Wisconsin
How Wisconsin’s small rotation showed encouraging depth in win over Iowa
Nick Boyd was ‘best player’ in Wisconsin Badgers’ win over Iowa
Nick Boyd was the ‘best player on the floor’ in Wisconsin’s win over Iowa, Greg Gard said in his postgame press conference.
MADISON – Wisconsin guard John Blackwell’s 3-pointer early in the second half against Iowa was somewhat routine, at least by Blackwell’s standards.
Teammate Nick Boyd found him with plenty of space against Iowa’s transition defense. Blackwell caught it and easily made the 3-pointer from the right side. It was his team-best 67th 3-pointer made so far in the 2025-26 season.
The more unique aspect was what happened in the 22 minutes of basketball preceding Blackwell’s 3-pointer – or more like what didn’t happen.
Blackwell, the Badgers’ second-leading scorer, had not scored before that. While that initially may sound like a negative, Wisconsin’s ability to remain competitive in a Quad 1 game against Iowa without contributions from its preseason all-Big Ten honoree was a sign of growth.
In Wisconsin’s previous games against Quad 1 opponents – the games with the most upside for an NCAA Tournament resume – the Badgers did not always show the ability to overcome a quiet night from Blackwell.
When the Badgers lost by 30 points to then-No. 22 Nebraska, Blackwell shot 1 of 11 (or 9.1%). When the Badgers lost by 28 to then-No. 10 BYU, Blackwell shot 3 of 13 (or 23.1%). On the other side of the equation, he shot 9 of 16 in the Badgers’ win over Michigan – the No. 1 team in the USA TODAY coaches poll at the time and still a top-three team.
In Quad 1 games where Blackwell makes at least six field goals, Wisconsin has gone 4-2. When Blackwell falls short of that mark against a Quad 1 foe, the Badgers are 1-5. The one exception was the Badgers’ recent victory over the rival Hawkeyes.
Those records could change, of course, as teams rise and fall in the NCAA’s NET rankings. (A Quad 1 win is against a top-30 team at home, top-50 team at a neutral site or top-75 team on the road.) But the proof of concept was there, nonetheless, for how the Badgers can win against top-tier competition, even when one of their best players are not playing at an elite level.
Wisconsin’s winning formula
It obviously lessens the burden when Boyd puts up 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds like he did against the Hawkeyes. He was one rebound short of the third triple-double in program history.
But Wisconsin’s winning formula when Blackwell is not hitting his shots extends beyond Boyd’s contributions.
“We’ve got some depth, and we’ve got some firepower,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after the win over Iowa. “And I think we’ve got guys that have developed into the role.
“[Braeden] Carrington specifically. Obviously having [Austin] Rapp back in the lineup helps and gives us some more offensive punch.”
Carrington did not have much of an established role in December and early January, as the senior guard did not exceed 10 minutes in any game from Dec. 10-Jan. 6. But he has played more than 15 minutes in each of the 12 games since then.
Carrington’s perimeter shooting and defensive intensity have given the Badgers a major lift during those 12 games, which include when he hit seven 3-pointers in UW’s win at Minnesota that culminated with Blackwell’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Rapp, a 6-foot-10 forward, came in with plenty of buzz as the reigning West Coast Conference freshman of the year. His early results did not necessarily match the early expectations, but he has shown significant improvement beyond just his perimeter shooting.
The Portland transfer now has a key role in the rotation, playing 20-plus minutes in the last four games where he was available. (He missed two games during that span with a pesky case of the flu.) He hit five 3-pointers in the Jan. 31 win over Ohio State, four 3-pointers in the Feb. 10 win at then-No. 7 Illinois and four 3-pointers in the Feb. 22 win over Iowa.
Even with improved contributions from players such as Carrington and Rapp, the Badgers do not necessarily have a deep rotation. Only seven UW players were on the floor for 10-plus minutes against Iowa, which was the first game after Jack Janicki’s wrist injury that required surgery.
Jones gets more time on the court
Gard has expressed optimism about freshman guard Hayden Jones, who earned more minutes in the Badgers’ loss at Ohio State in the immediate aftermath of Janicki’s injury. The New Zealand native was on the floor for seven minutes against the Hawkeyes.
