Braeden Carrington May Have Just Cleared his Final Hurdle to Play for Badgers in '26-27

This has been, without question, one of the most ridiculous college basketball offseasons of all time.

It's been a summer and early autumn marred by endless court cases and eligibility wars. The NCAA has battled tooth and nail with attorneys back and forth as athletes from the 2022 recruiting class fight for an additional fifth year of eligibility granted to everyone but them.

The endless eligibility litigation has been, quite frankly, exhausting. With the Nov. 2 tip-off a mere 13 days away, rosters at programs across the country are incomplete as schools scramble to figure out who is eligible to compete and who isn't.

Wisconsin basketball has mostly abstained from the eligibility headache, but it does have one key piece on its roster that the opportunity to potentially retain was too good to pass up.

Would-be fifth year guard Braeden Carrington, who averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists last season off the bench for the Badgers while shooting 40.1% from distance on 5.1 attempts per game, has been with Wisconsin throughout the entire offseason. The Badgers have been operating as if he's going to be on the roster; Carrington played in both exhibition games thus far.

"He's been in everything. He's been with us throughout the summer," head coach Greg Gard said at the Badgers' local media day. "The court case I believe got pushed back to the 20th; we're operating obviously with that in mind. From everything I've gathered and the conversations I've had with our administrators is if he's eligible, he's probably going to play."

Wisconsin looks to have its answer. A California judge reportedly granted an injunction to athletes in the Glancey vs. NCAA case, the lawsuit Carrington is part of. Translation? The sharpshooting guard is currently eligible as we sit here today.

The NCAA, of course, is expected to appeal the decision. But again, with tip-off less than two weeks away, this feels like a monumental ruling, especially considering some of the other, bigger-name players that were granted eligibility as a result including Donovan Dent (LSU), Jackson Kohler (BYU) and Xaivian Lee (Gonzaga).

Carrington's preseason thus far

Carrington has been with Wisconsin all offseason, as Gard mentioned. In the first exhibition game against UW-Parkside, he notched six points, two rebounds and one assist across 13 minutes, knocking down two three-pointers in the process. In the second exhibition against Green Bay, he notched 20 points, four rebounds and one assist while draining 4-of-6 three-pointers. Across two exhibition games thus far, he's shot 55% from distance.

Carrington would be a huge asset for the Badgers with his ability to come off the bench and immediately fill it up from deep. Wisconsin needs offensive firepower post Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, and the fifth-year senior guard would help out tremendously in that regard.

At this juncture, it looks like the Badgers are going to have Carrington on the roster for the 2026-27 season.