Greg Gard's first transfer portal departure was expected but it still stings

The first Badger to enter the portal this year has come just days after their disappointing loss to High Point in the NCAA Tournament.

Guard Jack Robison will enter the transfer portal after back-to-back seasons in Madison with a minimal role. Originally a four-star recruit out of Minnesota, Robison was never able to carve out a role with Wisconsin, and will now head elsewhere for his junior season.

Jack Robison will move on after two years with the Badgers

Robison played just a total of 47 minutes over his two seasons with the Badgers, and wasn't able to work his way into the lineup despite coming in as a highly touted recruit. Robison was the No. 4 player in the state of Minnesota in the 2024 class, and was ranked 121st nationally based on 247Sports rankings.

While the transfer isn't too surprising, it is a bit tough to see a talented player like Robison go. He looked to be a future starter at the wing for Wisconsin when he was first recruited, but never saw an increase in playing time as a sophomore. The writing was on the wall all season for Robison, and he'll be the first of likely several Badgers to move on.

Robison could go the way of Daniel Freitag, another highly-rated recruit who didn't pan out, and head to a mid-major to start. Freitag averaged 20 points per game this past season with the Buffalo Bulls, and may make another jump back up to a power conference team after a great season. With Robison's limited tape, it's hard to imagine he'd find a huge role with another power team, so maybe he steps down for a year to show his stuff and then makes the jump back up.

For Wisconsin, their entire focus this offseason will be to retain John Blackwell and Nolan Winter, who both figure to garner plenty of interest from other programs.