5 takeaways from Wisconsin's 94-71 exhibition win over UW-Parkside

Wisconsin Badgers basketball is back, wrapping up its first exhibition game with a 94-71 win over UW-Parkside. The Badgers dominated from start to finish — as expected — and were up by enough to let their foot off the gas by the end of the game.

That said, we were still able to learn a lot about this team’s approach, lineups and pecking order, with five things in particular standing out as major takeaways.

1. This Is Owen Foxwell’s Team

He may not end up leading the team in scoring, but it would be shocking if, by season’s end, Owen Foxwell wasn’t the team leader in usage percentage, barring injury. Foxwell finished with a respectable 10 points and six assists, facilitating the offense every moment he was on the floor.

He was active and efficient as a pick-and-roll threat, leveraging himself as both a scorer and a playmaker, on top of giving some really solid minutes at the point of attack on defense. Overall, it looks as if he has carried over his years of pro experience and is ready to be the Badgers’ go-to guy this season.

2. Will Garlock Is Ready to Produce

Seemingly, the story of this past summer camp was the reported development of sophomore big man Will Garlock. The Wisconsin native had added a bunch of weight, refined his skills and, with Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp missing a lot of practice, was given a chance to shine all summer long.

Now, one exhibition game in, it appears as if the hype was well warranted. Garlock finished with 10 points, six boards and three assists, looking much more comfortable in his minutes. Greg Gard deployed him in a variety of ways, allowing him to showcase his now well-refined skill set.

The sophomore now looks like an easy breakout candidate, so long as the opportunity for production is there.

3. Nolan Winter Has Taken the Leap

With John Blackwell and Nick Boyd departing this summer, all Wisconsin fans turned their heads to Winter as the guy next in line to take a major leap. It is always important not to overreact, but through one preseason game, it looks as if he did just that.

Winter finished the game with a team-high 15 points and nine rebounds to go along with a pair of assists. He looked as good as ever on the defensive side of things as well, along with showing an improved ability to put the ball on the ground and create for himself. All in all, a stellar outing from the senior leader.

4. Backup Point Guard May Be an Issue

Foxwell is going to be a dude for the Badgers — no doubt. However, there are only so many minutes in a game that he can play, meaning someone will have to step up off the bench and produce at times to keep the team afloat. Zach Kinziger, Jackson Ball and Trey Autry all had their moments, but none of them looked very comfortable operating as the lead ballhandler.

It is still preseason, and guys are still adjusting to playing with one another. But there will undoubtedly have to be some reclamation in the room if Wisconsin wants to remain a steady attack.

5. This Year Will Look Completely Different

In the past couple of seasons, Badger fans have grown accustomed to the team running a fairly heliocentric style of basketball. The offense typically flowed through one or two guys at a time, with the rest of the roster acting as complementary pieces.

This year, however, things will look a bit different, as Wisconsin is well-rounded and built for a more by-committee approach. Winter, Foxwell, Austin Rapp and Eian Elmer all project as guys who could potentially lead the team in scoring, giving the Badgers stability on a night-to-night basis.

The approach in its entirety will likely be similar, largely based on high pace and 3-point volume. But don’t be surprised to see multiple Wisconsin players hang around 15 points per game this upcoming season.

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