Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Wisconsin Badgers earn B-minus grade at midpoint of college basketball season

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Lorin Cox | Last updated Jan 21, 2026 6:34 PM ET

The Wisconsin Badgers reached the halfway point of the college basketball season, which started slow but has gotten a lot more exciting in recent weeks.

Greg Gard's team had plenty of reasons for doubt early on, but they turned a corner as the Big Ten schedule picked up, and now they're a team trending in the right direction.

Their massive upset win over undefeated Michigan earlier this month will help overshadow some disppointing losses earlier in the schedule.

That's reflected in their midseason grade from CBS Sports college basketball writer Isaac Trotter, who gave Wisconsin a B-minus for their work thus far.

Midseason report card on each Big Ten team.

- Michigan finds answers by land or by sea
- Nebraska's secret sauce
- Illinois has had five guys score 20+ multiple times
- Ohio State's clutch-time offense
- Iowa's X-Factors
- Michigan State is nails https://t.co/hSdCN703gV
— Isaac Trotter (@Isaac__Trotter) January 16, 2026

It was getting tenuous in Madison for a minute, but wins over UCLA, Minnesota and a road win over then-No. 2 Michigan have completely revamped Wisconsin's season. The Badgers can have a runway to get rolling here because this offense can be far and away better than its current No. 46 rating on KenPom.com. Isaac Trotter, CBS Sports

Trotter believes the Badgers belong as a tournament team, and he points to the recent reemergence of John Blackwell as a major difference-maker on the court.

The star guard put up 26 points against Michigan and 27 against Minnesota, reestablishing himself as a dangerous threat every time he touches the ball.

Add in the growth of Nick Boyd, who scored 32 on Saturday against Rutgers, and Wisconsin has itself a dynamic backcourt duo that has risen them to that B-minus level.

Prior to the new year, the Badgers suffered tough losses to Villanova, Nebraska, TCU and BYU that left the fan base wondering if this team could find a way to pull it together.

Gard seems to be working his magic once again and has his squad rounding into form as the schedule lightens up.

If they can keep riding this momentum, they could be primed for another Big Ten Tournament run and finish the year with a much higher grade than what the first half of the season produced.

This article first appeared on Wisconsin Badgers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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