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USA Today
23-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin basketball falls in ESPN's early top 25 ranking after transfer portal window
Wisconsin basketball falls in ESPN's early top 25 ranking after transfer portal window Wisconsin basketball dropped to No. 17 in ESPN's updated top 25 ranking for the 2025-26 season. The update follows the conclusion of the postseason transfer window, which officially closed on April 22. While uncommitted players continue to search for transfer destinations, the date marks the end of the significant flurry of postseason movement. The Badgers previously sat at No. 14 in ESPN's initial ranking, released on April 8. The team had already done much of its transfer work by that date, with commitments from Virginia wing Andrew Rohde, Portland forward Austin Rapp and San Diego State guard Nick Boyd. The only notable roster difference in that 15-day stretch is the departure of top bench forward Xavier Amos, who has since transferred to Loyola Chicago. Wisconsin found success this past season playing at a much faster tempo than previous teams under Greg Gard," Jeff Borzello wrote on April 8. "The Badgers were also more reliant on the 3-point shot. Is that their new formula? Gard has already succeeded in the transfer portal in a big way, landing three potential starters in Nick Boyd (San Diego State), Andrew Rohde (Virginia) and Austin Rapp (Portland). All-Big Ten guard John Blackwell is also back to lead the way." The Badgers remain his fourth-best Big Ten team, behind Purdue (No. 1 overall), Michigan (No. 8) and UCLA (No. 14). The other conference foes in the top 25 are Michigan State (No. 20) and Ohio State (No. 24). Greg Gard's team finished the 2024-25 season ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll. It entered the NCAA Tournament at No. 13 nationally, then had its season conclude with a second-round loss to an underrated No. 6-seed in BYU (No. 13 in final AP Poll). The Badgers still have remaining roster needs, including at backup point guard and in the frontcourt. The team's starting five of Boyd, Rohde, Blackwell, Rapp and Winter appears set, though its bench unit still requires a few significant upgrades. For more on Wisconsin's offseason transfer movement, bookmark our 2025 portal commitment and departure tracker. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
08-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin updated 2025-26 lineup, transfer portal needs after Xavier Amos' departure
Wisconsin updated 2025-26 lineup, transfer portal needs after Xavier Amos' departure The Wisconsin basketball roster has seen a flurry of movement over the last seven days. After the departures of reserve guards Daniel Freitag and Camren Hunter, the Badgers landed commitments from highly touted transfers Andrew Rohde, Austin Rapp and Nick Boyd. Those three additions, at wing, forward and guard, respectively, bolster a 2025-26 starting lineup that currently projects as one of the better in the Big Ten. The group includes a rising star guard in John Blackwell, assuming he withdraws from the NBA draft, an NBA hopeful in forward Nolan Winter, a sharpshooting wing in Rohde, the 2025 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year in Rapp and a veteran guard with Final Four experience in Boyd. That starting unit represents what has been an impressive transfer cycle to date for Greg Gard and his coaching staff, plus has the team's outlook steadily improving in way-too-early 2025-26 projections. However, one major question still exists. The departure of veteran forward Xavier Amos greatly depleted Wisconsin's depth, especially at forward. The team now returns just one bench contributor from 2024-25: sophomore guard Jack Janicki. Gard now needs to find further transfer additions to fill out the lineup, or else he'll be forced to rely on a group of incoming freshmen and other inexperienced underclassmen. For more on what Amos' departure means for Wisconsin's 2025-26 outlook, here is a fresh look at the team's starting lineup and rotation, plus a ranking of its remaining transfer needs. Wisconsin Updated 2025-26 Starting Lineup Projection Guard: John Blackwell (Junior)* (Junior)* Guard: Nick Boyd (Senior -- San Diego State transfer) (Senior -- San Diego State transfer) Wing: Andrew Rohde (Senior -- Virginia transfer) (Senior -- Virginia transfer) Forward: Austin Rapp (Sophomore -- Portland transfer) (Sophomore -- Portland transfer) Forward: Nolan Winter (Junior) Wisconsin's starting five could go up against any in the conference. Blackwell and Winter will be popular preseason all-conference selections. Boyd could join that group when the season tips off, especially if he's able to replicate his strong production at San Diego State last season. The major wild cards are Rapp, who is looking to transfer his production from the WCC to the Big Ten, and Rohde, who struggled mightily in his first year at Virginia before