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Wisconsin picks up dynamic big man via transfer from Portland
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Greg Gard secured a major win for Wisconsin basketball on Friday, picking up a key commitment from a versatile and dynamic big man for the Badgers.
It was reported that former Portland big man Austin Rapp was committing to play for Wisconsin next season, and Rapp himself quickly confirmed the news on social media. Rapp played his freshman season at Portland after transitioning from Australia, but he quickly generated major interest after his freshman season.
The West Coast Conference’s Freshman of the Year, Rapp received a 4-star transfer rating from 247 Sports prior to his commitment. He was also considering Michigan, Iowa, Oregon and Clemson prior to his commitment to the Badgers.
Listed at 6-foot-10 and 230 pounds, Rapp appeared in 31 games (30 starts) for the Pilots. He burst onto the scene with 18 points and 5 made 3-pointers in a road win over Long Beach State and never looked back.
Rapp finished the season averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 35.2% from 3-point range. He scored 20+ points 4 times and had 24 games with at least 2 made 3-pointers (and 9 games with at least 4 made 3-pointers).
Given Rapp’s length and shooting ability, he should present a matchup challenge within Wisconsin’s offense next season. And combined with Virginia transfer Andrew Rohde, the Badgers are putting a premium on 3-point shooting in the portal. (Rohde went 41.3% from deep last season.)
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.