The Big Ten Tournament is just around the corner (March 10 is the first game) and The Badger Herald is waiting eagerly to find out how the rest of the season unfolds.
March has a way of sneaking up on teams. Many teams get lost in the weeds of conference play, and before they know it, they are staring down the barrel of the conference tournament shotgun that just so happens to define their entire season.
For the Badgers, the Big Ten Tournament carries a larger weight than most. Wisconsin has made it to back-to-back tourney finals but haven’t been able to get over the hump. Granted, in both of these games, Wisconsin has been the underdog, upsetting No. 1 seed Purdue in 2024 and No. 1 seed Michigan St. in 2025 to make it to the final.
This year’s squad is not entering as the favorite by any means, nor are they expected to make a run that competes with their last two in an expanded 18-team playoff, but that has never stopped head coach Greg Gard and Wisconsin before.
The Big Ten Tournament is always a gauntlet, but when something expands, it adds a whole new layer to the chaos. The tournament has expanded to 18 schools, which allows every school in the Big Ten to compete, thus allowing every team, no matter how flawed they may be, to catch fire at the right time. For Wisconsin, that could be a blessing or a challenge.
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What makes this year’s build-up different, though, is the way Wisconsin has evolved over the course of the season. A team that looked uneven in November now looks increasingly like the version we have grown to love in the past couple of years.
Wisconsin has made a habit of playing their best basketball when the lights get brighter, and the Big Ten Tournament is the greatest example of that. So far this year, Wisconsin has had a large glow-up from their early-season 30-point loss to No. 23 Nebraska (22-3, 11-3 Big Ten).
Since then, Gard and his squad have produced an 11-4 record, including three straight wins against AP Top-10 ranked schools, beating No. 2 Michigan (24-1, 14-1) in Ann Arbor, MI, an overtime thriller against No. 8 Illinois (21-5, 12-3) in Champaign, IL and a 21-point dismantling of No. 10 Michigan State (20-5, 10-4) at the Kohl Center.
To put it plainly, the Badgers are one of the hottest teams in all of college hoops and are nearly a lock to make the March Madness Tournament by ESPN’s Bracketology.
Even before this surge, though, Wisconsin had the pieces of a dangerous March team. Now those pieces seem to be in full motion.
The Badgers’ core four of junior guard John Blackwell, senior guard Nick Boyd, junior forward Nolan Winter and breakout senior sixth man Braeden Carrington have been through the ringer of a rigorous Big Ten in the first two months of 2026, giving them the skills needed to steady a game when momentum swings or the adrenaline rush they need to hit a buzzer beater against a rival.
A couple of big changes from last year to this year’s team have been clear for the success that has been shown in the biggest of games.
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The addition of Boyd has been one of the most underrated additions in all of college basketball. The All-Big Ten hopeful is third in points-per-game in the Big Ten and has grown to embrace the Big Ten atmosphere.
Boyd was also a member of the 2022-23 Florida Atlantic team that made it to the Final Four, adding deep-run experience that Wisconsin has lacked for many years to this point.
In addition to Boyd, senior Tulsa transfer guard Braeden Carrington has been an integral part of team success thus far. Carrington has been a spark plug off the bench for Wisconsin this year with his 3-and-D style of play, shooting an impressive 41% from the field and 40% from behind the arc.
Beyond individual standouts, though, the biggest difference between this year’s team and last year’s might be structural.
Unlike last season, Wisconsin isn’t built around a single bail-out scorer. There’s no clear number one option like there was last year with John Tonje. Instead, this year’s group operates with two, maybe even three guys that could take the biggest shots. It’s a rare team where there is an opportunity for anyone to dominate a half.
In fact, we have seen 15+ point halves from Boyd, Blackwell, Carrington and sophomore forward Austin Rapp. It’s a more complete roster, and it plays like one.
The balance has made Wisconsin harder to scout and harder to eliminate. Opponents can’t key in on one option. The Badgers have a system, and that system has found its rhythm at the right time.
Now, to circle back, there is obvious pressure that comes with making the conference final game the last two years. It creates expectations from fans, media, coaches and even the players. And Wisconsin finds themselves back in the familiar position to play the villain, ready to shake up the bracket and send juggernauts packing.
A third straight trip to the final would be the cherry on top of this late season surge that we have seen, and it would cement the Badgers as one of the Big Ten’s more reliable March programs.
Wisconsin has something different this year than they had last year, and that is a winning culture with the depth and the chemistry to back it up. No bailouts. No luck. Just some really good basketball.
