Wisconsin basketball landed a commitment from Portland transfer forward Austin Rapp on Friday night.
The Badgers notably beat out finalists Michigan, Iowa, Clemson and Oregon to do so. He is the program's second transfer commitment of the offseason, following Virginia guard Andrew Rohde.
Rapp transfers to Madison after a breakout freshman season in 2024-25. He notched per-game averages of 33 minutes, 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks while shooting 39.7% from the field and 35.2% from 3. Those tallies earned him the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year award.
247Sports lists the 6-foot-10 forward as a four-star transfer prospect, ranked as the No. 170 overall player in the portal and No. 32 power forward. He joins the Badgers with three years of eligibility remaining.
For an initial look at how Rapp will fit in the Badgers' high-powered offense, the forward led the entire WCC in 3-point attempts (236), makes (83) and percentage (35.2%) last season. He and Rohde (41% from 3 in 2024-25) add lethal shooting options to a lineup that already appeared challenging to defend. Rapp should immediately slot into Wisconsin's starting five beside standout forward Nolan Winter, who also officially announced his return on Friday.
Let’s gooo @BadgerMBB ❤️ https://t.co/ih4tKDgD3D
— austin rapp (@austinrappp) April 4, 2025
Wisconsin's early lineup projection includes John Blackwell, Rohde and a still-to-be-determined transfer in the backcourt, then Rapp and Winter in the frontcourt.
While the group still may need another wing scorer, its apparent strength represents an impressive start to the offseason from Greg Gard and his staff. The Badgers retained rising stars in Blackwell and Winter, and are now beating other programs for their top transfer targets.
The program's offseason is on a much better trajectory than last, when Chucky Hepburn and A.J. Storr each departed after the team's NCAA Tournament loss.
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