Braeden Carrington knew the negativity was coming his way.

The former Gophers guard returned to William Arena as a member of the Wisconsin Badgers on Tuesday — his red jersey serving as a bullseye for boos every time he touched the ball in the rivalry game.

But the Park Center graduate silenced them all with a career-highs of seven 3-pointers and 21 points in a 78-75 road win.

Minnesota guard Braeden Carrington (4) during the Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team media day at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on Friday, Oct. 27 2023. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Carrington experienced the other side of that rude welcome back when it happened to ex-teammate Jamison Battle in 2024. The DeLaSalle wing had transferred Ohio State before that season and was booed similarly upon a homecoming inside The Barn. Battle, too, stepped up to score 21 points, yet that one was a loss to Minnesota.

“I expected it, especially coming to Wisconsin,” Carrington said postgame. “100%.”

Before the game, Carrington told friends: “If you’re gonna boo me, I gotta talk back. I can’t just let it happen.”

With the din of derision ringing in his ears, Carrington made his first trey and flashed a W sign at the students in the Barnyard. He soon after drew a charging foul and hit another trey, but an ensuing airball drew more razzing from the crowd.

In the second half, Carrington kept draining shots and after one, he gestured at the U bench despite there being no former teammates sitting on it and only one assistant coach left..

John Blackwell, who made the buzzer-beating game-winner, saw what the fan reaction kindled inside Carrington.

“It got to him,” Blackwell said. But he meant it in the best way possible.

Carrington was averaging only 5.5 points off the bench for the Badgers this season, but Gophers coach Niko Medved said his role as a shooter was noted on the scouting report. Carrington was coming off a 12-point game in Saturday’s upset at then-No. 2 Michigan.

“You got to give him a lot of credit for making the shots, but at the same point and time, you can’t let that guy get 12 threes off,” Medved said. “You are asking for trouble.”

Carrington was anxious on Monday night, but it didn’t show.

“Coming in, honestly, my mindset was just as long as we win I don’t really care — just couldn’t lose this one,” he said. “Last night, I probably (had) never been so anxious to play a game. Even Saturday, I went into the game like, ‘Oh, it’s another basketball game.’ This one, for whatever reason, just had me up all night.”

Carrington’s second season at Minnesota came with a mental-health break and then a transfer to Tulsa last year. He was asked postgame why it didn’t work out at his home-state school.

“I just wasn’t as confident as I am now, I think it obviously came down to, I was young, and I just let little things affect me a little more,” he said. “As I grew, especially last year helped a lot with that. Coaching staff (at Tulsa), they instilled a lot of confidence in me.

“And coming here (to Wisconsin), it’s kind of the same thing,” Carrington continued. “I got a coaching staff that believes in me, knows what I can do, and obviously I have guys around me that believe in me, too. They want me to shoot the ball. They want me to go out there and perform.”

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said they sought a veteran backup guard in the transfer portal last year.

“I think he’s getting better; he’s getting more comfortable in what we do,” Gard said. “I think his competitive edge has risen and he’s become more consistent. … I think our intuition has proven so far to be right; that we wanted some experience there. He’s been around the block. He’s played obviously in this league. He’s been to the other buildings in this league. And he wants to win; that is all he talks about.”

Related Articles

Gophers lose to Badgers on last-second shot

Gophers coach Niko Medved points out long losing streak to Badgers

As Gophers fans boo refs, coach Niko Medved takes high road

Gophers fall in overtime, 70-69 to Southern California

Men’s basketball: As roster dwindled, Gophers connected