The Wisconsin Badgers are closing in on finalizing their roster for the 2025 season, which will feature at least 10 new players who weren’t part of the team in 2024. Head coach Greg Gard recently spoke to reporters at his cancer charity event, shedding light on how some of these transfers came about and how an NBA Hall of Fame coach played a key role in bringing one player to Wisconsin.
“Austin Rapp, there were a lot of connections,” Gard explained. “His dad coached in Division III, knew Coach Ryan, and there was a link to Randy Bennett at St. Mary’s. There was even a connection to Gregg Popovich with the Spurs. His dad has a strong relationship with him, and between my Division III background and our history, plus Greg Stiemsma’s relationship, a lot of things came together to make that happen.”
It’s not every day that an NBA legend plays a role in securing a top transfer, but it appears that the recently retired Popovich had at least some involvement in Rapp’s recruitment. Greg Stiemsma, a Badger assistant, was part of Popovich’s staff with the San Antonio Spurs from 2021 to 2024.
Gard also discussed how transfers Andrew Rohde and Braeden Carrington became part of the team. Rohde was a player the Badgers had recruited since high school and had even pursued when he transferred to Virginia last season. Now, Gard and his staff have successfully convinced him to join Wisconsin. As for Carrington, Gard was familiar with him from their matchups when he played for Minnesota. After Carrington moved on to Tulsa, Gard credited Duffy Conroy—his former assistant at Wisconsin and now with the Golden Hurricanes—for helping facilitate the transfer.
While much attention is often given to money and NIL in the transfer portal, for Wisconsin, it seems that personal relationships and connections played a significant role in attracting many of their new players. Whether through former assistants or NBA coaching legends, knowing the right people can make all the difference.
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