The Badgers need a starting center in the portal.
The Wisconsin Badgers have had a successful transfer portal period. After adding San Diego State guard Nick Boyd, Virginia guard Andrew Rohde, and Portland center Austin Rapp, the Badgers are ranked 25th in 247Sports’ Transfer Basketball Team Rankings.
Despite signing these three impressive basketball players, the Badgers still have holes to fill in the frontcourt. Starting forward Steven Crowl exhausted his eligibility. Xavier Amos, who was expected to have an extended role this upcoming season, is in the portal. Right now, Rapp and Nolan Winter are your starting forwards. While both post players fit the offense, their defense is a big question mark for next season.
As of this moment, Ricardo Greppi and Will Garlock are the only centers. Given Greppi’s lack of usage this season and Garlock’s adjustment to Big Ten basketball, it’s hard to imagine both making significant contributions next season. Therefore, the Badgers need to add more frontcourt help for next season.
Here are three centers in the transfer portal that Wisconsin should consider.
Gabe Dynes
The Badgers need a rim protector for next season, and Dynes is one of the best in the nation. The seven-foot-three center from Youngstown State finished with 104 blocks, the most in the country, and his 3.06 blocks per game ranked second in college basketball.
While the Badgers have not shown interest yet, two other Big Ten programs have. Northwestern hosted Dynes on a recent visit, while USC has also shown interest.
Duke Brennan
While Dynes is a more effective shot blocker, Grand Canyon’s Brennan is one of the better rebounders in the nation. The six-foot-ten Arizona native tied for 22nd in the nation with an impressive 9.2 rebounds per game.
Brennan has been a two-year starter at Grand Canyon and will likely want to find a school where he can start immediately. The Iowa Hawkeyes, looking to fill various roster spots under new head coach Ben McCollum, will host Brennan for a visit later this April.
Noah Amenhauser
Amenhauser is looking for his third school in three years, but the seven-foot-two big man was a solid addition to Coastal Carolina this season. After appearing in only 13 games with Grand Canyon in 2023-24, Amenhauser finished the year with 10.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game.
Grant Hughes of 247Sports listed Amenhauser as one of the top 10 big men still available back on March 27th. While Amenhauser hasn’t had much exposure to Power Four competition, Hughes notes that the center has a soft touch around the rim.