Wisconsin basketball is not in contention to land Illinois transfer forward Morez Johnson Jr. According to CBS' Jon Rothstein, the top-ranked transfer has cut his list down to Ohio State, Kansas, Michigan, Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky.
The Badgers were originally among a large group to express interest in the transfer forward. Johnson recently entered the portal after appearing in 30 games as a freshman in 2024-25, averaging 17.6 minutes, seven points and 6.7 rebounds. 247Sports currently ranks him as the No. 25 overall player in the portal and No. 4 forward.
Wisconsin has a clear need in the frontcourt after losing starter Steven Crowl and key bench contributor Carter Gilmore to graduation. The two combined for 44.7 minutes per game, 13.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and one block this past season.
While the Badgers are not a player for Johnson, they did recently host Portland forward Austin Rapp on an official visit. Rapp, the 2025 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, averaged 33 minutes, 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks this past season while shooting an impressive 39.7% overall and 35.2% from 3.
Illinois transfer Morez Johnson has cut his list to the following programs, per his HS coach RaShay Russell.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 1, 2025
Ohio State
Kansas
Michigan
Tennessee
Arkansas
Kentucky
While Johnson guarantees to be one of the higher-profile transfers of this cycle, Rapp's game is a better fit with the Badgers and their new-look offense. Johnson is a rebounding machine and an efficient inside scorer (64.2%). However, he did not attempt a single three-pointer this past season. Rapp, meanwhile, led the WCC in 3-point attempts (236), 3-point makes (83) and 3-point percentage (35.2%). His ability to stretch the floor at 6-foot, 10-inches would be a valuable replacement for Crowl's unique skillset.
Rapp's recruitment is worth monitoring as the Badgers look to rebuild their rotation entering 2025-26.
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