Following the departures of Carter Gilmore, Markus Ilver, and most notably Steven Crowl due to graduation, the Wisconsin Badgers were in need of a forward from the transfer portal to pair with rising talent Nolan Winter. Just a day after landing Andrew Rohde from Virginia, the Badgers secured their second transfer in as many days, as West Coast Conference (WCC) Freshman of the Year Austin Rapp announced his commitment to Wisconsin.
Portland forward Austin Rapp heads to Madison with three years of eligibility remaining.
Let’s gooo @BadgerMBB ❤️ https://t.co/ih4tKDgD3D
— austin rapp (@austinrappp) April 4, 2025
Standing at 6’10”, Austin Rapp had an impressive freshman campaign at Portland. The power forward from Melbourne, Australia, averaged 13.8 points per game—good for 11th in the WCC—while also leading the team with 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
Rapp’s skill set aligns well with Wisconsin’s offensive system, which emphasized stretch fours like Nolan Winter and Xavier Amos throughout the season. Comfortable shooting from deep, Rapp connected on 35.2% of his three-point attempts in 2024-25.
Despite Portland finishing the season with a 12-20 record, Rapp drew significant interest from major programs, including Big Ten rivals Iowa, Michigan, and Oregon, as well as Clemson. A campus visit to Madison earlier in the week likely played a key role in securing his commitment to the Badgers.
Portal target Austin Rapp is currently in Madison. https://t.co/R6odG4LJa6 pic.twitter.com/W8aMCcsFNS
— Jon McNamara (@McNamaraRivals) March 31, 2025
One area where Austin Rapp could improve is his two-point shooting percentage, though he’s shown strong efficiency finishing around the basket. As Kedrick Stumbris of Athlon Sports notes:
“Although he only shot 49.0% on twos, Rapp converted 58.6% of his 70 attempts at the rim, according to BartTorvik. Wisconsin, as a team, shot 55.2% from two-point range last season—largely due to Coach Greg Gard’s emphasis on avoiding mid-range shots. If Rapp increases his attempts at the rim and cuts down on longer twos—of which he took 30 as a freshman—he has the potential to thrive in Madison.”
With Steven Crowl’s departure leaving a key hole in the starting lineup, Rapp’s commitment gives the Badgers a much-needed boost in the frontcourt. He brings youth, size, and upside to a position of need.
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