Hayden Jones is one of the role players Greg Gard is going to lean on to provide real rotational minutes in 2026-27. Wisconsin made some noise in the portal, but there are still minutes to be had and production to replace, which is where a guy like Jones comes into the fold as a returner.

The role was limited to mostly spot minutes and doing the little things in 2025-26, but next season, Jones should have a real opportunity to remind Badger fans what made him attractive in the recruiting process. An opportunity for a bigger role is right in front of him , but before turning that page, here is one final look back at his freshman campaign.

2025-26 stats (7.1 minutes per game)

1.7 PPG, 1 RPG, 0.4 APG | 61.5% FG, 50% 3-pt, 54.5% FT

2025-26 High

While watching Wisconsin’s Feb. 17 matchup with Ohio State–which ended in a convincing loss–I thought Jones was one of the lone bright spots.…