MADISON – Wisconsin men’s basketball’s July 14 practice was a ripe opportunity for associate head coach Joe Krabbenhoft to give a hard time to one of the former players in attendance.
“Bronson’s first rebound in 10 years,” Krabbenhoft exclaimed as Bronson Koenig participated in a rebounding drill.
All jokes aside, the practice offered an early glimpse at a team that once again has more newcomers than returning players. (The Badgers have eight newcomers versus six returning players, and that could be nine whenever UW fills its 15th and final roster spot.)
“We have really good people that all happen to be really good basketball players, and now we got to get it all to come together,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after practice. “The pieces, as you’ve seen, are pretty good. But the puzzle is still scattered on the table.”
Observations from a July practice come with the caveat that a lot can change in the months leading up to the 2026-27 season. One practice is a small sample size as well. That being said, here are four things we learned from the practice and subsequent media interviews:
Will Garlock shows notable improvement
Sophomore forward Will Garlock showed possible improvement in several facets of his game.
The seven-footer showed the ability to attack with the ball against tight coverage, drawing an and-one on a contested layup in a way that might be more expected for a guard. He also had an excellent pass that set up George Washington transfer guard Trey Autry earlier in practice.
Those signs of improvement followed a freshman season in which the Middleton native appeared in 30 games while averaging 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in 6.8 minutes per game.
“I’ve always said that you can’t replicate, you can’t duplicate what experience can do,” Gard said. “And some of that may have been not pleasant last year. … The experience he got last year from a playing standpoint has set the platform or set the foundation for him to take this type of step.”
Garlock and fellow forward Victory Onuetu, Gard said, “have great battles” as UW’s two healthy post players.
“It’s competitive every single day, and that’s what you want,” Gard said. “You want competition that’ll help raise everybody’s bar.”
Nolan Winter, Austin Rapp recover from injuries
Garlock and Onuetu have been the only two available post players while Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp recover from their respective injuries. Neither injury appears to be a reason for long-term concern at this point.
“Both those guys are right on track for where our medical team wanted them to be,” Gard said. “And it’s been good for our other guys, too, because it’s reps those two aren’t getting that somebody’s got to get. So I think it’s helped expedite maybe some of the development of some of those other guys that normally would be watching Aussie or Nolan.”
Gard added that he “didn’t plan on having them at all this summer,” but they should be available when practices resume in the fall.
That update comes with more than three months before the 2026-27 season gets underway. Winter and Rapp will likely play key roles as the only two returning players who averaged five or more points per game for the Badgers in 2025-26.
Jack Janicki displays vocal leadership
In a backcourt that includes a 22-year-old Australian addition, two transfer portal additions, three incoming freshmen and two second-year players, redshirt junior Jack Janicki has an opportunity to be a leader in 2026-27.
Janicki appeared to be capitalizing on that opportunity during the Badgers’ July 14 practice – and in what Gard described as a “really good summer” for him.
He frequently led with his voice, whether that be early in practice ahead of a full-court passing drill or on the sidelines when he was rotated out of a halfcourt drill. He also kept the energy up at other points of practice with clapping or high-fives.
Janicki – somebody who Gard has previously described as a defensive catalyst – also had a nice steal against Zach Kinziger in a one-on-one drill as Kinziger tried driving to the basket.
“His experience – you can tell,” Gard said of Janicki. “He’s right place, right time. He’s correcting, grabbing other guys. You always want your older players – specifically if they’ve been here and they understand what’s going on – to be able to drag guys along with them and push them into the right spots. And he’s done a good job of that.”
Owen Foxwell delivers highlight-reel-worthy play
Australian addition Owen Foxwell delivered perhaps one of the more memorable plays from the Badgers’ July 14 practice in the local media’s first chance to see him play in person.
The 6-foot-2 point guard grabbed a steal that sparked a fastbreak opportunity. He then had a behind-the-back pass to freshman forward Isaac Riddle, who finished the play off with a dunk.
“He sees the court really well for a point guard,” forward Nolan Winter said. “He’s super smart, high IQ, defensively can get in passing lanes, make plays for us, get in transition. He’s a great lob passer to Victory and Will and maybe me, hopefully.”
Kinziger – a sophomore who has been working more at point guard and competing against Foxwell – has particularly been impressed with his pacing.
“His change of pace is really good,” Kinziger said. “Playing off ball screens is where he thrives the most. … He makes such good decisions with the ball, too, whether it’s shooting when I go under or hitting the pocket when I go over.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin basketball’s summer practice shows some encouraging signs for 2026-27
Reporting by John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
