MADISON, Wis. -There were positives to build on after Wisconsin's 75-68 opening win over Denver.
The Badgers showed how powerful their large frontcourt and quick guards can be when they outscored the Pioneers in the paint, 46-18. There was scoring balance with three players in double figures, respectable ball security with 10 turnovers, and stretches of good defense.
That wasn't the route head coach Greg Gardpreferred to take when talking to the media after UW nearly gave away a 17-point lead.
"We didn't play to our standard," Gard lamented. "Regardless of score, regardless of opponent, we talk about how we want to play the game. We didn't ... We have to continue to strive for what the standards are of how we try to play.
Wisconsin's experienced group, albeit coming from different places, did enough on an off night to win the program's 11th straight home opener, showing the foundation of what could be the team's strengths this season and plenty to clean up.
Here are my takeaways from the season opener at the Kohl Center.
There was a thought that Wisconsin was saving its 15th and final roster spot for more interior size, as the Badgers are heavy in guard depth. It's hard to turn down a player like Braeden Carrington.
Carrington joined the program from Tulsa through the transfer portal, averaged 8.3 points per game, and had the fourth-best perimeter percentage in the Big Ten (40.1 percent, 69-for-172). UW's March loss to High Point was supposed to be his final game until the NCAA passed legislation in spring giving all players five years of eligibility.
That rule wasn't grandfathered in with the recently graduated class, however, so Carrington joined a lawsuit to gain a year of eligibility. A court injunction on October 20th allows him and other plaintiffs to remain eligible.
"I thought last year was my last year of college, so coming back to be able to play one more year is amazing," Carrington said. "To have a big impact this year obviously feels good."
His presence was largely felt when things got tight in the second half. Denver has trimmed a 17-point lead down to four with 8:32 remaining when Carrington found his spark. In an eight-possession span, he went 3-for-4 from three, two coming after Owen Foxwellset him up for a breakaway dunk, only the second of his career, according to him. That stretch accounted for 11 of his 15 points and pushed the lead to a more comfortable 13 with 4:18 to go.
"I didn't hit a shot the first half," Carrington said. "I knew it would fall eventually, so I just kept shooting."
Known more for his offense, Carrington has developed better defensive tendencies. The growth was evident in the staff's decision to match him on Denver guard Carson Johnson as the game progressed. Last season's Summit League Player of the Year, Johnson scored 27 points on 17 shots but had to work a little harder with Carrington and his size in his face.
"He plays really hard," Gard said of Carrington. "He's on the floor, cutting dribbles off, recovering, contesting, and then you add in the offensive end. He's a much better defensive player than people really realize."
Likely to be a full-time starter instead of last season's reserve role, Wisconsin better hope the court's injunction stays intact through the spring. With it in place, UW will have a confident, experienced guard who knows the UW system's rules and expectations.
The return of Carrington, the portal addition of Eian Elmer, the recruitment of Foxwell to run the point, and retention of Jack Janickiand Zach Kinzigergive the Badgers a lot of depth and firepower at guard. The luxury/problem for Gard is that he only has 200 minutes of game time to work with.
Trey Autrywas the UW's first pick-up from the portal but managed only two rebounds and two missed shots in five minutes. Freshman Jackson Ballscored a three-point play when he came off a screen, drove to the paint, and finished with his left hand, his only highlight in less than five minutes on the court. Hayden Jonesdidn't see the court until the second half, and it was short-lived, promptly missing a three, a pair of free throws, and fouling before being yanked 2:39 later.
Gard said he has a "pretty good idea" of his roster's top six-to-seven players, but his staff is still learning who can consistently help and whether it's feasible to go to a four-guard lineup if certain matchups dictate that.
"The depth (of this team) is going to have to be its ace in the whole," Gard said. "We're going to have to do it through collective effort. It's going to be difficult to play 11-12 guys as we go further into the season."
Wisconsin began last season with seven new players on the roster, and the first two months of the season were challenging for the staff and players. Cohesive basketball on both ends of the floor came in spurts, resulting in five straight losses to eventual NCAA Tournament teams before things started to come together in mid-January.
Even with an increased preseason exhibition schedule this season, a roster with eight new players (and frankly four new starters) will likely need a similar runway.
Outside of consecutive games in The Bahamas against an average tournament field, UW structured November to be home games against mid-major opponents.
It will allow them time to get a handle on chemistry, defensive rules, and find an offensive flow.
UW was executing its game plan early, feeding the post to get 12 points on its first seven possessions. But the Badgers, according to Gard, saw their rotation get "wacky" after forward Victory Onuetu had to sit with foul trouble following his hot start and didn't get a lot of consistent fluidity with the different combinations on the floor.
"You get into a real game, and you see things that you may not have seen over the last four months, a little adversity, I think that's good for a new group," Foxwell said. "We talked about that in the locker room, a little bit of adversity to see how we bounce off the canvas when things aren't going right.
"Early on in the season, there is going to be things you'll need to work on. Even all the way through to the end of the year, we're probably never going to be a finished product. You never want to be. We're looking forward to getting better, and we know we have a lot of things to work on."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/wisconsin as Three Badgers takeaways from Wisconsin's 75-68 victory over Denver .
