Austin Rapp was one of the top portal bigs out of Portland. He can shoot the three, and he can play inside. He was a great get for Wisconsin and Greg Gard, yet he's been at best lackluster and, at worst, unplayable. The latest comments from Gard seem to indicate he's even further in the doghouse and losing playing time, and the minutes against Villanova support it.
Gard said there are currently only six players he can trust on defense, and they were the key to getting Wisconsin back into the Villanova game and sending it to overtime. The starting five and Hayden Jones. No mention of Austin Rapp.
He continues to try to get him opportunities, but the Villanova game was a great example, as he came in partway through the second half, his first time with the ball, and he turned it over. Then he had a lapse on defense, and what frustrates fans is that he plays soft down low.
Austin Rapp has been trending the wrong direction since the Providence game
Rapp has had one good game this season and a few okay games. He's yet to play any good team, tough. He scored 20 points against Providence and had eight rebounds. This looked like a turning point for him, but then he had his worst game of the year against TCU, in which he went 1-6 with two points and three turnovers.
In Wisconsin's latest game against Villanova, he only logged 15 total minutes, his lowest of the season, and further proves that he's slipping down the bench and Gard is having a tough time trusting him. While defense may be the excuse, the offense has taken a considerable dip from Portland, too. He's shooting 37% from the field and 28% from three.
It's made the season hard on Gard's lineup as he has to trust a true freshman in the starting five, and if Rapp can't give him production off the bench, the only other big man option is another true freshman. Rapp needs to figure it out for his own sake and Wisconsin's sake.