Everything you need to know about the Wisconsin Badgers ahead of Oklahoma exhibition

Boyd delivered a game-high 21 points in the red/white scrimmage last week, and he's received plenty of praise from Gard and his teammates for his leadership, intensity and on-ball ability.

At 6-foot-6, Rohde brings point guard experience while being a knockdown shooter. His size and basketball IQ give Gard a true Swiss Army knife.

Rapp was one of the most prolific three-point shooting bigs in college basketball last season, knocking down 83 three-pointers at a 35 percent clip.

The 6-foot-10 sophomore showcased a versatile scoring attack in the red/white scrimmage, delivering 15 points with just one made three. Rapp's mobility and shooting prowess makes him an extremely difficult guard.

Four-player freshman class earning rave reviews

The Badgers added two high school recruits and two international prospects this offseason. All four have been spoken of highly by their teammates.

Lithuanian forward Aleksas Bieliauskas and New Zealand point guard Hayden Jones' professional and international experiences have put them ahead of the typical US-based 18-year-old, according to Gard.

But don't discount center Will Garlock and guard Zach Kinziger, both of whom are in-state recruits. Gard and players like Blackwell have praised the U.S.-based high schoolers approach to college basketball and for being coachable and competitive this summer.

Jones is a smooth-moving 6-foot-7 guard and showed off his mid-range game and ability to get downhill during the Red/White scrimmage, while also dishing out a pair of assists and logging two steals. During local media day, Blackwell called Kinziger a "microwave scorer."

Garlock's mixture of athleticism and mobility as a big-bodied seven-footer has caught the eyes of his teammates and coaches. Gard praised Bielauskas's ability to play in ball screens and named Bieliauskas as a potential backup center option.

They're going to shoot more threes

Wisconsin set program records in three-pointers attempted and three-pointers made a season ago, while averaging over 80 points per game.

Yet, Blackwell and Winter said at Big Ten Media days that they believe the 2025-26 offense will get even more three-point ashots up. Every player in the expected starting five shot 35 percent or better from beyond the arc last season.

With a pair of mobile, knockdown shooters at the four and the five, it makes sense that Wisconsin will be shooting more triples.

Blackwell made it clear they won't be shooting threes just to hit a quota, saying they're focused on "not just chucking threes, [but] getting the right shots. I think we've done a good job with that. Taking the open ones and then moving the ball when it's not open and getting a good shot."

A different defensive approach

Wisconsin's size and versatility will allow it to play defense differently. With Steven Crowl at center the last three seasons, the Badgers played a lot of drop coverage on ball screens.

That wasn't the case in the Red/White Scrimmage. Instead, bigs were hedging ball screens or blitzing them, not allowing the ball-handler to turn the corner and get downhill.

Past that, Nolan Winter at Big Ten Media Day hinted at the possibility of Wisconsin switching on screens more often, sometimes even being able to switch 1-through-5.

The Badgers' defense was a relative weakness compared to the team's offense a season ago, but it's possible their increased athleticism and versatility on that end could yield better results. Some questions remain as to how well Winter will be able to defend the center position.

The junior has put on upwards of 20 pounds this offseason and said he's been working plenty with Director of Player Development and former NBA forward Greg Stiemsma to grow on the defensive end.

Depth, depth and more depth

Players like Carter Gilmore, Kamari McGee and Jack Janicki anchored a quality second unit in 2024-25. Despite Gilmore, McGee and several other key players graduating or departing via the transfer portal, the program has confidence that this year's role players will be even better.

"Our supporting cast, in my opinion, is deeper this year," John Blackwell said this offseason. "We have all types of guys."

While not explicitly comparing the unit to the auxiliary players on the 2024-25 roster, Gard was also complimentary of the level of depth this group possesses. At local media day, Gard said 10-to-12 players could push for a spot in the rotation.

Renewed emphasis on retention, with a unique twist

In the transfer portal era, some programs have pushed high school recruiting and long-term development to the back burner, opting to retool and rebuild through the transfer portal each offseason.

Though Wisconsin isn't planning on abandoning the portal, the Badgers are leaning into their strengths of player development with a greater interest in finding players who want to be part of the program long-term.

"We don't want this to be a one-stop, just a layover," Gard said at Big Ten Media Day. "If we're coming after you, we want you here. It's for the long haul."

The new world of college sports has opened up an opportunity for Gard and the Badgers to secure long-term commitments through pen and paper. Wisconsin plans on signing incoming recruits to multi-year contracts in the near future, though it's uncertain when the practice will officially be implemented.