Greg Gard loves bringing in international players and has a nice little pipeline going from the "Down Under" now. He could field a whole roster of players from either New Zealand or Australia. However, the international recruits have created a problem for the NCAA because not all of them are 18-year-old high school graduates. Now that pay-for-play is normal, many of them are 23 or 24 and still haven't used any college eligibility, but there's no way they are freshmen.
The NCAA seems to have solved that issue with its latest 5-in-5 style rule. It's not a true 5-in-5 as international recruits are learning. It's 5 years from 19 years old. You can redshirt, play, or ride the bench, and it's still a year used. However, what does that do for players like Owen Foxwell, who is a player from the NBL and is almost 23 years old? Or Victory Oneutu, who played in Spain and last year for Hofstra, who is also 22 years old.
It seems the eligibility has been answered for both of them according to Wisconsin's new roster page update. The 2026-2027 roster is up, and while the pictures haven't been uploaded, there's information galore. The biggest takeaway is that Foxwell and Oneutu are listed as seniors. That's very telling with how Greg Gard has responded to the eligibility rules.
It may also change his plans. When there were really no rules on older recruits, which there weren't even three months ago, international players like Foxwell would come in and play for a few seasons. Gard may have anticipated at least a couple of seasons from Foxwell running the point, but that's clearly changed now.
Owen Foxwell and Victory Oneutu are listed as seniors on the Wisconsin basketball roster page
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There is something to note. The designation of "senior" doesn't really mean much right now with this new rule either. Is it a fifth-year senior or a fourth-year senior? Is the roster page saying that Foxwell and Oneutu have one year left or two? It's hard not to go beyond the fact that they are listed as "senior."
Winter is also listed as a senior, and now, with this new rule, he will actually have an opportunity to play next year if he so wishes. The 5-in-5 rule was built for players like Winter. He's played for four straight seasons at Wisconsin after he finishes this year, but now will have the chance to give it another go if he doesn't chase the NBA Draft.
Winter has said that's his goal, and it may depend on how this season goes, but he will have a chance to run it back in Wisconsin. That's also good news for Gard, but it may once again change his thinking. There were clear indications that everyone from Winter to Gard was planning for this to be Nolan's final season. So there's a new wrinkle now.
Foxwell may only have this season, while Winter may have this and next; it's all a little bit hairy right now, but Gard is a master at roster construction and will work it all out.
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