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Greg Gard shares key reasons why Wisconsin Badgers targeted guard Braeden Carrington in transfer portal

Carrington knows what it takes to play and succeed in the Big Ten, and his experience will be valuable for Wisconsin.
Lorin Cox|
Mar 9, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Braeden Carrington (4) goes to the basket against Northwestern Wildcats guard Blake Smith (43) during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Mar 9, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Braeden Carrington (4) goes to the basket against Northwestern Wildcats guard Blake Smith (43) during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

It's easy to see why Greg Gard wanted Braeden Carrington's scoring and rebouding in the transfer portal.

But the appeal of the senior guard for the Wisconsin Badgers head coach was much deeper than just the stat sheet.

The school officially announced Carrington's signing on Wednesday, and Gard shared details on the value he sees the Tulsa transfer bringing to the program.

"Braeden brings three years of college basketball experience to our program along with a level of maturity and understanding of the Big Ten that is crucial in today's landscape of roster composition. We've followed his career since he was in high school where he won a state championship in Minnesota. He knows our program and several of our current and former players very well which made for an easy and comfortable transition for him to come back to the Big Ten. We're excited to have Braeden on campus starting in June as we prepare our team for the 2025-26 season."
Greg Gard

Experience, maturity and a comfortable transition — all three are critical to Carrington being a successful addition for the Badgers.

It's not often you land a player in the transfer portal who has played a game in your home arena already, but he played once in the Kohl Center as a freshman at Minnesota in 2022. He scored three points with three rebounds in a 63-60 Wisconsin victory.

Carrington knows what it takes to play and succeed in the Big Ten. He's already seen first hand what Gard asks of his players.

His length and rebounding from the guard position will be a valuable asset to the 2025-26 Badgers, and his background will help him hit the ground running.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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