Wisconsin Badgers
Minnesota
Five Things to Know: UW at Minnesota
January 10, 2026 | Men's Basketball
UW seeks fifth-straight win at Williams Arena
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin men’s basketball team looks to keep its forward momentum with a rivalry matchup against Minnesota on Tuesday at the Williams Arena in the Twin Cities.
The Badgers and Golden Gophers will meet for the 215th time on Tuesday, the most-played matchup in UW program history. Wisconsin leads the series 110-104, but it has often favored the home-side with Minnesota having a 70-39 advantage in Minneapolis. The Badgers are in the midst of a nine-game win streak over Minnesota, dating back to March 1, 2020. In their last 20 meetings, Bucky holds a whopping 18-2 advantage (2013-14).
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT. Fans can watch on Big Ten Network as Dave Revsine and Shon Morris have the call, or listen to Matt Lapay and Brian Butch on the Badger Radio Network.
Fantastic game with a fantastic call pic.twitter.com/z6LrNeXkBA
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) January 10, 2026
LAST TIME OUT
The Badgers earned a statement win over No. 2 Michigan, 91-88, on Saturday at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Nick Boyd led Bucky with a game-high 26 points, while John Blackwell poured in 22. The high octane affair saw 55 points scored in the second half’s first six minutes, with Bucky coming out of that stretch on top, and not looking back. The squads traded buckets all the way into the final possession, where the Badger defense forced an errant Wolverine three to get the game’s final stop for the win.
In total, the Badgers shot 50-percent (29-58) from the field for the first time in Big Ten play this season. UW has now shot 45-percent, or better, in nine games this season, and are 9-0 in such contests.
THE BADGER BIGS’ BARRAGE
True freshman Aleksas Bieliauskas was the key to Saturday’s success, hitting 5-of-10 three-pointers en route to a 17 point, 3 rebound performance. The Lithuanian is the fourth Badger true freshman to hit five threes in a game since 2004, joining Connor Essegian, Brad Davison and Jon Leuer. Bieliauskas also became one-of-seven 6-foot-10, or taller, players to hit five threes in a game this year, accompanying UW’s Austin Rapp on the shortlist, who canned five triples in a 104-83 over Providence on Nov. 27.
Overall, the Badger bigs have been making it rain from beyond the arc this year, being the only team with three players over 6-foot-10 to make double digit three-pointers this season. Bieliauskas brought his total up to 13 following his stellar Saturday, while Rapp has 21, despite missing the last two contests due to injury. Nolan Winter also has 13 makes on the year.
It was raining 3??’s in Ann Arbor ??
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) January 11, 2026
Our 1??5?? treys matched our season best
?? @CBSSportsCBB
pic.twitter.com/Oler77oA8v
THREES STARTING TO FALL
Bieliauskas isn’t the only Badger draining threes as of late. Wisconsin hit 15 triples, overall, on Saturday, and are 25-of-65 (38.4%) from deep in their last two games. Those 25 deep-balls are the fourth-most makes for a Power 4 team in their last two games, and the second-most in the Big Ten. Blackwell nailed four in the win over Michigan, while Winter had three of his own. In a more even attack against UCLA, Winter, Rohde and Jack Janicki each had two triples.
BACK IN THE HOMELAND
UW boasts four Minnesota natives, including Nolan Winter, Braeden Carrington, Jack Janicki and Jack Robison. Winter and Robison are products of recent pipeline Lakeville North High School, where former Badgers Tyler Wahl and Nate Reuvers also played. Carrington was the 2022 Mr. Basketball in Minnesota out of Park Center, and played for the Gophers during his first two seasons of collegiate ball, before transferring to Tulsa, and ultimately UW. Janicki led White Bear Lake High School to their first state tournament appearance since 2000, averaging 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists during a 23-8 season.
SCOUTING THE GOPHERS
Despite early 19th century struggles against the Gophers, UW has dominated the series in the modern day. The Badgers have won their last four games — and eight of the last nine — at Williams Arena, while Gard is 14-2 against Minnesota in his tenure. Bucky took the last meeting, 74-67, thanks to a double-double from Blackwell, who posted a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds.
The Gophers come into Tuesday’s matchup at 10-6 on the season with a 3-2 Big Ten record. They’re fresh off a 70-69 loss to USC last Friday, which halted a five game win streak that gained Quadrant I wins over Iowa and Northwestern. Jumbo guard Cade Tyson leads Minnesota’s offensive attack, averaging 21.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He’s supported by three other double digit scores in Jaylen Crocker Johnson (12.6 PPG), Langston Reynolds (10.6 PPG) and primary playmaker Isaac Assuma, who averages 10.2 points and 4.3 assists per game.
