Wisconsin men's basketball lands Tulsa transfer guard Braeden Carrington
The Wisconsin Badgers have landed Braeden Carrington in the portal, a wing from Tulsa that brings more shooting and experience to the rotation.
Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program have continued to stay aggressive in the transfer portal—and the Badgers' latest addition to the roster steps in with the expectation of being a contributor.
Braeden Carrington, a 6-foot-4 guard from Tulsa, announced his commitment to the Badgers, giving Wisconsin's staff another experienced backcourt piece with size and a defensive-first mentality.
A former Big Ten player with the Minnesota Gophers under Ben Johnson and most recently at Tulsa, Carrington now becomes the fourth transfer portal addition for the Badgers this offseason. He joins a group that already includes guards Andrew Rohde, Nick Boyd, and stretch forward Austin Rapp. And let’s be clear—this isn’t some end-of-the-roster flier.
This is a battle-tested player who can come in, compete for meaningful minutes in the rotation right away, and bring a valuable edge to a team that’s quietly building one of the more intriguing rosters in the Big Ten conference.
Carrington averaged 7.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game this past season while starting 19 of 29 contests for the Golden Hurricanes. He shot 33.6% from beyond the arc on 4.5 attempts per game, 35.1% from the field overall, and 73.2% from the charity stripe.
According to Barttorvik, Carrington posted a 0.7 points above replacement per game mark and finished with a 104.9 offensive rating. He also carried a 15.8% usage rate, grabbed 14.2% of available defensive rebounds, and logged a 12.2% assist rate as a junior at Tulsa.
Notably, 131 of his 171 shot attempts last season came from beyond the arc—so he’s a bit of a one-trick pony offensively.
His biggest impact, however, came on the defensive end.
Carrington built a reputation during his time at Minnesota as one of the Big Ten’s better on-ball defenders, and that identity has followed him. He’s known for bringing relentless energy, embracing tough assignments, crashing the glass, and making things happen on that side of the floor. With one year of eligibility left, he brings a skill set that coaches trust in big moments and the type of edge Wisconsin’s staff clearly felt it was missing.
He was a talented recruit coming out of the prep ranks—winning Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball award in 2022 and choosing to stay home with the Gophers over offers from Florida, Colorado, Missouri, and others. Carrington made an immediate impact as a true freshman, averaging 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game before transferring to Tulsa following a sophomore season that saw a slight dip in overall production. In total, Carrington has appeared in 80 career games, starting 29 of them.
That journey now brings him to Madison.
Carrington is a versatile guard who hangs his hat on defense and brings a Big Ten background to the table. The former Park Center standout isn't the most efficient scorer, but he rebounds well for his position, competes, and can guard multiple spots on the floor. Carrington is the kind of high-motor, low-usage piece who can slot into a 3-and-D role, complement the starters, and immediately raise the floor of Wisconsin’s bench.
Does Carrington need to become more efficient as a scorer? Sure. But he’s already shown he takes care of the ball—50 assists to just 30 turnovers last season—and brings the kind of effort and defensive versatility that coaches trust. He contributes in ways that don’t always show up in the box score. And the core tools? They’ll translate at Wisconsin.
From a roster construction standpoint, this move continues a clear trend: Wisconsin basketball is betting on experience, spacing, and versatility.
With Boyd and Rohde in the backcourt together alongside John Blackwell (should he return), Rapp and Nolan Winter stretching the floor in the frontcourt, and now Carrington adding another proven two-way piece on the perimeter coming off the bench, the Badgers are setting themselves up to space the floor and hunt mismatches—exactly the kind of approach that Kirk Penney and Coach Gard have been leaning into the past few seasons.
Carrington’s arrival helps balance the rotation with a guard who can play the two or three, push in transition, switch defensively, and contribute off the ball in the halfcourt. While nobody’s expecting him to be a one-for-one replacement for any of the departing contributors or even be a starter, the things that come naturally to Carrington—his motor, defense, and toughness—should help ease his transition to playing at Wisconsin.
Credit the coaching staff again for identifying another strong portal fit, moving with intent, and capitalizing on a growing NIL budget—one that’s allowed them to add quality depth and create real competition ahead of next season for a team replacing a ton of production.
With Blackwell still weighing his NBA Draft decision and the core of Winter, Boyd, Rohde, and Rapp already in place, the Badgers aren’t done yet—the outline and vision for next season are becoming clearer. Expect the staff to remain active in the transfer portal as they continue searching for a physical big who can protect the rim and anchor the paint.
Add in some potential development from Jack Janicki, plus a couple of incoming freshmen who could push for time—and now, with Carrington in the mix? You can start to see how the pieces might align for a re-tooled Wisconsin men’s basketball rotation with plenty of quality depth.
This is another smart portal win. Carrington brings defense, shooting, energy, and valuable experience—exactly the kind of profile that wins in today’s game. Coach Gard and his staff recognize the era they’re operating in.
Patience doesn’t win in this era—you’ve got to get old and stay old. And sometimes, that means bringing in players who, frankly, are brought in to challenge the guys already in your locker room. That’s the cost of doing business in modern college basketball. And with Carrington on board, the Badgers just added another piece that makes you think this group could be right back in the mix next season if everything breaks right.
We appreciate you taking the time to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. Your support means the world to us and has helped us become a leading independent source for Wisconsin Badgers coverage.
You can also follow Site Publisher Dillon Graff at @DillonGraff on X.