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Key takeaways from Wisconsin Badgers' last-second 78-75 win over Minnesota

The Badgers are riding high with a three-game win streak, and Tuesday night's win once again showed significant growth
Cam Wilhorn|
Jan 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Braeden Carrington (0) celebrates his three-point basket against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Jan 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Braeden Carrington (0) celebrates his three-point basket against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers notched their third straight victory in gutsy fashion. A team that had its toughness questioned early in the season watched as the Golden Gophers knocked down a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds -- just after junior Nolan Winter missed a pair of potential game-clinching free throws -- but they didn't give up.

Instead, the Badgers swiftly inbounded the ball to John Blackwell, who dribbled up the court and stepped into a contested three at the buzzer and made it.

It was a massive win for Wisconsin, avoiding a loss to a Minnesota team that has already knocked off a pair of ranked opponents at home. The loss would have diminished the leaps forward Wisconsin has made over the past few games, where they've vaulted themselves back into the NCAA Tournament picture.

John Blackwell is all the way back

Blackwell went through a multi-game rut before Wisconsin's three-game winning streak began. during the slump, he had gotten down on himself and had his confidence fade.

"I was just pretty down on myself because I wasn't giving the best for my team," Blackwell said after Wisconsin's win over UCLA. "I didn't care about my stats. I feel like I couldn't give it all to my team because I was in foul trouble and then just the last few games I was in my head about stuff that didn't matter."

His normal self began to show through the cracks against the Bruins. Then he delivered 26 points against Michigan, and now, he hit arguably the biggest shot of his college career to knock off Wisconsin's biggest rival.

It's safe to say Blackwell has his swagger back, having dropped 27 points on 8-14 shooting, including five three-pointers, while adding six rebounds and five assists Tuesday night.

The star junior's performances against Michigan and UCLA netted him Naismith Player of the Week honors, but he bested both of those performances with the outburst against Minnesota.

Jack Janicki and Braeden Carrington are rounding into form

As the Badgers 2025-26 roster came together over the offseason, it became clear that Gard planned to lean on Jack Janick and Braeden Carrington.

Two players who carried the profiles of high-effort defenders who were willing to do the dirty work, it seemed like a strong option to replace the bench energy that faded when Kamari McGee and Carter Gilmore graduated.

But it wasn't a seamless transition.

Janicki and Carrington had their share of struggles early in the year. Janicki, who had been inefficient on offense, suddenly didn't have the same impact on defense or as a rebounder. Carrington occasionally had too quick a trigger from three-point range and contributed to Wisconsin's disjointed defense.

Gard shifted those reserve minutes to Hayden Jones and Zach Kinziger -- two hungry freshmen who were willing to do what it took to get on the floor.

That gave Carrington and Janicki two options, up their games or remain on the bench.

The veterans have responded in the way Gard had hoped by stepping up. They've played key roles in the Badgers recent winning streak, and were particularly impactful Tuesday night.

Carrington's three-point barrage will catch the headlines, but he had a critical block on Cade Tyson during the second half and another impressive defensive possession in the final minute. His rotations were crisp, and he proved to be a strong rebounder.

Janicki filled a much-needed defensive role as an eraser. Gard has pointed to players like Gilmore or Andrew Rohde as players who can erase others mistakes by quickly rotating or covering lots of ground. Janicki did precisely that Tuesday.

If a player shook free rolling toward the basket, Janicki stepped in. Help defense? Janicki filled the driving lane. It was the type of effort that goes unnoticed in the box score but made a serious impact on the final score.

The defensive growth is real, and there's still room to go

Minnesota head coach Niko Medved runs The Princeton Offense, which consists of near-constant movement, cuts and ball movement. It tests a defense's ability to rotate, communicate and adjust on every possession.

Against a team like Wisconsin that has struggled to gel defensively, it looked like a prime opportunity for the Golden Gophers to take advantage of. And Minnesota did, at least for a significant portion of the first half.

But the frequency and severity of Wisconsin's breakdowns were less than what they've experienced in previous games. Rotations were occuring more quickly, defenders were quick to help, and when the defense collapsed, off-ball players scrambled to plug the holes.

It was a signal of the growth the Badgers have made since the start of the season and showed just how much more room there is for improvement.

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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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