One of the high-profile signings of the offseason for Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers was Austin Rapp. He's 6'10 and can stretch the floor, can knock down threes, and was only a freshman at Portland (at the time). However, his sophomore year and his first year in Wisconsin were rocky at best. He struggled to play Gard's defense and was inconsistent in shooting.
He went from being a starter to the bench to almost disappearing completely down the depth chart until he found his stroke again. That propelled him to be a scoring threat off the bench, and his defense got better, not amazing, but better. Gard was able to even start him towards the end of the year with Winter out. Now, Rapp says he has no plans to transfer again. He plans to be a Badger again next season.
More to come on what #Badgers players said about their futures via @journalsentinel, but Austin Rapp says there is "no doubt I'll be back next year."
— John Steppe (@JSteppe1) March 19, 2026
"This wasn't a one-year thing for me. ... I want to be here, and I love this group. I love the staff."
Austin Rapp has no plans to transfer this offseason and will remain a Badger
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After the game, all the players were pushed by reporters to announce their offseason plans. Most gave ambiguous answers and didn't really settle on anything. John Blackwell left the door wide open. Nolan Winter said he didn't know, but his plan was always to be a Badger for all four years. Austin Rapp, however, was the one who said, "This wasn't a one-year thing for me...I want to be here, and I love this group. I love this staff."
Rapp silences any rumors that his rocky sophomore campaign would have him looking elsewhere. There was concern earlier in the year that his inability to adjust to Gard's defense would have him finding a new home in the offseason. But it seemed, at the time, and even more now, that he's embraced that challenge instead of shying away from it.
He's going to be an important part of the future next year, but Gard will need to add around him. His defense still isn't there, and Wisconsin doesn't have a rim protector, and who knows what happens in the backcourt. For now, though, Rapp is in the fold.