The Badgers struck gold in the portal early. What’s next?
The Wisconsin Badgers have had some kind of week, landing Virginia wing Andrew Rohde and Portland forward Austin Rapp in the transfer portal as they retool ahead of the 2025 season.
Both players fit the needs left by the departing players, as Rohde adds depth, shooting, and playmaking ability in the backcourt, while Rapp is another quality stretch four with some sneaky passing mixed in there.
But, the Badgers aren’t done just yet in the portal after losing six seniors and four more to the transfer portal so far. Where do they go after the first two commitments?
Center
While the Badgers added Rapp, they’re still in need of a rim-protecting center. The only problem? Those are usually some of the most coveted and costly players in the portal.
Still, I anticipate the Badgers going out to find a center to work alongside Nolan Winter, with Rapp and Xavier Amos being the key forwards off the bench.
If he can keep up defensively, Amos could even move to more of a hybrid three/four, providing added versatility for the Badgers, while giving both the backups playing time.
Wisconsin could go smaller in the frontcourt by starting Winter at center, but they moved him to power forward last offseason, where he’s better suited, and I anticipate that remaining the same.
Now, I don’t know if they’re going to add a star at center, but they have the room to add a starting-caliber rim-protector who can be a solid interior presence defensively and clog up the paint on offense.
Starting guard
Perhaps the biggest need left for the Badgers now is a starting guard alongside John Blackwell. I don’t think this year’s squad will replicate last year’s because John Tonje is extremely hard to replace, but I do think a starting guard is a priority in the transfer portal.
San Diego State’s Nick Boyd is at the top of the list, and the belief is he’s nearing a decision on his recruitment soon. He took visits to Wisconsin and San Diego State.
Boyd is a solid scorer, can shoot the ball, and is a solid facilitator as well, pairing well with John Blackwell in the backcourt.
Currently, the only guarantee of being in the rotation as a guard outside of Blackwell is reserve guard Jack Janicki, who isn’t expected to make the leap to a starting role. So, a starting guard is a must.
Another guard/wing?
If Wisconsin lands their starting guard and center, they’ll have a pretty solid rotation of players:
Starters
John Blackwell
Starting guard (Nick Boyd?)
Andrew Rohde
Nolan Winter
Starting center
Bench
Xavier Amos
Austin Rapp
Jack Janicki
Zach Kinziger
Greg Gard usually runs nine deep, but that’s banking on Kinziger being ready to contribute as a freshman. The expectation is that he will, but Wisconsin does also have an open roster spot for a scholarship player, and they could go for another guard/wing with more size in the transfer portal to spell Rohde.
That would provide Wisconsin with more size off the bench and more options with another deep group of players, which is what propelled the Badgers in 2024.
Of course, money and fit are important there, as players want a chance for good playing time when transferring into a program. But, the possibility is there to add one more transfer, bringing Wisconsin to five in the cycle.