Wisconsin Badgers may avoid facing Minnesota's leading scorer Wednesday

When the Wisconsin Badgers faced off against Minnesota earlier in January, they delivered one of the most thrilling moments of the season so far.

Golden Gophers' wing Cade Tyson and Badgers' guard John Blackwell exchanged three-pointers in the final five seconds. Tyson's tied the game, Blackwell's won it.

BUZZER BEATERRRRR

Check out this clip of our @jerseymikes Naismith Men's College POY Watch List player John Blackwell hitting a huge game-winning shot!

Video: @_Johnblackwell1 pic.twitter.com/7A3urFHqt5
— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy) January 23, 2026

When the two teams meet Wednesday at the Kohl Center, it may not be have the same level of electricity.

That's because Minnesota may be playing without Tyson.

Minnesota's Cade Tyson unlikely to play against Wisconsin

Golden Gophers' head coach NIko Medved told the The Pioneer Press that Tyson is "probably doubtful" due to an ankle injury the star wing sustained Saturday against Nebraska.

News brief: #Gophers leading scorer, Cade Tyson, doubtful to play against #Badgers due to ankle injury suffered in loss to Nebraska. Minnesota's already thin rotation will likely shrink even move for the rivalry game. https://t.co/o7tGRrFaJc
— Andy Greder (@andygreder) January 27, 2026

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Tyson has been one of the top scoring threats in the Big Ten, as his 20.1 points per game rank third in the conference.

He logged 14 points (on 5-10 shooting), five rebounds and three assists against the Badgers, and he's shooting 40 percent from three-point range on the season.

Tyson's absence would be a major blow to the Golden Gophers' offense, as he's the only player on the roster shooting better than 34 percent from the field. He accounts for 27 percent of the team's points.

That'll put significantly less stress on the Badgers defense, and it will free up John Blackwell to bounce around defensively instead of keying in on Tyson.

Minnesota is also running low on bodies. Starters Chansey Willis and Robert Vaihola sustained season-ending injuries earlier in the season. Cal transfer B.J. Omot, who averaged 10.8 points per game in four appearances during the 2024-25 campaign, is also out for the season.

The slew of injuries has forced Medved to utilize a seven-man rotation, Now, he'll have an even shorter bench, likely having to put freshman Kai Shinholster into the starting lineup while possibly adding Maximus Gizzi or RJ Spencer to the rotation. Gizzi has played 10 total minutes this season and Spencer has played three.

Whether Medved adds to the rotation or just condenses the minutes to his top six, the Badgers will have a clear advantage in depth. That means Wisconsin could attack even more in transition and look to force the Golden Gophers into a fast-paced game.

It'll be a tall task, as Minnesota is one of the slowest team's in the country, but expect the Badgers to try and wear out the shorthanded Golden Gophers if Tyson is sidelined.

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