All Badgers

Greg Gard singles out players who earned more playing time after loss Wisconsin Badgers to Villanova

The Wisconsin Badgers' rotation is set to undergo changes as Greg Gard looks for the right group to turn around their recent struggles.
Cam Wilhorn|
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard is shown during the first half of their game against Villanova Friday, December 19, 2025 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard is shown during the first half of their game against Villanova Friday, December 19, 2025 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin's overtime loss to Villanova in Milwaukee was emblematic of the 2025-26 season.

The Badgers went through stretches of playing high-effort, two-way basketball but had just as many lackadaisical and error-filled stints.

Within the Badgers best stretch of play, recovering from a double-digit halftime deficit, Greg Gard learned something about his team.

5-6 players "set the standard" for Wisconsin basketball

Through Wisconsin's tumultuous non-conference slate, Gard has questioned the Badgers mental and physical fortitude. In the second half against the WIldcats, the Badgers finally showed the fight and focus that Gard had desired.

"The second half showed who we can be, who we need to be. It's what we've been asking for in terms of that effort and commitment on the defensive end." Gard said postgame. "Five or six guys showed me who I need to have on the floor."

He referenced back to this group of players throughout his postgame availability, praising them for demonstrating what this Wisconsin team must do in order to be successful.

The unit featured Wisconsin's starting five, plus one surprise: true freshman Hayden Jones.

Jones saw an expanded role off the bench with Braeden Carrington sidelined by an unspecified injury. The New Zealand native played eight minutes, collecting two points, two rebounds and an assist.

His mid-range jumper in the second half marked the Badgers' only bench points. While Jones committed a pair of turnovers and had two fouls, his effort and willingness to defend stood out.

It wasn't the first time his play on the defensive end caught the eye of Gard.

"At the end I thought we had some better defensive possessions," Gard said after the Badgers' 30-point loss to Nebraska last week. "Hayden Jones was in the game. He did what we wanted him to do and handle screens."

Carrington's injury may have opened the door for Jones to see more action Friday night, but it looks like Jones has wiggled through the opening to potentially become a rotation regular.

Sign Up For the Wisconsin Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Wisconsin Badgers Newsletter

Frontcourt rotation could see more changes

Nolan Winter delivered a career-high 23 points and notched his sixth double-double of the campaign, More importantly, Winter stepped up on the defensive end. He swatted a pair of shots and played with fire for all three periods.

According to Gard, that fire is what Wisconsin's young forwards need to bring.

"Anybody that wants to be on the floor supporting and helping these guys understands what the standard is," Gard said. "I'm not asking Nolan [Winter] to hold back or slow up and let everybody else catch up to him..."

"They've got to step forward, and they've got to mature and grow and improve at a fast rate. They see what Nolan's doing. That's the example. That's the standard."

Freshman Aleksas Bieliauskas, who still has room to grow, tied his career high in minutes with 27 and also offered plenty in the effort department.

Conversely, Austin Rapp tied his season low in minutes with 16, while Will Garlock saw minimal run.

As part of what Gard called the "Iron 5" starting lineup, Bieliauskas could continue to see significantly more playing time than Rapp and perhaps even separate further from the Portland transfer.

Related: It's time to press the panic button on the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team

Where does that leave the rest of the rotation?

If Gard follows through with his stated intent to condense the rotation, fewer minutes would be available for Rapp, Jack Janicki, Carrington and Garlock.

Two of them in particular could see their roles decrease in the short term.

Janicki emerged as a consistent positive off the bench a season ago and appeared ready to step into an even larger role with the second unit,

That hasn't come to fruition.

He is hitting 32.4 percent of his field goal attempts, and he already has more turnovers (10) than he did in 37 games last season (8). On the defensive end, Janicki has just three steals in nine games after racking up seven pilfers across his first two outings.

Averaging just over 17 minutes per game, he finds himself in a tough situation. Braeden Carrington offers a similar skillset but has been more productive. Jones' ball-handling is a plus, and with both having minimal offensive impact, Jones' proposed increased role could come at Janicki's expense.

Garlock has all but fallen out of the rotation. He's looked tentative offensively and has been slower to adapt on the defensive end than his freshman counterpart in the frontcourt.

It's difficult to imagine Garlock seeing extended minutes if all three of Winter, Bieliauskas and Rapp are available and not in foul trouble. As a high-upside player, Garlock could improve enough to play a role late in the year, but he's simply not yet up to the standard Gard has referenced.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

Published
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.

Share on XFollow CamWilhorn
Home/Basketball