a strong 2024-25 campaign. If all three transfers hit, Wisconsin will be good enough to win the conference next season. *(Note: Blackwell declared for the NBA draft on April 3 while maintaining his collegiate eligibility. He remains in the projected lineup, barring an unforeseen rise up draft boards) Wisconsin's Projected 2025-26 Bench/Reserves Guard Jack Janicki (Sophomore) (Sophomore) Guard Jack Robison (Sophomore) (Sophomore) Center Riccardo Greppi (Sophomore) (Sophomore) Guard Hayden Jones (Freshman) (Freshman) Guard Zach Kinziger (Freshman) (Freshman) Center Will Garlock (Freshman) As mentioned, Wisconsin has major needs on its bench. The team has limited frontcourt depth after Amos' departure. Greppi played sparingly as a freshman last season and Garlock is joining as a true freshman. Wisconsin likely won't rely on either to play significant minutes, which means it needs to land multiple transfers at the position. Janicki leads a reserve guard rotation that could also still use a boost. While Kinziger and Jones are promising, each is joining as a true freshman. Wisconsin's bench unit generated several critical victories during the 2024-25 campaign. As of today, this unit is far from where it needs to be to replicate that impact. Wisconsin Remaining Transfer Portal Needs Frontcourt depth (multiple players) Scoring wing Backup guard A best-case Wisconsin offseason includes two more transfer forwards, a scoring wing and more guard depth. The first need ranks dramatically above the other two, as Wisconsin can get by without further backcourt depth but would struggle mightily without multiple frontcourt additions. The team currently has just two dependable forwards in Winter and Rapp, the latter who is even a bit of a question. It would be best served to land an experienced veteran plus a lower-level underclassman looking to make a jump. A sentence that would have been hard to believe just two short years ago: Wisconsin needs those additions to become this year's Carter Gilmore. Needs No. 2 and No. 3 are only necessary if the Badgers set out to replicate their terrific 2024-25 depth. An experienced scoring wing would push Rohde to the bench group and significantly lengthen the rotation. Another backup point guard, veteran or not, would further accomplish that task. Frontcourt depth needs to be the main priority for the Badgers. Otherwise, their top-tier starting lineup could be disadvantaged against the conference's deeper units. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
05-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin basketball updated starting lineup, rotation after Austin Rapp's commitment
Wisconsin basketball updated starting lineup, rotation after Austin Rapp's commitment Wisconsin continued its impressive start to the 2025 offseason on Friday night, as it landed a commitment from Portland transfer forward Austin Rapp. Rapp joins the Badgers with three years of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-10 forward broke out as a true freshman in 2024-25, averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks while shooting 39.7% from the field and a West Coast Conference-best 35.2% from 3. That versatile production, specifically the outside shooting numbers, should immediately help the program replace Steven Crowl's frontcourt production. The WCC Freshman of the Year joins Virginia guard Andrew Rohde in the Badgers' 2025 transfer class. They each fit a similar mold -- Rapp led the WCC in 3-point attempts (236), makes (83) and percentage (35.2%), while Rohde shot a blistering 41% from beyond the arc. Wisconsin has its top wing-scoring option in John Blackwell entering 2025-26, assuming he doesn't leave for the NBA. The program is making a clear effort to surround him with shooting threats, or players who can contribute without a high-volume workload. While Wisconsin still has remaining needs in the starting lineup and among its reserve group, here is an updated look at the team's projected lineup and rotation. Wisconsin Projected 2025-26 Lineup With Transfer Forward Austin Rapp Guard: John Blackwell (Junior)* (Junior)* Guard: Andrew Rohde (Senior -- Virginia transfer) (Senior -- Virginia transfer) Wing: Transfer (TBD) (TBD) Forward: Austin Rapp (Sophomore -- Portland transfer) (Sophomore -- Portland transfer) Forward: Nolan Winter (Junior) Wisconsin's starting lineup looks a lot more dangerous with commitments from Rohde and Rapp. Assuming steps forward from Blackwell and Winter, there's a chance this lineup is even tougher to defend than the 2024-25 group, especially given the top-end shooting threats from 1-5. Rapp's commitment is especially impactful. Wisconsin was razor-thin at forward after Steven Crowl and Carter Gilmore graduated. His addition will allow Greg Gard to bring Xavier Amos off the bench, significantly lengthening the rotation. Knock-down three-point shooting is sometimes challenging to find at the position. Rapp provides exactly that, ensuring the team