How Wisconsin’s small rotation showed encouraging depth in win over Iowa

• Wisconsin showed it can win a key game even when star guard John Blackwell has a quiet night.
• The Badgers’ record in top-tier games has often depended on Blackwell’s scoring performance.
• Improved play from teammates like Braeden Carrington and Austin Rapp has provided more offensive options.

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.