Wisconsin Badgers
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Minnesota
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Five Things to Know: UW vs. Minnesota
January 26, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Wisconsin seeks sixth win in last seven outings
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin men’s basketball team looks to bounce back against rival Minnesota on Wednesday at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers fell to USC at home on Sunday, 73-71, which snapped a UW five-game winning streak
Wednesday’s tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT. Fans can watch on Big Ten Network as Jeff Levering and Shon Morris have the call, or listen to Matt Lapay and Brian Butch on the Badger Radio Network.
BLACKWELL AT THE BUZZER
The Badgers (14-6, 6-3 B1G) scored a 78-75 win over Minnesota in their first meeting on Jan. 13 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Junior John Blackwell played hero, sinking a three-pointer at the buzzer to win. He finished with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists, while nailing five three-balls.
Blackwell has had a strong career against the Gophers, averaging 15.8 points across four total games. He dropped 25 points in last season’s road win over the Gophers, notching a double-double with 11 rebounds.
THE GOPHER STRIKES BACK
Braeden Carrington lit up the Gophers in the win two weeks ago with a career-high 21 points. The Minnesota native, and UM transfer, hit seven three-pointers off the bench - one shy of the UW record and the most for a Badger in a game this season. Carrington added 5 rebounds and 2 blocks to aid Bucky to the win.
The 6-foot-4 guard is up to 7.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, and a 42.3-percent clip from deep this season. His 33 made three-pointers are 11 shy of the career-high 44 he posted with Tulsa last season, and nearly double his totals from two years in the Twin Cities.
PROLIFIC NICK
Grad student Nick Boyd continued his scoring prowess with 29 points in the loss to USC. It’s his 11th game with 20-plus this season, the second-most such performances in the Big Ten. He also cracked the UW top-10 list for most 20-point games in a season (since 2004-05), and is eight games shy from Alando Tucker’s top mark of 19 games in the 2006-07 season.
Boyd has scored double figures in all 20 games this season, being one-of-three Big Ten players to eclipse 10 points in every game. Only Frank Kaminsky (2014-15) and Alando Tucker (2006-07) are the only Badgers to score 10-plus points in every game of the season, since 2004-05.
SUITS & SNEAKERS
During Wisconsin’s two home games this week, the coaching staff will take part in the Coaches vs. Cancer “Suits and Sneakers” initiative. They’ll wear custom sneakers painted by patients from the American Family Children’s Hospital.
Last month, the staff welcomed patients and their families from the American Family Children’s Hospital to tour the Kohl Center and watch practice. After practice, the patients spent time with the players and staff to decorate the sneakers that will be worn throughout the special week.
Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide initiative led by the American Cancer Society in partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Greg Gard and his wife, Michelle, partnered with the UW Carbone Cancer Center to launch Garding Against Cancer in 2016. They’ve raised over $10 million in the past decade to support cancer research and patient care across Wisconsin. Learn more here.
MEETING THE GOPHS' (AGAIN)
Minnesota (10-10, 3-6 B1G) comes into Madison on a five-game losing streak, falling to USC, Illinois, Ohio State, Nebraska and UW. They’ve had their fair share of close contests during the stretch, dropping only one contest by more than 10 points. Beforehand, the Gophers were on a five-game win streak, with Quadrant I victories over Iowa and Northwestern. North Carolina transfer Cade Tyson continues to pace Minnesota, averaging 20.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
