A new report out of cbbanalytics.com should have Greg Gard reconsidering how he goes about his starting lineup. It lists the best five-man lineups in all of college basketball, and Wisconsin cracked the top-10 at No. 6. The problem for Gard? It's a lineup that isn't the starting lineup, though it's close.
Gard started the season with a lineup of Nick Boyd, John Blackwell, Andrew Rohde, Austin Rapp, and Nolan Winter. Rapp quickly fell out of favor because of his defensive play and ended up being a rotational player off the bench. The starting lineup ever since has been Boyd, Blackwell, Rohde, Aleksas Bieliauskas, and Winter. That lineup isn't it the best one, either. The best for Wisconsin is when Braeden Carrington is in for Rohde.
This is fascinating from https://t.co/8zGgmx5WVv
— Nick Bateman (CBB guru) (@nickbateman33) February 3, 2026
Top 10 5-Man lineup combinations amongst power 5 teams in conference play based on overall NET efficiency
Virginia Tech, Wisconsin & Baylor need to stop playing all other lineups
Also...notice anyone missing for Kansas?? pic.twitter.com/Bzg2UA3WdV
Greg Gard needs to insert Braeden Carrington in the starting lineup
Related: For the second straight week, only 1 AP voter believes in Wisconsin basketball
Lately, Wisconsin fans have noticed the Badgers are slow to start in games, and it's especially frustrating at home. That may actually have more to do with what analytics uncovered than anything. The most efficient NET lineup is actually one in which Carrington is subbed onto the court with the starters.
Let's explain what the NET efficiency lineup is before we go any further. It's essentially how much better a lineup performs relative to its opponents per possession using both offensive and defensive efficiency. In other words, it's not just the most potent offensive attack but a lineup that generates both more points on offense and more stops on defense.
This may be why Carrington has seen his minutes drastically increase over the last few weeks. He's averaging 15.7 minutes per game this year, but over the last seven games, he's averaging 23.3 minutes. That's a huge uptick, and it has a lot to do with his efficiency on both ends of the court. And his efficiency inside this unit.
Gard seems to have figured this out, but has yet to actually insert him all the way into the starting lineup. Will that come shortly? It should.