Wisconsin dealing with visa issue before overseas freshman can join Greg Gard

Wisconsin basketball offseason practices have begun as Greg Gard works to get his newly formed team all situated and familiar with each other and his schemes. The latest social media video from Wisconsin basketball shows basically all the new players. It starts with freshman Jackson Ball, works through with Victory Onuetu and Eian Elmer. There's a flash of Trey Autry and a nice assist from Owen Foxwell, but one player isn't seen, and it's because Isaac Riddle hasn't arrived yet.

Riddle posted about this social media video with a "Can't wait to get there." And then explains that he's stuck in Australia still because he's waiting on his visa. While he downplays the timeline and says, "apparently any day now." Anyone who's dealt with a visa issue knows that "any day" can be weeks.

While he will certainly get it all worked out long before the season starts, he's missing crucial time, and he's a player who can absolutely use the reps. There's something about Riddle that shows some promise, but he may look much more like a freshman than his Australian counterparts in Foxwell and Ball.

Isaac Riddle is stuck in Australia waiting for his visa to be approved

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Riddle is an actual freshman in age and in college experience, and is coming in as an 18-year-old player. He's got a high ceiling and has showcased it well at the 2025 FIBA Under-17 Oceania Cup, where he helped Australia get a silver medal. He still has some development to go, especially under Wisconsin's schemes. Foxwell and Ball both have international professional experience in the highest NBL.

Greg Gard spoke directly to this when Riddle was signed: "Isaac comes in as one of the best young prospects in Australia with terrific potential as he goes down the path of development." So this time in the offseason, practices are pretty crucial for Riddle. In fact, in the same press release, Gard specifically mentioned working with Riddle in June, "His length and athleticism are obvious, but his desire to grow and expand his game is impressive. We're looking forward to getting to work with him in June."

He's not projected to have a big role this next season, but the reality is, you never know. Last season, Aleksas Bieliauskas surprised Wisconsin fans by emerging as a player that Gard trusted on the block. Bieliauskas went from being a depth piece from the international circuit to a starter throughout the majority of the season.

It was the time in the gym during these early days that allowed that progression to happen. Riddle's visa issue is setting some of that back for him. However, not to be an overly pessimistic thinker, if it truly is "any day," it won't be a big miss for either Riddle or Wisconsin. So, there's some hope there that he truly will be boarding a flight in the next few days and arriving in Madison. Getting him going and helping Greg Gard build a deep front court.

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