The Wisconsin men's basketball team kicked off their 2025-2026 campaign with the annual Red-White Scrimmage on Oct. 18. Even though the first official tip-off is weeks away, the effort displayed by both sides resembled a mid-season game.
This event — now a staple for the men’s basketball team to set up their season in a fun way — was especially important because it was the first time fans got a look at Wisconsin’s nine new players. Five transfers and four true freshmen were added to the squad during the offseason.
The final score was 46-44 in favor of the red team, which was led by senior guard Nick Boyd who put up 21 points, going 10 for 10 from the free throw line. Meanwhile junior forward Nolan Winter put up 11 points and 4 rebounds.
The scoring for the white team came from senior forward Austin Rapp, who contributed 15 points and 5 rebounds, and junior guard John Blackwell, who put up 13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
Rapp stood out in particular for his contributions on both ends, playing solid defense in the paint while also scoring with ease on the other side. Blackwell also displayed great promise in his ability to score at the rim and shoot from outside.
A key moment in the game was a monster dunk coming from freshman forward Aleksas Bieliauskas, who scored right over Winter. Blackwell also nailed a game-tying three with only 12 seconds to go.
“There’s a lot to like with this group, but the thing that I like even more is there’s a lot we’ve got to get better at, which is exciting because it puts the ceiling much higher,” head coach Greg Gard said.
Both teams struggled from behind the arc, shooting a combined 10 for 44 from three. It was the weakest part of the scrimmage but should be no need for concern this early in the season.
The Badgers enter the season ranked 24 in the AP poll. It’s the first time Wisconsin has been ranked in the AP preseason poll since the 2020-2021 season, a welcome sign of more to come.
“This group is fearless. They’re excited for what’s coming,” Gard said.
The official season starts Nov. 3 at the Kohl Center against the Campbell Camels.
