Three Burning Questions as Wisconsin Basketball Enters the Offseason

After High Point derailed the Badgers' March Madness run before it could begin, stunning Wisconsin with an 83-82 upset win in the Round of 64, Wisconsin's season ended brutally and abruptly.

A team that had dreams of — and the talent to execute — a deep tournament run was instead sent packing after one game.

Now, head coach Greg Gard's team faces an offseason brimming with uncertainty, with several star player's futures up in the air.

In day one of Wisconsin basektball's offseason, what are the biggest burning questions facing the program?

Can the Badgers Retain Blackwell, Winter?

Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) and forward Nolan Winter (31). | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Badgers have several key players who are out of eligibility and will depart the program this offseason, including Nick Boyd, Andrew Rohde and Braeden Carrington. The rest have big decisions to make about their future.

The two biggest looming decisions are that of John Blackwell and Nolan Winter. Blackwell went through the NBA Draft process last offseason before electing to return to the Badgers for his junior year. Winter's name has also popped up on NBA Draft big boards. Both were non-committal about returning to Madison next season after the Badgers' loss in Portland.

Both players are obviously key pillars of the program. Blackwell averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists this season while shooting 39 percent from downtown. Winter was a walking double-double this year, posting 13.1 points per game and 8.5 boards.

Still, it appears unlikely that Wisconsin will be able to retain both players. Both could have professional opportunites, and Blackwell in particular could certainly get a raise at a big-time program via the transfer portal. That's not to imply he'd leave Madison for a bigger paycheck, but in this day and age, players have plenty of options each offseason. Everything is on the table.

There's also the question of what other starters/role players the Badgers can/want to re-sign. Austin Rapp has already voiced his commitment to returning, but everyone else is a question mark. Additional top retention priorities include freshmen big men Aleksas Bieliauskas and Will Garlock, along with freshmen guards Zach Kinziger and Hayden Jones.

Can Wisconsin Replicate its Transfer Portal Success?

High Point Panthers center Youssouf Singare (24) embraces Wisconsin Badgers guard Nick Boyd (2). | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Last offseason, the Badgers signed a transfer portal class that, at the time, the "experts" strongly disagreed on.

On3 had Wisconsin with the 10th-best transfer class in the nation, but 247Sports rated the Badgers' incoming crop of transfers as just the 52nd-best nationally.

After the success of Nick Boyd, Austin Rapp, Andrew Rohde and Braeden Carrington, most would likely agree On3's initial evaluation was closer to the truth.

Gard and company revamped their approach in the transfer portal ahead of the 2025 offseason, and the result was a highly impactful class that also produced a superstar in Boyd.

Wisconsin is once again going to have to go to work in the 2026 edition of the transfer portal. The Badgers could potentially need to replace four of five starters this season, and especially need help in the backcourt. How Wisconsin fares in the portal will be a massive indicator of how good they can be in 2026-27.

How Does Greg Gard fix an Ailing Defense?

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Due to the Badgers' spectacular offense in 2025-26, which was the best ever in the Gard era by KenPom's adjusted efficiency metric, their somewhat suspect defense was overshadowed.

Until it wasn't. Until it got exposed by a lights-out shooting High Point team that handed Wisconsin its first loss this season while still scoring 80-plus points.

The flip-side of the Badgers' offensive firepower this season? Their inconsistent defense, which ranked 54th nationally in adjusted efficiency. While Gard's team finished with its highest-ever offensive rating, its defensive rating was also Gard's lowest ever.

Before Gard and former assistant Kirk Penny began implementing their modernized offense, the Badgers' defensive rating averaged 22nd nationally over 10 years.

Wisconsin was better on the defensive end last season with the new offensive system in place, checking in at 24th in the country. So the faster, three-point-reliant offense can't absorb the blame for the Badgers' defensive drop-off this season. Still, if Wisconsin is going to snap its Sweet 16 drought next year, it's clear it'll need to play better defense. That can be solved in a variety of ways, from Xs and Os to simply signing skilled defenders. It'll be interesting to see what kind of approach the Badgers take to improve on that end of the court.