The Badgers brought in several new players to their program this offseason.
The Wisconsin Badgers brought in quite the haul this offseason via the transfer portal, landing four potential role players for the 2025-26 season, while also getting forward depth via the overseas pool of talent.
Wisconsin landed San Diego State guard Nick Boyd, Virginia wing Andrew Rohde, and Portland forward Austin Rapp as their first wave of transfers, with each filling a need.
Boyd is expected to be the team’s point guard, joining John Blackwell in the backcourt. Rohde provides shooting and sneaky playmaking from the wing. And Rapp is a good stretch-four who shot 35 percent from three as a freshman in 2024-25.
Then came the addition of Tulsa’s Braeden Carrington, who previously played at Minnesota, and gives Wisconsin more experience and depth at the guard position. Finally, dipping into the overseas pool, Wisconsin got a commitment from 19-year-old forward Aleksas Bieliauskas, who has the ability to shoot the three and rebound well.
With all the new talent, Wisconsin should bounce back and remain competitive this upcoming season, despite the number of departures. But, which of the transfers will be the most impactful in 2025?
We did our weekly reacts poll, getting votes from the fans, and the results were somewhat expected, but still intriguing.
Boyd led the way, which made sense, as he was considered to be Wisconsin’s prized addition in the portal. The guard averaged 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists last season for San Diego State, while shooting over 35 percent from deep.
His facilitating should take off some of the load from John Blackwell and provide Wisconsin with a more stable presence at point guard next year. But, Rapp came in as the second-most impactful transfer, garnering 18 percent of the vote.
Initially, it was unclear what Rapp’s role would be in 2024-25, as Wisconsin was expected to still target a center in the transfer portal. But, they went with another younger player, landing the 19-year-old Bieliauskas, who isn’t expected to be a starter for Wisconsin next year.
Now, the Badgers do have the intention of adding another scholarship player for their 15th and final roster spot. So, that center could come. But, at the moment, it seems likely that Rapp and Winter make up the starting frontcourt for Wisconsin next season.
Rohde, a Wisconsin native, comes back to his home state for his final year of eligibility, and should take a major role as a shooter in the Badgers’ offense, which is designed to free up open looks from three.
Now, he hasn’t seen a high-volume role recently, scoring 9.3 points per game at Virginia last season, so it’s unclear whether he’ll take the next step up or play in a similar role for Wisconsin. But, the Badgers hope that he can maintain shooting over 40 percent from deep, which will be needed in 2025-26.
Carrington is expected to be a back-of-the-bench reserve. He doesn’t provide much offensively and has never been very efficient, so Jack Janicki (and perhaps Zach Kinziger) should be above him in the guard rotation. Bieliauskas, on the other hand, is the wild card.
If the Lithuanian big man can prove to be ready early on, he should be the top reserve behind Winter and Rapp, taking both four and five minutes. But, his readiness will be seen later this offseason when Wisconsin starts workouts.
Ultimately, it’s a good group of transfers for the Badgers, with one more potentially on the way before the start of next season. Let’s see who can make their mark on the team in 2025-26.