Braeden Carrington Ignites Wisconsin’s Shocking Upset of No. 2 Michigan in High-Stakes Big Ten Thriller

Madison, Wis.—Braeden Carrington didn’t just quiet the crowd Tuesday night; he turned every chorus of boos into background music for a record-setting rain of three-pointers. The 6-foot-5 senior guard drilled six triples during a 14-0 second-half surge, powering Wisconsin past border-rival Minnesota and reminding Big Ten fans why his arrival via the transfer portal was one of the offseason’s most underrated moves. Carrington’s journey to the Kohl Center has been anything but linear. A Brooklyn Park, Minnesota native and former Park Center High School star, he began his college career with the hometown Golden Gophers before a one-year stop at Tulsa. In April 2025 he committed to Wisconsin, citing the Badgers’ up-tempo spacing and NBA-style development plan. Now entrenched in Greg Gard’s rotation, Carrington is averaging 21.4 minutes, 9.2 points and a career-best 42 percent from deep through the first half of the 2025-26 campaign—production that already eclipses his combined output from previous stops. Coaches credit his improved shot mechanics and a summer regimen that bumped his listed weight to 197 pounds, allowing him to finish through contact while maintaining a lightning-quick release. Beyond the box score, Carrington’s presence stretches defenses and unlocks downhill lanes for veteran point guard Chucky Hepburn. “Braeden’s gravity changes everything we do,” assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft said post-game. “Teams have to chase him over screens, and that opens the paint for our bigs.” For Wisconsin, the win keeps NCAA-tournament momentum intact and underscores the value of a portal pickup that slipped under national radar. For Carrington, each swish against his former fan base writes a new chapter: hometown prodigy turned conference-road villain, now headlining a Badger squad with legitimate March aspirations. Search interest around phrases like “Braeden Carrington Wisconsin,” “Braeden Carrington highlights” and “Braeden Carrington transfer” has spiked over the past 24 hours, and if his current trajectory holds, those clicks—and those threes—won’t be slowing down anytime soon.