One Thing Each Wisconsin Badgers Starter Can Improve For The NCAA Tournament

The Wisconsin Badgers' NCAA Tournament draw was revealed on Sunday, and they'll be headed out to Portland, Oregon to face No. 12 High Point on Thursday.

After a strong finish to the season and an impressive Big Ten Tournament run despite the absences of Nolan Winter and Jack Janicki, Wisconsin is carrying some strong momentum into March Madness.

As always, there is room for improvement, though, and here is one thing each Badgers starter can tweak in the coming days to bolster the team's NCAA Tournament chances.

You got to play your best 40 minutes to earn another 40 minutes pic.twitter.com/iRJFVn9CYU
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 16, 2026

Related: Four things to know about Wisconsin Badgers' NCAA Tournament first-round opponent

Nick Boyd: Find ways to finish in front of bigs

How do you improve on perfection? There's truly nothing more the Badgers can ask out of Boyd after what he's done this season.

On pace for one of the best scoring seasons in program history, Boyd has taken over games against elite opponents and has been a constant source of energy and defensive effort. But if there's one thing that he could do better -- and this is nitpicking -- it's preventing blocked shots from behind.

Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd in an OT win over Illinois:

38 PTS | 12-20 FG | 5 REB | 6 AST | 3 STL pic.twitter.com/OIxupUjooO
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 13, 2026

Boyd, a smaller guard can blow by opposing forwards with his speed, but big men with long wingspans or strong athleticism can still impact or block his shot from behind if he takes a straight path to the basket.

Whether it's mixing in a jump stop and shot fake, playing into the contact or trying to get to the opposite side of the rim, diversifying the ways he can score against giants of the paint would make him even more unstoppable.

John Blackwell: Play aggressive, but smart

Foul trouble has been an issue for Blackwell throughout the season, and he dealt with foul troubles in three straight games late in the regular season: vs Michigan State, at Ohio State and vs Iowa.

After avoiding foul issues for a stretch following that three-game stint, Blackwell had to navigate foul trouble early in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals against Michigan.

The star guard, who hung 34 and 31 points in back-to-back games at the United Center last weekend, is obviously a critical offensive piece.

But he's just as important on the defensive end, often drawing matchups against the opponents' best player and guarding 1 through 4.

Because of his two-way impact, Wisconsin can't afford for Blackwell to pick up silly fouls, especially on the offensive end. He needs to be wary of players who are willing to take charges, and avoid pushing off with an extended arm while driving.

Wisconsin guard John Blackwell in the Big 10 Quarterfinal:

31 PTS | 9-17 FG | 6 REB pic.twitter.com/YTPn41wYeC
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 13, 2026

Andrew Rohde: Find consistency with 3pt shooting

Rohde has been the Badgers' most reliable defender this season, playing quality on-ball defense and flying around the court to help his teammates.

But the senior, who shot 41.3 percent from three-point land last season at Virginia, hasn't had as much success on the offensive end.

He's knocking down just 31 percent of his looks from beyond the arc this season, which is especially concerning considering 71.9 percent of his total shots have been threes.

AB offensive board ➡️ Rohde Trey 💥

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/bZheDaTlnE
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) February 26, 2026

Wisconsin, though already boasting an exceptional three-point attack, could use some improved shotmaking from Rohde in the Big Dance. The Badgers are 8-2 in games where Rohde makes more than 33.3 percent of his three-pointers.

Aleksas Bieliauskas: Contest without fouling

Greg Gard pointed out early in the 2025-26 season that Bieliauskas had to adjust to the way games were officiated in the NCAA, noting that the freshman forward from Lithuania couldn't get away with as much as he could in Europe.

Bieliauskas could be in for another stark change when March Madness rolls around.

The Big Ten is an exceptionally physical league, and officials are forced to be more lenient given the consistent contact.

Foul trouble has occasionally been an issue for Bieliauskas, and he has a habit of swatting downward with his arms when contesting shots. He may not be able to get away with that or the other minor bumps and pushes that are allowed in Big Ten play.

And given Wisconsin's limited frontcourt depth, having Bieliauskas sidelined for prolonged periods could be a significant detriment.

Nolan Winter: Attacking off the dribble

The obvious improvement for Winter is in the health department, as he missed four straight games with a left ankle injury leading up to the NCAA Tournament.

But, all signs are pointing to Winter being available to face High Point.

Nolan Winter: "I'll be ready to go next week"#Badgers pic.twitter.com/ST2FO8uXAU
— Andrew Bandstra (@andrewbandstra) March 14, 2026

Most of Winter's scoring production comes in the flow of the offense, primarily by popping or rolling off a screen or being left open when Boyd or Blackwell collapses the defense.

Winter's self-created shots are mostly offensive rebounds and putbacks. However, he's flashed the ability to drive to the rim from the perimeter and finish with athleticism.

When he's agressive with the ball in his hands, it adds another element for defeneses to worry about. Winter becomes a threat to fake a dribble hand-off and score an easy two or punish hard close outs with a pump-fake and drive.

Winter's recent absence could leave him in a tentative mindset, which would be a significant negative for the Badgers.