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Wisconsin Badgers basketball is finally playing with an edge, and it's yielding better results

The Badgers had their toughness questioned early in the season, now, they are showing their bite
Cam Wilhorn|
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard is shown during the first half of their game against Central Michigan Monday, December 22, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard is shown during the first half of their game against Central Michigan Monday, December 22, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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It may have taken longer than Wisconsin had hoped, but the Badgers are starting to play with the mental edge and physical toughness that had been lacking in the team's blowout losses.

The "swag," as Nick Boyd called it, showed up in the second half of an overtime loss to Villanova.

It hung around for closer to 30 minutes in a loss to Purdue in which Wisconsin started and finished strong.

Then against UCLA, Wisconsin notched its best win of the season in dominant fashion, maintaining the requisite level of tenacity for the full 40 minutes.

It's a tangible growth that's come as a result of Wisconsin's seniors leading by example, and the Badgers coaching staff demanding more of the team's newcomers.

"We've gotten better at playing hard"

For Greg Gard, giving maximum effort and playing with toughness are non-negotiables. He hasn't been shy about benching players if they don't meet the standards, either.

"We have to play with that edge. We have to have a physicality to us. We have to have a toughness to us," Gard said after Thursday's practice. "I don't care if you're 5-foot-8 or 7-foot-9, you have to play with that type of mentality."

At a glance, playing hard feels like it should be a given at the college level. But it's more than effort, it's a skill, according to Gard.

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The Badgers' staff has grown that skill in their players by establishing an expectation, no different than their expectations for transition defense, blocking out or ball screen coverage.

"It's definitely something the coaches have been trying to imprint in our brains," senior guard Andrew Rohde said. "Just playing with that toughness that Wisconsin, that program has rebounding, and just (being) physical, having that presence, sending a message."

And while the coaching staff has conveyed the message, the Badgers needed some of their leaders to show what that expectation looks like every day.

Nolan Winter and Nick Boyd, who Gard called the team's two most consistent players, answered the call, in addition to John Blackwell.

"I think it just starts with our leaders. Me, Nick (Boyd), Nolan (Winter), just guys like that who speaking up more and just getting after it more," Blackwell said. "Once guys see that, they'll follow after. That's what always happens when great leaders step up."

As Blackwell alluded to, Wisconsin's role players have followed along.

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After a rough start to the season, Jack Janicki has begun to play the swarming defense and intelligent offense that got him into the rotation in 2025. True freshmen like Hayden Jones and Zach Kinziger have even stepped up on both ends,.

The growth of that guard trio has allowed Gard to get more "firebreathers" on the floor. Against UCLA, Wisconsin played lineups with four guards for prolonged stretches, partially due to the absence of Austin Rapp.

"The other night was a good example of guys playing with an edge, and you want competitors on the floor," Gard said in reference to the UCLA game. "Even our small-ball lineup that we went to more the other night, it was an extremely competitive lineup. We had a lot of fire breathers on the floor."

Therein lies the key to Wisconsin's search for consistency this season: having players willing to play with intensity and do the dirty work necessary to offset imperfect shot making.

"You're not gonna bang 15 threes in every night," Gard said. "You're gonna find other ways, and a lot of the other ways have to do with your fight, and your toughness, and your grit."

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Cam Wilhorn
CAM WILHORN

Cam Wilhorn is a University of Wisconsin School of Journalism Graduate and Wisconsin native. He's been covering Wisconsin sports since 2023 for outlets like BadgerBlitz.com, Badger of Honor and The Badger Herald.

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