Wisconsin Badgers coach Greg Gard gives brutal injury update on key player

MADISON, WI -- The University of Wisconsin men's basketball team took a significant hit this week, as key bench player and defensive leader Jack Janicki sustained what we know now is a broken wrist during Tuesday's loss to Ohio State.

Head Coach Greg Gard didn't have an update immediately after the contest, but further testing revealed Janicki sustained a broken wrist.

The redshirt sophomore underwent surgery Thursday to address the issue, leaving his availability for the remainder of the 2025-26 season up in the air.

#Badgers Jack Janicki broke his wrist against Ohio State and had surgery yesterday.

Gard didn’t go too far in establishing a return timeline, but Janicki is for sure out for the regular season. Past that, it’s uncertain
— Cam Wilhorn (@CamWilhorn) February 20, 2026

"He's going to be out for the foreseeable future," Gard told reporters Friday. "I don't foresee him back at all in the regular season. It'll be after that, if it happens at all."

Janicki sustained the injury late in the first half against the Buckeyes, when he roamed over to contest a shot by Puff Johnson. Janicki lost balance in the air and hit the court hard, with him arms out to brace the fall.

He played through the injury until the next dead ball, when he subbed out and did not return.

More: 'Last Week Doesn't Matter': How Greg Gard, Badgers Plan to Move Past Ohio State Loss

With Janicki sidelined Gard turned to freshman Hayden Jones, who played quality minutes. He chipped in six points, four rebounds and one assist across 16 minutes.

An emphatic putback dunk highlighted his efforts.

Jones with the JAM 💥 @BadgerMBB

📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/XDIODrhofV
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 18, 2026

"For somebody that hasn't had consistent minutes, I thought (Jones) did a lot of good things," Gard said. "Now, he'll be having an opportunity for more (minutes), and it just falls in line with what I tell him all the time: stay ready."

Jones' 16 minutes were his second most this season, trailing his 24 minutes played when he made his first career start Dec. 22.

The New Zealand native earned for his defensive ability and hustle during late December — a time when Gard called the Badgers "soft."

Wisconsin will need more of that defensive effort from Jones, as Janicki has been one of the team's most important players on that end.

But it might be Janicki's voice that the Badgers miss most. He's evolved into one of the team's most vocal leaders on and off the floor, which is an impact that will be difficult to replicate.

Related: How Badgers' Jack Janicki has quietly become Wisconsin basketball's quarterback

The Badgers have five regular-season games remaining before the Big Ten Tournament tips off March 10.