SerpApi.Org
The Wisconsin Badgers didn’t have the year they wanted defensively in 2025, ranking 56th in KenPom, which was the school’s lowest mark since 2018.
The struggles were amplified to start the year, and the team never progressed to the level Wisconsin needed it to throughout the year. So, it wasn’t a surprise that Wisconsin was looking to focus on that side of the ball with its additions this offseason.
The Badgers added Owen Foxwell, a point guard with a strong defensive background, from the NBL to lead the way. They also added Trey Autry and Eian Elmer on the wings, who should bring some more defensive aptitude on-ball. Victory Onuetu is a quality shot-blocker in the frontcourt. And Wisconsin returns Jack Janicki and Hayden Jones, while looking to see the next step from Will Garlock as a rim protector.
This offseason, with summer workouts starting, the Badgers are also emphasizing defensive drills more early on in the offseason, knowing that last year can’t be the standard.
“Yeah, we have to be better,” head coach Greg Gard said about the team’s defense. “I mean, this year’s team is so much different than last year’s team, but we have to raise the bar defensively. We just were not as good last year for a variety of reasons. And they understand that for us to be in the elite category nationally, we’re going to have to be really good defensively.
“Obviously it helps to get some 7’1 guys in the ring. They can correct a lot of mistakes, but collectively we have to be better. And I think obviously the drills and stuff, we’ve done more this summer than previous summers just because I felt I wanted to make sure that was emphasized early and they understood it. So it’s going to be— I don’t want to depend on, you know, 2 or 3 7-footers sitting at the rim and blocking shots. We have to be good out front too. But they understand the importance of that end of the floor, even though we have really raised the bar scoring-wise. Finding that right balance, I think, is always the key.”
Wisconsin’s offensive output over the last few years has raised the ceiling for what this team can be, as long as the defense remains in that top-25 to top-30 range that the Badgers are accustomed to. While this team will look quite different than the 2025 group, we’ll see if Wisconsin can course-correct and become more balanced on both sides of the ball.
