Austin Rapp confirms return to Wisconsin Badgers basketball
The Austalian big man slots in as an immediate starter for Wisconsin men's basketball
Madison, WI — After the departure of forward Aleksas Bieliauskas, Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Greg Gard had a big hole to fill in his starting frontcourt. On Sunday, he seemingly plugged that hole when Austin Rapp confirmed his return for a second season with the Wisconsin Badgers.
“Run it back,” Rapp wrote in a social media caption.
WithIn Bieliauskas and reserve big Riccardo Greppi both entering the transfer portal, Rapp’s return solidifies the first piece of UW’s frontcourt. Next season, the rising junior figures to play an even more prominent role for the Badgers than he did in his first campaign in Madison.
Austin Rapp follows-up on hot finish to sophomore season
As a sophomore, the Australian forward averaged 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30 games. He averaged 9.7 points per contest while shooting 36.3% on three-pointers.
In the upcoming year, Rapp will have to continue to work on his defensive game and interior offense find another gear. The former Portland Pilots transfer started his first seven games for the Badgers, but then asked to come off the bench.
The 6-foot-10, 238-pound standout’s season was again derailed when an illness sidelined Rapp as conference play began.
Despite the setbacks, the first Australian-born player in program history found his stride down the stretch of the season, and proved he could hang in the starting rotation as he stepped in for an injured Nolan Winter.
Rapp scored in double figures in four of Wisconsin’s final six and five of UW’s last nine contests. He helped the Badgers reach the Big Ten Tournament semifinal, where he scored 18 points on a career-high six three-pointers against the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines.
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