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Preview: Wisconsin Badgers prepare for upset-minded TCU in Rady Children's Invitational final

The Wisconsin Badgers compete for their third straight holiday tournament title when it faces TCU in the Rady Children's Invitational finals.
Benjamin Worgull|
Nov 27, 2025; San Diego, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Nick Boyd (2) shoots the ball against the Providence Friars during the second half at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Nov 27, 2025; San Diego, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Nick Boyd (2) shoots the ball against the Providence Friars during the second half at Jenny Craig Pavilion. | Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

Following its fifth 20-point victory of the season, and the first over a power-conference opponent, Wisconsin looks for its third straight holiday tournament title when it faces TCU in the finals of the Rady Children's Invitational in San Diego.

Here is a look at both teams and a prediction for tonight's contest.

TCU (4-2, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Wisconsin (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten)

Date/Time – Friday, November 28, 4:30 p.m.
Arena – Jenny Craig Pavilion
TV – Fox (Cory Provus and Donny Marshall)
Radio – Badgers Radio Network (Chris Vosters and Brian Butch)
Coaches - Greg Gard at Wisconsin (218-118 in his 11th season). Jamie Dixon at TCU (180-128 in his 10th season; 508-251 overall).
Series – First Meeting
Point Spread – Wisconsin -6.5

Wisconsin probable starters

2 Nick Boyd (6-3 Senior Guard, 22.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.2 apg)
7 Andrew Rohde (6-6 Senior Guard, 6.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.0 apg)
22 Austin Rapp (6-10 Sophomore Forward, 11.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.0 apg)
25 John Blackwell (6-4 Junior Guard, 17.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.0 apg)
31 Nolan Winter (6-11 Junior Forward, 15.0 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 1.5 apg)
Off the bench
0 Braeden Carrington (6-5 Senior Guard, 6.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.5 apg)
5 Jack Janicki (6-5 Sophomore Guard, 4.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.7 apg)
23 Will Garlock (7-0 Freshman Center, 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 2.3 apg)
32 Aleksas Bieliauskas (6-10 Freshman Forward, 3.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.7 apg)
Player to watch
With a career-high 36 points on 14-for-24 shooting, Boyd has scored in double figures in all six games this season, including four games with 20+. Boyd is 13-for-37 (35.1 percent) from 3-point range, averaging 2.2 3FGs per game.

TCU probable starters

1 Jayden Pierre (6-1 Senior Guard, 11.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.8 apg)
2 Brock Harding (6-0 Junior Guard, 9.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 6.3 apg)
3 Liutauras Lelevicius (6-7 Junior Guard, 7.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.2 apg)
15 David Punch (6-7 Sophomore Forward, 12.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.3 apg)
24 Xavier Edmonds (6-8 Junior Forward, 8.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Off the bench
0 Jace Posey (6-5 Sophomore Guard, 10.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.6 apg)
5 Micah Robinson (6-6 Sophomore Forward, 10.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 apg)
55 Tanner Toolson (6-5 Junior Guard, 7.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.5 apg)
Player to watch
Harding - an Iowa transfer - had a season-high 19 points and a tied a career high with 12 assists, recording his fourth career double-double in the victory over No.10 Florida. He also set a career high in free throws made (7) and attempted (8) and tied a career high with five steals.

Series notes

This will be the first meeting between the two programs and the 15th different Big 12 school the Badgers have faced. The only Big 12 school UW has not faced is Arizona State, which joined the league 2024.

Wisconsin is 29-28 all-time against teams currently in the Big 12 conference. In Big 12 play this season, the Badgers lost to BYU in Salt Lake City last week and to Oklahoma in exhibition play.

TCU is 13-17 all-time against schools currently in the Big Ten. The Horned Frogs lost to Michigan, 67-63, in Fort Worth on November 14.

Wisconsin notes

The Badgers have won seven of their last eight – and 12 of their last 14 – regular-season neutral site games dating back to 2021-22.

The Badgers' 104 points is the most UW has ever scored against a major conference team in a non-conference game. The Badgers topped Georgia Tech, 104-84 on Dec. 28, 1963.

With 14 offensive rebounds against Providence, the Badgers have had at least 10 offensive rebounds in all six games this season and are averaging 13.7 per game.

Including 14 three-point field goals on Thursday, the Badgers are averaging 11.7 3FGs per game, which is tied with Nebraska for tops in the Big Ten and 11th nationally.

TCU notes

Under Dixon, TCU moved to 16-5 in these types of midseason tournaments. Friday, the Frogs will go for their first tournament win since winning the Emerald Coast Classic in 2022.

TCU shot 57.7 percent from the field in the second half against the Gators. It was there highest shooting percentage in a half this season.

Jace Posey scored a career-high 21 points in the victory over No.10 Florida. He was the fifth different player to lead TCU in scoring in the six games this season.

David Punch tied a career high with 19 points and had a career high nine rebounds. It was the second time this season and the third time this season he finished with 19.

Prediction

In the eyes of head coach Greg Gard, Wisconsin wasn't practicing bad in the days leading up to its 28-point loss to BYU. But after getting their teeth kicked in, the response he saw in the four days of on-court work showed ownership of the mistakes and a willingness to take the coaching in order to improve.

The results on Thanksgiving spoke loudly.

Four players scored in double figures, Boyd delivered a 36-point performance that sparked the offense, and the Badgers were stronger and more disciplined defensively against a team that had played a decisivly faster pace than BYU did. The result was a 104-83 victory over Providence, tied for the most points the Badgers have scored against a nonconference power-conference opponent.

"This is a byproduct of practicing and going hard," Gard said.

Two players that responded the best to the tough lessons was Boyd and Rapp. Boyd led UW with 16 points against BYU but finished with no assists. The 6-10 Rapp had no field goals, only two two-point attempts, and no rebounds. Both responded with a vengence, as Boyd had seven rebounds, seven assists, and no turnovers while Rapp had 20 points and eight rebounds.

"The physicality that we played with, the aggressiveness that we played with on both ends of floor, much more assertive (Thursday) than we were last week," Gard said. "Hopefully that shows some growth."

Diving on the floor for loose balls, forcing turnovers and converting them into transition points, and playing with a defensive aggressiveness needs to be part of UW's identity, especially against a TCU team that played a similar style as the Badgers did.

The Horned Frogs had 12 steals for the second straight game and turned 19 turnovers into 23 fast-break points. It led to four players in double figures, a high shooting percentage (47.5), good ball movement (16 assists on 28 baskets) and a lot of free throws (24-for-33) to compensate for a lack of a perimeter game (4-for-17).

Two solid teams with two impressive wins in the semifinals. We'll hedge our bet toward the Badgers, who have a touch more fire power with its interior size and perimeter shooting.

Prediction: Wisconsin by 9
Worgull's Prediction: 6-0 (3-3 ATS)
Points off Prediction: 61 (10.2 ppg)

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Benjamin Worgull
BENJAMIN WORGULL

Benjamin Worgull has covered Wisconsin men's basketball since 2004, having previously written for Rivals, USA Today, 247sports, Fox Sports, the Associated Press, the Janesville Gazette, and the Wisconsin State Journal.

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