“I was confident Hayden Jones would come in and not miss a beat,” Gard said after the Iowa win. “He brings a lot of size to the wing, and he played a little bit of four today in our small-ball group. He rebounds well. He’s got a great demeanor. He’s got some toughness to him.”
Jones’ opportunities were limited in the second half because of Blackwell getting “so much rest” amid foul trouble.
“John was so fresh,” Gard said.
The whole idea of Blackwell having a quiet night is becoming less common. The 6-foot-4 guard has shot 40% or better in five of his last six games, and he has scored 10-plus points in 13 consecutive games.
That coincides with Wisconsin’s five wins in its last seven games, lifting the Badgers from the NCAA tournament bubble to a comfortable at-large bid in seemingly every postseason prognostication.
“When he’s at his best, we’re at our best,” Boyd said of Blackwell earlier this season.
(WLUK) — Applications for Wisconsin’s 2026 elk season open next week.
The DNR says the application period begins Sunday, Mar 1 and will close on Sunday, May 31.
Selected applicants will be notified in early June.
For the third year in a row, there will be increased opportunity to pursue elk within the Central Elk Management Zone (formerly Black River Elk Range), as additional bull elk and antlerless harvest authorizations will be available through the state licensing system. The 2026 elk quota for the Central Elk Management Zone is six bull elk and six antlerless elk, up from a quota of four bull and five antlerless in 2025.
The Northern Elk Management Zone (formerly Clam Lake Elk Range) quota will be eight bull elk, subject to a 50% declaration by Ojibwe tribes.
During the open application period, applicants will have the choice to submit one bull elk license application and/or one antlerless elk license application, separately. Applicants can apply to any unit grouping with an associated quota for that authorization type (bull or antlerless). The order of drawing will be bull licenses first, followed by antlerless licenses. As a reminder, only one resident elk hunting license can be issued or transferred to a person in their lifetime, regardless of authorization type.
In 2026, there will be one continuous hunting season, opening Saturday, Oct. 17, and continuing through Sunday, Dec. 13, eliminating the split-season structure that was in effect from 2018-2025. This offers elk hunters more opportunities and flexibility to pursue elk in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin residents can submit elk license applications online through the Go Wild license portal or in person at a license sales agent. The application fee is $10 for each of the bull elk and antlerless elk drawings and is limited to one application per person, per authorization type. The DNR recommends that all applicants check and update their contact information to ensure contact with successful applicants.
For each application fee, $7 goes directly to elk management, monitoring and research. These funds also enhance elk habitat, which benefits elk and many other wildlife. If selected in the drawing, an elk hunting license costs $49.
Before obtaining an elk hunting license, all selected hunters must participate in a Wisconsin elk hunter education course. The class covers Wisconsin elk history, hunting regulations, biology, behavior and scouting/hunting techniques.
(WLUK) — Snow remains deep across parts of the Northwoods and the Upper Peninsula, even though much of Northeast Wisconsin has seen notable snow-melting heading toward spring.
It’s connected to a shift in Pacific climate patterns.
As of Thursday, 75.1% of the Northern Great Lakes area was covered by snow. Snow depth across the Northwoods and the U.P. ranges from 20 to 30 inches, with areas along and north of Highway 8 in Wisconsin at about 20 inches.
But farther south, significant snowmelt has occurred over the last few weeks across Northeast Wisconsin and the southern half of the state.
Looking ahead, an ENSO-neutral spring is looking likely, meaning Pacific Ocean temperatures are not notably above or below average. Conditions tend to be more normal and seasonal, though that does not guarantee typical weather.
La Niña occurs when the Pacific Ocean has below-average temperatures across the central and east-central portions of the equatorial region. El Niño is the opposite, with warmer ocean temperatures in those regions. Those shifts influence weather across the United States and globally.
In Wisconsin, a La Niña spring is usually colder and wetter, while an El Niño spring brings warmer and drier conditions. During a neutral period, neither El Niño nor La Niña is in control and weather can swing either direction.
Despite the snowpack up north, the 2026 spring outlook from Green Bay’s National Weather Service leans toward a low flood risk, because ongoing drought in parts of the state is helping to absorb snowmelt.
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Dry conditions are also raising fire concerns in several parts of the country. Low snowfall in states out west is increasing wildfire concerns, and those areas are already experiencing drought. Wildfire activity can increase quickly if above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation continue into spring. About half of the lower 48 states are in drought this week — an increase of 16% since January.
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