The Badgers have nine new faces entering the program in 2025.
The Wisconsin Badgers overhauled their roster this offseason, bringing in five transfers and four high school recruits to replace the significant amount of departing talent.
It was expected to be a busy offseason for the Badgers, as they were expected to lose six seniors, with others electing to enter the transfer portal.
As a result, the Badgers quickly identified key targets in the portal, landing San Diego State guard Nick Boyd, Virginia wing Andrew Rohde, and Portland forward Austin Rapp early in the process.
The work wasn’t done there, however, as Wisconsin also added Tulsa transfer Braeden Carrington for guard depth off the bench. Then, on Tuesday, the Badgers made their final move, landing Temple forward Elijah Gray to give them more frontcourt depth and experience.
Those five transfers will join four-star Zach Kinziger, three-star Hayden Jones, three-star Will Garlock, and 19-year-old Lithuanian recruit Aleksas Bieliauskas as the newcomers for the Badgers in 2025.
Which one of them will be the most impactful newcomer for Wisconsin?
ESPN did an update to their way-too-early Top 25 power rankings this week, pointing out their top newcomer for every ranked team.
The Badgers came in at No. 20, and it was no surprise that Boyd was listed as the top addition.
“Wisconsin changed its identity last season, playing at the fastest tempo, by far, of the Greg Gard era — and, in turn, producing the best offense under the Badgers head coach. But with John Tonje gone, how will Wisconsin’s offense look? Much of that will be determined by Boyd, who will take over point guard duties after playing in the past three NCAA tournaments for Florida Atlantic and San Diego State.”
Boyd was seen as a strong fit for the Badgers, as he has experience playing with the ball in his hands in the pick-and-roll. He’s also an adept passer and capable as a three-level scorer, although his shots will come primarily at the rim or beyond the arc.
Wisconsin specifically hunts those shots in their offense, which is predicated on ball movement and ball screens to generate open looks.
While John Blackwell is expected to take the next step as Wisconsin’s top player, Boyd could very well be the No. 2 for the Badgers, potentially earning All-Big Ten merit at the end of the season.
Wisconsin was spoiled with the breakout of star John Tonje in 2024-25, but this team seems to be much different than that unit. Certain players will need to step up into a big role, and Boyd is at the top of that list.