The Wisconsin Badgers have already added three top transfers out of the portal. All three are ranked 4-star transfers by 24/7 Sports, and each brings a very specific skillset that Greg Gard and his staff identified and went out and grabbed. At this point last season, the Wisconsin Badgers had zero incoming transfers. Camren Hunter committed on April 28, Xavier Amos on April 29, and finally, John Tonje committed on May 2.
It's important to realize how fast and effectively this transfer portal class has come together, and there's a big reason why. That reason should excite Wisconsin fans and allow a deeper level of trust for Greg Gard.
The Wisconsin Badgers have added transfers from their Plan A list
The major reason UW already has three transfers by April 7 is that Greg Gard has gone 3/3 on his "Plan A" list. These players were identified quickly, contacted, and then signed, and that's impressive.
A major note of the Gard transfer recruiting style is not going after everyone and their brother. If you see a long list of suitors on a player after they enter the portal, you can almost bet that Wisconsin is not on that list. This is simply because they aren't taking a shotgun approach to getting portal additions. They have a clear plan.
Gard has talked about this plan in many interviews throughout the season. They even already had a list of players they'd reach out to if those players ended up in the transfer portal. There's even a high probability that conversations with players' agents were ongoing before the portal even opened. Gard was able to not only avoid the second-tier part of his list or flyer players, but he was also able to grab the players he wanted and saw as a clear fit.
Wisconsin has added stretch-4 Austin Rapp from Portland University, combo guard Nick Boyd from San Diego State, and Wisconsin native Andrew Rohde. It's a great class, but don't be surprised if Gard adds one or two more.