guaranteed. Wisconsin will rely on younger pieces to provide a reliable second unit. Jack Robison, Ricardo Greppi and Jack Janicki will need to take sophomore leaps and incoming freshmen Kinziger and Will Garlock may have weighty expectations right away.

The Badgers have flexed their muscles inside with size in recent years, but inside scoring looks to be a weakness this upcoming season. Rapp figures to play the five and while he shot 50 percent on 2s last year, he did so on 104 attempts compared to his 236 3-point attempts. This offense will heavily rely on perimeter shooting.

Wisconsin’s outlook for the 2025-26 season

Home: Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Rutgers, UCLA, USC

Away: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Washington

Home/Away: Minnesota, Ohio State, Purdue

Wisconsin projects inside Bart Torvik’s top-30 nationally and eighth in the Big Ten. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi currently forecasts the Badgers as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Last year Wisconsin was first and the Big Ten and 15th nationally in 3-pointers – expect more of that with this Badger roster. They should be pesky on defense on top of it as well. If the young pieces in Madison can develop to provide depth for a solid starting five, Wisconsin will be capable of beating any opponent on any given night.

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