Greg Gard goes about his business reloading and replenishing the Wisconsin Badger basketball team differently than any other hoops coach. When most of the college basketball world is going one way, it seems as if Gard is going another. Most teams are fighting for certain transfers while Gard flies under the radar. One basketball expert, Joey Loose from BustingBrackets.com, isn't impressed with what Gard has done this offseason, but Loose seems to be missing a key ingredient.
Loose asks the question, "Has Wisconsin added enough this offseason to compete in the Big Ten in 2027?" And does a good job of explaining how Eian Elmer, Trey Autry, and Victory Onuetu fit in. Loose even likes the retention of Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp.
Loose completes his piece with another question as he walks away unimpressed with what Gard has done, "Can we really expect that out of someone like Elmer or Autry, or are the Badgers heading towards another disappointing ending in March?" Yet, Loose seems to have missed a very important addition who is flying (obviously) under the radar.
Greg Gard's secret weapon is an overlooked player: Owen Foxwell
Over here at Badger of Honor, we haven't been shy about the fact that while Eian Elmer may end up being the go-to guy. There's a strong argument to be made that the star may actually be Owen Foxwell from the NBL. Foxwell is a professional basketball player in one of the hardest international leagues in the world.
He went and averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds last season for his NBL team. He was the starting point guard and will come to Wisconsin ready to do the same. Foxwell is also flying under the radar, and thus, Loose and other national pundits are missing him.
Add Foxwell into a lineup with Elmer, Rapp, Winter, and even Autry (or another shooter on the roster), and you have yourself a classic Greg Gard lineup. Every offseason, he brings in a roster that "lacks star power," and then that concern disappears quickly as someone always emerges.
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