The Wisconsin Badgers pulled off the best win of the 2025-26 college basketball season to date, defeating the No 2-ranked Michigan Wolverines, who were 14-0 overall and 4-0 in conference. According to CBS Sports, this massive Quad 1A victory jettisons the Badgers from outside of the NCAA Tournament field all the way up to a projected No. 8-seed.
This was the sixteenth top-10 win in Greg Gard’s career as Wisconsin head coach. Additionally, the triumph is Wisconsin’s seventh against a top-five opponent as an unranked team under Gard. That is the most wins of any DI team in that span (since 2015-16), per ESPN Insights. While things haven’t always gone the Badgers’ way in the NCAA Tournament, the program has found significant success against top teams under Gard.
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Before fans turn their attention to the Badgers’ away trip to Minnesota this coming Tuesday, here are three main takeaways from the team’s massive victory over the Michigan Wolverines:
Wisconsin tallied 16 assists on 29 made field goals
Wisconsin has struggled this season to find the best shot possible, which was one of its biggest strengths last year. It has seen a lot of isolation on offense, which can lead to prolonged scoring droughts and stagnation. On Saturday, the Badgers had three players record three or more assists, demonstrating that they found success with their shot selection and gelled together better than before. This isn’t a surprise considering how many transfers play quality minutes for the Badgers, but it does prove that this team has a ton of potential moving forward, and could be a fun squad to follow for the rest of the season.
Aleksas Bieliauskas should start for the rest of season
Transfer forward Austin Rapp has been out for two games with an undisclosed injury, yet the Badgers were able to win both games against key opponents (UCLA and Michigan). Freshman forward Aleksas Bieliauskas returned to the starting lineup in Rapp’s absence and came up big in the Badgers’ win against UCLA, scoring 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Against Michigan, Bieliauskas’ three-point barrage came at the exact right time in the second half, helping Wisconsin take the lead for the first time in the game. He missed on a few early three-point attempts, but remained unfazed, and was arguably the Badgers’ most impactful player Saturday afternoon.
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Even when Rapp returns from injury, Bieliauskas should remain in the starting lineup, as his impact has been significant. Additionally, Rapp has excelled as a reserve this season. That role could be what the transfer forward needs to get his game going.
John Blackwell and bench production are Wisconsin’s X-factors
The Badgers’ win over Michigan proved two things about their rotation: Wisconsin can reach its offensive potential when John Blackwell plays like a number-one option, and its bench can provide a spark in crucial minutes. This sounds quite obvious at first, but it has been a struggle for the Badgers all season long. Wisconsin is 7-1 in games where Blackwell scores 15 or more points, with that one loss coming against TCU in the Rady Children’s Invitational.
As for the Badgers’ bench, players like Braeden Carrington and Jack Janicki have to provide a spark while on the court for the team to have any realistic chance at making the NCAA tournament. Carrington had one of his most impactful games against Michigan, scoring 12 points and dishing out four assists. Janicki had a solid outing earlier this week against UCLA, scoring six points, proving that bench production can make or break games for Wisconsin. Especially when Rapp returns to action, these three players need to produce off the bench and help lift the team when the starters are resting. All three of these players have that capability; it just comes down to execution in-game.
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Wisconsin heads to the Twin Cities on Tuesday to face rival Minnesota in what should be an interesting matchup for both teams. The Badgers need to string some more wins together to remain in the NCAA Tournament conversation, while the Gophers are looking to make strides in Niko Medved’s first season as head coach.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s road win over Michigan
