Wisconsin basketball offseason roundup: July 8th, 2025
Keep up with everything going on in the Wisconsin basketball world.
Keeping up with college sports rosters has always been a challenge, but the transfer portal – essentially annual free agency – has intensified this, particularly for your favorite teams like Wisconsin basketball. Each offseason can bring a dramatically different look to the roster.
I’ll be doing some weekly or bi-weekly pieces on the Wisconsin basketball team. This series aims to keep even the most casual of fans updated on the Badgers' offseason activities.
Since this is the first installment of the roundup, it will be a little longer, including everything relevant that has happened this offseason with the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. There’s a lot to get to, so here we go.
Who’s out?
Between recruiting and the transfer portal, there’s a lot to keep track of. There have been numerous changes on the roster since just four months ago. The Wisconsin basketball roster looks immensely different. Let’s start with the departures, where there are a whopping 11 players from the 2024-25 roster that will not be back.
- John Tonje (Pro/Graduated) - Drafted No. 53 overall by Utah Jazz
- Steven Crowl (Pro/Graduated) - Signed with Utah Jazz as an undrafted rookie
- Max Klesmit (Graduated)
- Carter Gilmore (Pro/Graduated) - Signed with the Den Helder Suns (Netherlands)
- Kamari McGee (Graduated)
- Markus Ilver (Graduated)
- Xavier Amos (Transfer - Loyola Chicago)
- Daniel Freitag (Transfer - Buffalo)
- Chris Hodges (Transfer - Montana State)
- Camren Hunter (Transfer - Central Arkansas)
- Aidan Konop (Transfer Portal)
Who’s in?
So Greg Gard and the Badgers have some spots to fill this offseason. As soon as the portal opened, he went to work and did an excellent job of finding players that were not only highly coveted but also fit the Wisconsin offense well. Here is who Gard and company reeled in from the portal:
- PG Nick Boyd (San Diego State)
- SG Andrew Rohde (Virginia)
- SG Braeden Carrington (Tulsa)
- PF Austin Rapp (Portland)
- SF Elijah Gray (Temple)
Then they brought in four players as a part of their recruiting class, including a pair of international players:
- G Zach Kinziger (DePere, WI; No. 122 nationally)
- C Will Garlock (Middleton, WI; No. 210 nationally)
- G Hayden Jones (New Zealand)
- PF Aleksas Bieliauskas (Lithuania)
So who’s back?
So with all the changes, who is still on the roster from last season? While it’s not a very long list, the Badgers were able to retain three of their most important players heading into the season.
- G John Blackwell
- F Nolan Winter
- G Jack Janicki
- G Jack Robison
- C Ricardo Greppi
- G Isaac Guard
A closer look at incoming transfers
Nick Boyd was a huge addition for the Badgers. The guard has one year of eligibility left. He spent three years at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) before transferring to San Diego State last season, where he enjoyed a breakout season. He averaged 13.4 points, 3.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.9 rebounds per game. The guard also shot 75% from the free-throw line. The incoming guard shot 35% from three and 41% overall from the field.
Andrew Rohde is a Wisconsin-native and a player the Badgers have been after for a few years. He spent his freshman season at St. Thomas, where he averaged 17.1 points and 3.6 assists per game. He went into the portal and immediately got multiple offers from some high-end programs, so competition for the Badgers was tough. Rohde ultimately chose to play for Tony Bennett at Virginia. He spent two seasons there, averaging 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He entered the portal again this offseason, and this time, Gard got him.
Austin Rapp is the reigning West Coast Conference (WCC) Freshman of the Year. The 6-10Australian forward averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game as a freshman. He also shot 35% from three while attempting over seven threes per game. He is a legitimate deep threat for the Badgers. Granted, the Big Ten is a much tougher conference than the WCC, but Rapp could be a significant player for the Badgers in the Wisconsin offense sooner rather than later.
Braeden Carrington is going to be an important depth player for the Badgers next season. Carrington started his career at Minnesota before transferring to Tulsa last season. In his career, Carrington has played in 80 games, averaging six points and 3.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. While those numbers may not pop off the page, he is expected to make an impact on the defensive end of the floor for the Badgers.
The final spot on the roster recently went to Elijah Gray, who committed to the Badgers last week. The transfer from Temple will provide forward depth off the bench for Wisconsin. The 6-8 forward will have one year of eligibility left after spending his first three years at Fordham (2022-2024) and Temple (2024-2025). Last season at Temple, Gray averaged nine points per game while grabbing 3.8 rebounds per game.
John Blackwell tested the NBA waters
Before Blackwell committed to coming back to the Badgers, he declared for the NBA Draft while retaining his eligibility. This allowed him to undergo some testing, meet with and work out for several NBA teams, and receive feedback on where he would potentially be drafted.
In the end, Blackwell came back to Madison and will rejoin Nolan Winter in leading the Badgers next season. Getting Blackwell, Winter, and Janicki back in the fold is a big deal for Wisconsin. All three could have gotten a very nice payday if they had jumped into the portal. Wisconsin put together some very nice deals to keep their core intact heading into 2025.
Badgers beef up non-conference schedule
Unlike college football, strength of schedule is an important part of a team’s resume when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers made sure they had plenty of competition next season by adding some stiff competition to their non-conference schedule.
First, although it won’t count, Wisconsin scheduled an exhibition game with the Oklahoma Sooners at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee before the start of the regular season.
The big addition to their schedule is BYU, which knocked the Badgers out of the NCAA Tournament. Wisconsin will have a chance to get some revenge against the Cougars in Salt Lake City at the Delta Center, where the Utah Jazz play. This will be a great game for Wisconsin, as the Cougars are reloading and led by AJ Dybantsa, an incoming freshman who was the No. 1 overall player in the incoming 2025 class. Dybantsa is considered a top contender to be the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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