doesn't miss a beat after losing Crowl (9.9 points per game, 41.6% from 3) and his floor-spacing ability. The big variable to watch is the wing position. Wisconsin is trending for guard Nick Boyd, which could push Rohde to wing. Or, Wisconsin could add Boyd and a wing scorer, then bring Rohde off the bench. *(Note: Blackwell declared for the NBA draft on April 3 while maintaining his collegiate eligibility. He remains in the projected lineup, barring an unforeseen rise up draft boards) Wisconsin's Projected 2025-26 Bench/Reserves Guard Jack Janicki (Sophomore) (Sophomore) Forward Xavier Amos (Senior) (Senior) Guard Jack Robison (Sophomore) (Sophomore) Center Riccardo Greppi (Sophomore) (Sophomore) Guard Hayden Jones (Freshman) (Freshman) Guard Zach Kinziger (Freshman) (Freshman) Center Will Garlock (Freshman) Wisconsin's rotation is lengthened significantly with Janicki and Amos coming off the bench, as opposed to the two leading the starting lineup with Blackwell and Winter. The program still needs depth at forward, as neither Greppi nor Garlock are write-ins to the regular rotation. The Badgers still have several scholarships available. Commitments from a top-end wing, guard and depth forward, and the team will again project as one of the Big Ten's best. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
02-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Portland transfer forward Austin Rapp has Oregon Ducks among top schools
Portland transfer forward Austin Rapp has Oregon Ducks among top schools Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks are working to build a roster for the 2025-26 season after their second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament, and their doing so in the transfer portal. The Ducks already landed a commitment from Texas Longhorns transfer Devon Pryor, a junior forward with two years of eligibility remaining. Now they're looking to add a talented forward from the Northwest — Portland Pilots' sophomore Austin Rapp. In his freshman season, Rapp started 30 of 31 games for the Pilots, averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He shot 39.7% from the field, 35.2% from deep, and 81.5% from the free-throw line. Rapp entered the transfer portal after the season, and this week announced that he is down to five schools, of which the Oregon Ducks are one. The other schools that Rapp is considering are the Michigan Wolverines, Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Clemson Tigers. Oregon's roster is in flux right now, with several key pieces still determining whether or not they will return for another season. Most notably, both Jackson Shelstad and Kwame Evans have yet to announce their decisions, but Nate Bittle recently declared for the 2025 NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility for one more year, should he so choose. Mookie Cook has entered the transfer portal.
USA Today
02-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin basketball contending with three Big Ten programs to land top transfer target
Wisconsin basketball contending with three Big Ten programs to land top transfer target Wisconsin basketball is among five finalists to land Portland transfer forward Austin Rapp. On3's Joe Tipton released the list on Tuesday evening: Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Clemson and Oregon. Rapp entered the portal after a standout freshman season at Portland. His campaign included averages of 33 minutes, 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks on 39.7% shooting and 35.2% from 3 and the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year award. He was one of the lone bright spots on a Portland team that finished 12-20 and ranked No. 270 in KenPom. The 6'10" forward shouldn't have much trouble fitting into Wisconsin's offense, if he commits. The Badgers lost veteran center Steven Crowl (25.6 minutes, 9.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists per game on 54% shooting, 41% from 3) to graduation after the 2024-25 season. Rapp could potentially fill that starting role, possibly even providing an even better 3-point shooting threat. The transfer forward led the WCC in 3-point attempts (236), makes (83) and percentage (35.2%) in 2024-25. While the Big Ten would be a step up in competition, his game and shooting profile would greatly aid head coach Greg Gard and his new-look offensive approach. While no clear front-runner has emerged, Wisconsin recently hosted Rapp on an official visit. It's clear that he's one of the program's top targets at this stage of the transfer cycle. Of note, Michigan landed a commitment from Illinois transfer forward Morez Johnson Jr. on Tuesday evening. That news followed Tipton's release of Rapp's top-five list. The Wolverines may still pursue both players, however, given that each just concluded their freshman seasons. Bookmark our transfer interest tracker for more on Wisconsin's top targets. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
