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Wisconsin Badgers' newfound depth sparks competition among four bench guards

Wisconsin struggled to get enough production from its second unit early in the season, now it's having a hard time finding enough minutes for its reserves.
Cam Wilhorn|
Wisconsin guard Braeden Carrington (0) shoots over Ball State guard Armoni Zeigler (5) during the second half of their game Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin beat Ball State 86-55.
Wisconsin guard Braeden Carrington (0) shoots over Ball State guard Armoni Zeigler (5) during the second half of their game Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin beat Ball State 86-55. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

MADISON, Wis. - All 13 of Wisconsin's games this season have been decided by double-digits.

That's meant that Greg Gard has witnessed plenty of good, and plenty of bad. One of the important things he has learned through the tumultuous start is to go deep into the second unit.

"I've learned that I need to keep this bench deep," Gard said after Tuesday's 80-60 win over UW-Milwaukee. "It takes the pressure off the guys that are in front of them, but yet it keeps the pressure on them, that they have to perform or they know there's willing and capable bodies coming in."

Gard has leaned into the philosophy since the Badgers' back-to-back dissapointing losses to Nebraska and Villanova.

Through the rough patch, Gard pressed players not in the starting lineup to give more effort defensively and play to the Wisconsin standard.

And for the first time this season, it feels like the second unit has made considerable growth.

Related: Freshman center Will Garlock doing his best to maximize his minutes

Wisconsin Badgers experience bench revival after rotation shift

Wisconsin has scored 44 and 31 bench points in its last two games, respectively., a sizeable increase from the 14.4 bench points they were averaging per game before that stretch.

The two-game burst has aligned with a major change in the rotation, with Zach Kinziger entering the fold. Kinziger, who had previously had conversations with Gard about redshirting, has offered a spark in his minutes.

"He's a little bulldog defensively," Gard said after Wisconsin's win over Central Michigan last week. "He's just a true Badger through and through, and brings some toughness and some energy, and he's a fierce competitor... You can never have enough of that."

Kinziger has played a total of 30 minutes in his two games this season, totaling 11 points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal. Most importantly, he's yet to turn the ball over.

Gard noted that Kinziger's addition to the rotation was a reflection of the freshman's growth rather than a deficiency of other bench players.

However, Gard now has to juggle the minutes of four reserve guards who have all shown to be significant contributors at times.

While Jack Janicki and Hayden Jones have been earning praise from Gard for their recent play, senior Braeden Carrington's playing time has taken a hit.

Carrington has been the fourth guard off the bench in back-to-back games. Against Central Michigan, Carrington was still getting over a hip injury that kept him sidelined from practice for about a week. He played nine minutes.

Against Milwaukee, Carrington didn't see the floor until the 9:24 mark of the second half, finishing with six minutes played.

That's not a trend Gard expects to continue.

"I don't know if it'll be balanced. It's going to be based on who practices really well, who plays well," Gard said "I would have liked to have got (Carrington) in a little sooner, but -- and it may be different the next game."

"I think that's the one thing with the bench, how it's developed, or how it its. It's going to be by committee and the committee leader may be different every night."

Keeping an equal distribution of minutes with those four guards could cause issues. After all, a player like Carrington, who's a senior that came to Wisconsin for his final year of eligibility could take a decreased role the wrong way, especially when it's for a freshman.

Gard doesn't anticipate that being an issue for Carrington or the rest of the bunch.

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"As I told (Carrington) after the game, don't worry about if you're on the scout team because I can't take the air out of the tires on the scout team and bring everybody over," Gard said. (Carrington's) an older, experienced guy. He's been around the block. He understands, you know, he's still going to tet in there and play and be ready to go."

Gard added that Janicki is in a similar spot with his playing time, knowing it could fluctuate from game-to-game based on who's performing.

But if there's any sort of certainty Gard has regarding the batch of guards, it's that they're all going to play a role.

"I have to play them all. I'm going to mix and match them and allow them to show me who can be consistently, you know, at the front."

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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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