Badger Basketball Exit Meetings: Is Austin Rapp ready for a bigger role?

Outside of Nolan Winter, Austin Rapp was arguably Wisconsin’s most important player retention of the offseason. It was a rocky road in his sophomore season, but one that I felt ended on a positive note individually, especially given his early struggles. 

As does every returning player in this series, Rapp will face an opportunity for an expanded role next season, so here is one last analysis of his first season in red and white before we turn that page.

2025-26 stats (23.1 minutes per game)

9.7 PPG, 4 RPG, 1.6 APG | 41.9% FG, 36.3% 3-pt, 85.4% FT

2025-26 High

It wouldn’t be a complete season recap for Rapp without mentioning his heater against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. In what was one of the best shot-making displays from any Badger this season, he willed Wisconsin back into the game against the best team in the country, giving them a chance to take down the eventual champs for the second time of the season. 

However, there was a two game stretch earlier in the year which may not have been quite as exhilarating, but what I felt was the most important of the season for the Portland transfer. On Jan. 31, Rapp re-emerged as a viable piece in the Wisconsin frontcourt, highlighted by his first-half outburst en route to 19 points and six rebounds on 7-for-10 shooting, and 5-for-7 from deep.

Unfortunately, he missed the ensuing game at Indiana, which obviously ended in controversial fashion. Rapp’s encore, however, was even more spectacular. On Feb. 10 at Illinois, he scored 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting, 4-for-7 from three, and added five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. His performance was massive for Wisconsin, as you don’t beat a Final Four team on the road without role players stepping up.

The heat check to lead a monstrous near-upset rally against the eventual champions may have been the most fun few minutes of the season for Badger fans, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Rapp’s back-to-back games against Ohio State and Illinois completely flipped the narrative on his season, but the team’s season as well.

2025-26 Low

As is implied by a breakout in late January into early February, there were some obvious struggles with the transition to the league for Rapp. He had 20 points against Providence in San Diego, and 13 against Northwestern in the Big Ten opener, but then things went sideways.

Starting with the next game against Nebraska on Dec. 10, all the way until the aforementioned contest against Ohio State on Jan. 31, Rapp went cold, shooting 23-for-57 from the field, and 9-for-36 from 3-point range. Not only did the well run dry offensively, he looked a step behind defensively, and appeared to be struggling with the physicality of high-major basketball. 

Knowing Winter could only do so much, with a struggling Rapp and two freshman bigs as the only available players up front, it felt like Gard needed to dig deep and find something in either Rapp or the freshman if Wisconsin wanted to go on a run, and that’s exactly what happened. 

From the outside looking in, it seemed that simply having the game Rapp had against Ohio State, in front of a home crowd overjoyed with his breakout, instilled a newfound confidence in the big man that transformed him from a standout on a bad mid-major, to a serviceable Big Ten player. Maybe that’s all it was, or maybe the staff found something in him and brought it to light. Regardless, Rapp was struggling mightily from the Nebraska game until the last day of January, and given the lack of depth in the frontcourt, I found it to be Rapp’s lowest point.

Final grade: B

The stretch mentioned above as the low in Rapp’s season, which lasted nearly two months, was poor enough to prevent me from going higher with this grade, but I felt that it needed to reflect a fairly positive reception of his first season as a Badger. 

It was unfortunate that it took until February essentially for him to become the player fans envisioned to some degree, but when you look at the team’s best wins, Rapp playing well was a constant. Obviously, the Illinois game mentioned earlier stands out, but in the win at Mackey Arena, he scored 17, in the second Illinois win, he didn’t shoot particularly well, but scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds with four assists, and to state the obvious once more, his second half against Michigan was one of the best halves from any player all season. 

What’s next?

Rapp may be the most exciting player for me as it pertains to what’s next. At this point, I envision him back in a starting role in 2026-27 next to Winter, with a major opportunity for a monster leap. I think Owen Foxwell as a playmaker will be extremely beneficial for both bigs, but especially Rapp.

Playing with Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, two score-first guards, I thought Rapp found a nice rhythm working off the ball to get good looks from three, and I think with Foxwell’s pro experience, and knack for playmaking, he could be not only taking more threes next season, but getting better looks as well. 

As mentioned in the statline from the game at Illinois, he also flashed abilities as a passer, which I think could be a skill that comes out of him more this season. When you lose Boyd and Blackwell, you lose the majority of individual creation offensively. 

Winter is expected to take over as the go-to guy, with Eian Elmer being projected as the second option, but Rapp has a unique offensive skillset, and there’s obviously some question marks on that end after losing Boyd and Blackwell. I’m not saying he’ll become an all-conference second option, but I’m intrigued bt the idea of him showcasing more of his skillset in 2026-27.