Badgers Defense Improves, Offense Slips Early
Wisconsin men's basketball is showing stronger defense and weaker offense through its first two games of the 2026-27 season.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Basketball
Wisconsin's adjusted defensive efficiency ranks 40th nationally through two games of 2026-27, while its adjusted offensive efficiency ranks 65th. The Badgers beat Delaware 73-64 in the second game, shooting 28.6% from 3-point range across the two games.
Why it matters
Wisconsin finished 10th offensively and 56th defensively in 2025-26, and coach Greg Gard said the Badgers had slipped defensively, so the early shift reverses last season's imbalance. The early results bear on whether the team can meet Gard's stated goal of a top-10 offense and top-25 defense.
KenPom's adjusted efficiency ratings place Wisconsin 40th defensively and 65th offensively through two games, versus 56th and 10th a season ago. Whether the early defensive gains persist once Big Ten play begins remains unresolved.
The players
Greg Gard
Gard is the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball program, who has set goals of a top-10 offense and top-25 defense.
Victory Onuetu
Onuetu is a Hofstra transfer on Wisconsin's roster whose block rate has risen this season after a strong 2025-26 campaign.
The details
Gard and associate head coach Joe Krabbenhoft said the Badgers needed to return to their defensive roots, and the team has forced three steals from Janicki across the first two games. Hofstra transfer Victory Onuetu is posting a 7.7% block rate this season, up from 6.7% last year when he ranked 88th nationally.
Timeline
2025-26 season: Wisconsin ranked 10th offensively and 56th defensively.
October 2026: Krabbenhoft said the Badgers had to get back to their defensive roots.
November 9, 2026: Wisconsin beat Delaware 73-64 in its second game of the season.
May 2027: Gard's Garding Against Cancer event.
Mid-March 2027: Tournament results will be assessed.
Season Trajectory
Wisconsin's 2025-26 season ended with a top-10 offense and a 56th-ranked defense, a split that Gard publicly called a defensive slip. The early 2026-27 efficiency figures show that imbalance reversing, which bears directly on how the Badgers are positioned in the Big Ten race.
Fantasy managers tracking Victory Onuetu's blocks should note his 7.7% block rate so far this season. Fans watching Wisconsin games can track whether the Badgers' three-point shooting, currently at 28.6%, rebounds.
The takeaway
Early efficiency numbers are a small sample, so the Badgers' defensive gains and offensive dip should be judged over a longer stretch of the schedule. Watching whether the shooting percentage climbs will indicate whether the offense is a temporary slump.
What happens next
Wisconsin's defensive and offensive efficiency rankings will be assessed as the season progresses, with tournament results expected in mid-March 2027.
Further reading
For more on the team's season, see Basketball coverage.
