Predicting the 2 guards who could breakout for Wisconsin plus one wildcard

The Wisconsin Badgers held two open practices this summer for the media and through those two sessions it became abundantly clear to everyone in attendance that Owen Foxwell is who he was brought in to be. The 22-year-old guard controlled the offense, set the tempo, played solid defense at the point of attack and overall proved he could be the player Wisconsin paid for him to be.

However, the guard depth beyond Foxwell was a bit shaky. Wisconsin seemingly experimented with a handful of different guys at that spot, but no one stood out as having the job on lock. With that said, there are only so many guys Wisconsin could possibly play at that spot, giving us a chance to project and predict what the lineup could look like next year.

Jackson Ball’s Flashes versus Zach Kinziger’s "Experience"

The two guys who have seemingly been given the longest leash at the backup guard spot thus far are Jackson Ball and Zach Kinziger. Ball, a freshman from New Zealand, was relatively highly touted before stepping foot in Madison. His scoring acumen, ball skills, and athletic pop made him quite the intriguing player before stepping on campus, and the added weight he has seemingly put on makes his year-one projection a lot clearer.

As for Kinziger, it was clear from the start that Greg Gard and the rest of the Badger staff had a developmental plan for him, and one that was going to take some time. His year in the program undoubtedly helps with his familiarity with the system and what it expects from him, along with giving him a year of college-level reps and training under his belt.

With that said, most reports have been suggesting that Ball looks to be more ready for the start. Kinziger is a guy that is always playing at 100%, hunting angles and opportunities at every turn. Although that can be advantageous in the future, for now his processing hinders his impact given that approach. Both will likely get a chance to prove themselves in actual games, but for now, it's truly a toss-up between the two.

Wildcard

The "wildcard" backup guard is a familiar name for Wisconsin fans, as rumors continue to circulate that Braeden Carrington will be granted an extra year of eligibility. The 6-foot-5 guard was an integral part of the Badgers' rotation last year, providing a shooting spark off the bench along with some solid defensive reps.

It is worth noting that Carrington has never been a true point guard, spending the majority of his time in games off the ball, even scaling all the way up to the power forward position at times. However, if he were to return to Madison for another year, there is a good chance he would be given a larger, more ball-dominant role, filling the void on the bench.

Any way the cookies are cut, Wisconsin has options to explore off the bench. Whether one will stick or another will flop is still unknown, but for the time being, there is reason for optimism.

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