Badgers coach Greg Gard talked about the how his team handled the foul trouble that hit John Blackwell and John Tonje in the first half Wednesday.

So at 3:57, he picked up an offensive foul, which was his second of the half. That was the last time he saw the court in the first frame. Even worse, Wisconsin sophomore guard John Blackwell (who has averaged 20.3 points per game over the previous seven games) had been sitting with two fouls since 9:06, scoreless.

MADISON, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 03: John Blackwell #25 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts after making a three-point shot in the first half of the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kohl Center on January 03, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

The 6-foot-4 sophomore went from averaging 8.1 points against the Big Ten last season to ranking sixth in the league with an 19.2 points per game.

University of Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Greg Gard earned a milestone victory as the Badgers avoided a disastrous second-half collapse to defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes 70-68 on Jan. 14. The Badgers started strong and took a 17-point lead into halftime.

A three-star recruit from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, John Blackwell ranked as the 29th-best combo guard ... “He’s very mature,” head coach Greg Gard said about the sophomore guard after the USC game, “He’s got a great disposition about him.”

The graduate guard scored 27 points and the Badgers hit 17 three-pointers in an 83-55 victory over the Cornhuskers Sunday at the Kohl Center.

Sophomore guard John Blackwell’s 28-point performance led the victory. He excelled as USC dedicated its game plan to stopping leading scorer John Tonje — who was held scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting. Trojans head coach Eric Musselman had much to say postgame about Blackwell’s play and the Badgers’ overall quality.

Jan 21, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Aday Mara (15) is greeted by guard Skyy Clark (55) during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

"For him to only be a sophomore right now is unbelievable," Wisconsin assistant coach Sharif Chambliss said. "He's been a joy to coach."

Wisconsin basketball (16-4, 6-3 Big Ten) rolled to an 83-55 victory against Nebraska (12-8, 2-7 Big Ten) at the Kohl Center on Sunday afternoon. Of all the blistering offensive starts Greg Gard's group has orchestrated this season,

“I think we offensively we’re a handful and when we get ourselves locked in like we were today defensively we become a pretty complete team,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. The victory ...