Mar 9, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Braeden Carrington (4) goes to the basket against Northwestern Wildcats guard Blake Smith (43) during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images David Banks-Imagn Images

Greg Gard shares key reasons why Wisconsin Badgers targeted guard Braeden Carrington in transfer portal

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Lorin Cox | Last updated Apr 30, 2025 12:28 PM ET

It's easy to see why Greg Gard wanted Braeden Carrington's scoring and rebouding in the transfer portal.

But the appeal of the senior guard for the Wisconsin Badgers head coach was much deeper than just the stat sheet.

The school officially announced Carrington's signing on Wednesday, and Gard shared details on the value he sees the Tulsa transfer bringing to the program.

"Braeden brings three years of college basketball experience to our program along with a level of maturity and understanding of the Big Ten that is crucial in today's landscape of roster composition. We've followed his career since he was in high school where he won a state championship in Minnesota. He knows our program and several of our current and former players very well which made for an easy and comfortable transition for him to come back to the Big Ten. We're excited to have Braeden on campus starting in June as we prepare our team for the 2025-26 season."Greg Gard

Welcome to Wisconsin Braeden Carrington!

The guard will bring Big Ten experience to the UW backcourt.

https://t.co/NnsvmP4ofM pic.twitter.com/kVTN1ySKGM
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) April 30, 2025

Experience, maturity and a comfortable transition — all three are critical to Carrington being a successful addition for the Badgers.

It's not often you land a player in the transfer portal who has played a game in your home arena already, but he played once in the Kohl Center as a freshman at Minnesota in 2022. He scored three points with three rebounds in a 63-60 Wisconsin victory.

Carrington knows what it takes to play and succeed in the Big Ten. He's already seen first hand what Gard asks of his players.

His length and rebounding from the guard position will be a valuable asset to the 2025-26 Badgers, and his background will help him hit the ground running.