Wisconsin's dominant win over Oklahoma State revealed part of Greg Gard's plan

The Wisconsin Badgers completed an undefeated run through three exhibition games, capped off with an 82-65 win over Oklahoma State. It was wire-to-wire domination for the Badgers in the Kohl Center, which was an encouraging sign following a somewhat shaky first half against UW-Green Bay.

It was yet another relatively well-rounded effort for Wisconsin, with five guys cracking double-digit scoring and seven getting at least 15 minutes of time on the court. There were somewhat surprisingly no changes to the Badgers’ starting five, still rolling with Owen Foxwell, Eian Elmer, Jack Janicki, Nolan Winter and Victory Onuetu.

Gard has his go-to guy

Unsurprisingly, however, Foxwell continues to look like one of the better guards in the entire Big Ten and easily Greg Gard’s go-to man heading into the season. This offseason, there were some rumblings as to whose number was going to be called the most in Madison this year, but after three exhibition games, that question has been all but answered.

Foxwell is posting averages of 16.7 points, 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game, doing all that in just 23.7 minutes of action. On top of that, Foxwell has been remarkably efficient, logging 77.54% true shooting in the process.

The dominance of Foxwell has given Wisconsin fans all the insight needed on who is going to lead the offense this year, but beyond him, things look a bit murky. It is worth noting that Austin Rapp and Winter are still ramping back up following an offseason of injuries, possibly adding a bit of scoring punch when back to 100%.

But outside of that, nobody has really emerged as a consistent threat as a scorer, leaving some questions as to what Gard’s plan will be for non-Foxwell minutes. It’s fair to assume that when he’s on the floor, things will operate through him. Injuries, rest and foul trouble are bound to happen, forcing some changes in the pecking order.

Some fans hoped that guys like Zach Kinziger and Jackson Ball could help alleviate that pressure, and although both have been solid in flashes, neither has shown the requisite consistency to be confident in them filling that role. The same can be said for George Washington transfer Trey Autry.

The 6-foot-4 guard was brought in as someone who could potentially compete for a starting spot if he played his cards right, but to this point, he has fallen short. Add on top of that Braeden Carrington’s ongoing battle for eligibility, and the backup guard spot in Wisconsin looks all the more futile.

Nonetheless, the Badgers have the big things worked out. Finding out that Foxwell can be a go-to guy is a huge step, and if he can continue to play near the level he has, then Wisconsin is in very good hands. The cherry on top is what’s to be seen from the rest.

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