Wisconsin men's basketball head coach Greg Gard hosted his yearly "Garding Against Cancer" fundraising event last week. He brings together plenty of philanthropists and community leaders to help raise money for cancer research. At the event, Gard spoke with some of the local media and answered a variety of questions. One of those questions about the final spot on the roster was intriguing.
Right now, the roster has 14 players, and the plan across the college basketball landscape is that it will have 15. However, there's still a bit of uncertainty based on a judge ruling that's coming down the pipeline. It could be more, which would add an interesting dynamic to how the roster is built for this year and for years to come.
Wisconsin has 14 players on the roster and plan to have 15 before the season starts
This means that Greg Gard has one more spot to fill. He was rapid-fire with the first portal additions, adding Austin Rapp, Nick Boyd, and Andrew Rohde within a couple of weeks of the portal being open. Wisconsin has also recently added international player Aleksas Bieliauskas and veteran guard Braeden Carrington.
There are still a few players out there that Greg Gard, but originally, Gard mentioned how the final spot would be a walk-on and not a starter. However, that seems to have shifted lately for him, and he said as much at his fundraising event.
Obviously, I was not at the Garding Against Cancer event Friday at the KC. But it appears #Badgers coach Greg Gard told reporters that UW, which has one more roster spot to fill for next season, likely will be adding a scholarship player rather than a walk-on. 🤔
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) May 4, 2025
According to Nick Osen of 24/7 Sports, Greg Gard said this about that final spot, "We are still actively recruiting another spot, so, we will add one more, I don't know when. But, we are in that process of continuing to add as we move forward." Will it be a scholarship or a walk-on, "Don't know yet, likely scholarship is what we are having some conversations about with quite a few people. But, just making sure it is fit, and a lot of things that are in play."
This is good news for Wisconsin fans who are worried about the depth of the roster. The starting lineup may be one of the best in the Big Ten, but the depth behind it seems lacking, and plenty of fans are hoping for one more quality player to really round out next year's team.