Greg Gard has said he needs to find defense, and he needs to find it quickly. There have only been a few players he's really trusted on defense so far this year, and one of those now won't be playing against Villanova: Braeden Carrington.
Carrington is out due to an undisclosed injury and won't be available tonight, according to Wisconsin and Greg Gard. While Carrington is not a loss to the starting rotation, he's been very important off the bench, especially on defense.
Availability update for @BadgerMBB
— UW Stats & Info (@UWStatsInfo) December 19, 2025
Senior G Braeden Carrington is OUT for tonight’s game vs. Villanova (injury) pic.twitter.com/P1x1KZaFNw
Braeden Carrington is out for Wisconsin vs. Villanova
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The Wisconsin Badgers have been off for about a week, and he was fully available during the last match against Nebraska. He was not injured during the game, at least in a way that was noticeable or mentioned by Gard. This injury must have happened during practice this week in the lead-up to the Milwaukee Hoops Showdown.
Carrington has been averaging nearly 14 minutes per game and has been effective in his limited playing time. He has nearly 5 points, two rebounds, and one assist per game. His veteran ability and hustle help the Badgers tremendously, and now Wisconsin will be in a bit of a hole for their rotational depth.
There hasn't been any more information about how or in what way Carrington is injured. That may not be revealed until the post-game press conference and will be something to monitor. It came as a bit of a surprise just hours before the tip-off.
You can catch the Wisconsin vs. Villanova game in person at the Fiserv Forum at 7 pm or on your local FOX channel. Both teams are looking for their first big win of the season, and one of them will walk out with it after the contest is over. Rel