Projecting Wisconsin's starting 5 with Owen Foxwell and Braeden Carrington eligible

Although the Wisconsin Badgers are well in the midst of football season, college basketball has quietly crept back up, with the season kicking off in less than a month. That said, the world of college basketball has never been more chaotic, making it hard to predict what teams will stand out among the pack.

Even the Badgers are dealing with eligibility issues of their own, as guard Braeden Carrington — who is technically eligible as of now — is still working through some legal work to ensure a spot on the roster. For now, however, we will assume that Carrington is eligible and ready to roll Game 1, meaning the starting five will shake out a little something like this:

The Locks: Owen Foxwell, Nolan Winter, Austin Rapp, Eian Elmer

There likely isn’t a Wisconsin fan out there who will argue the fact that those four names are likely going to be the driving force of the team this year. Owen Foxwell projects as the team’s starting point guard and leader, bringing years of pro experience over from the NBL. Austin Rapp and Nolan Winter were both staples in the program last year, providing real versatility from the frontcourt with both possessing the ability to play inside and out.

And finally, Eian Elmer was the prized possession of the Badgers’ transfer portal class. The Miami (Ohio) transfer brings both a winning pedigree, as he is fresh off playing for a 32-2 team that made its way into March Madness, along with never having seen a season in which he shot below 40% from 3, making him a perfect fit for the modern Badger offense.

Race for the final spot: Braeden Carrington and Trey Autry

The only real position battle — if you want to call it that — for Wisconsin this year is the starting two-guard spot. Many expect Carrington to be that guy if he is granted eligibility, given the fact that he was with the program last year and played a pivotal role.

But others argue that Trey Autry was brought in for a reason and that he provides a bit more upside in the starter’s spot. On top of that, Carrington showed the world last year that he was the perfect bench plug for the Badgers, making it a real debate as to if they should change that.

Wildcard and spot starters: Victory Onuetu, Jackson Ball

Although unlikely barring injury, there is a chance that Greg Gard may turn to either Victory Onuetu or Jackson Ball to fill some starter minutes at some point in the season. The path for Onuetu to start is much cleaner, as even last year Gard got creative with how he arranged the big man minutes, meaning that in specific situations, he may want to lean on the Hofstra transfer more.

Ball, on the other hand, is more of an upside bet, as, given what he has both shown in overseas play and in his short time on campus, many believe that he could be ready a lot earlier than most expect. More than likely, Ball will have to wait another year or so until he truly breaks out, but for now, he’s a name to monitor.

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