Wisconsin basketball forward Xavier Amos re-enters the portal
Wisconsin basketball forward Xavier Amos has entered the transfer portal after one season in Madison, creating a need in the Badgers frontcourt for next season.
The University of Wisconsin men's basketball program knows all too well that the portal giveth—and it also taketh away.
Wisconsin forward Xavier Amos has entered the NCAA transfer portal, Badgernotes has learned, leaving the program after just one season.
Amos arrived at Wisconsin last offseason from Northern Illinois with real expectations—viewed by many as the Badgers’ most impactful transfer portal pickup. A stretch four with high-major upside, he came to Madison looking to develop his game, test himself in the Big Ten, and take the next step toward his long-term goals of playing in the NBA.
His sophomore season at Northern Illinois was promising—he averaged 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and shot 50% from the field while connecting on 38.5% from deep. That breakout campaign put him on the radar of high-major coaching staffs, and Wisconsin pounced.
The 6-foot-7 forward from Chicago, Illinois, brought an enticing blend of size, shooting, and athletic upside—something that this roster doesn't traditionally have in abundance. But in his lone year with the Badgers, Amos was mostly viewed as a backend rotational piece for Greg Gard.
He averaged 3.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.6 minutes a game across 37 appearances, shooting 37.4% from the field and 29.4% from beyond the arc. Amos played double-digit minutes in just 16 games.
“I’ve had him on the scout team … in part because it forces him really to compete,” Gard told reporters. “I think his motor and his physicality have to continue to grow. You can’t half-step it. It’s forced him every day to raise his game ... I'm sure he was upset when I first put him over there.
“He has to compete all the time there, I don't think it was natural for him."
And yet, by March, it looked like the tide might be turning.
Amos finished the year on a strong note—dropping 12 points against Washington, putting together a well-rounded effort vs. UCLA in the Big Ten Tournament with eight points, three boards, and three blocks, and adding 11 more in Wisconsin’s NCAA Tournament win over Montana.
He was playing with more confidence and looked like someone who could potentially step into a meaningful role for the Badgers frontcourt in 2025-26.
That’s what makes this departure sting a little.
Amos was in line for a good chunk of minutes next season following the graduation of frontcourt staples Steven Crowl and Carter Gilmore. The Badgers still have Nolan Winter and newly-added Portland transfer Austin Rapp in the fold, but with Amos gone, frontcourt depth takes a hit—and the need for a physical interior presence only grows louder.
From a roster construction standpoint, the timing leaves Wisconsin thin.
Riccardo Greppi remains a developmental piece, and freshman Will Garlock will be on campus this summer, but neither has projects to fill a role next season. Amos was expected to help bridge that gap—a veteran with size, athleticism, and experience who had already taken some lumps in Big Ten play. Now, the coaching staff will need to hit the transfer portal again to find someone who can rebound, block shots, and help space the floor.
Amos becomes the fifth Badger to enter the portal this offseason, joining guards Daniel Freitag, Camren Hunter, Aidan Konop, and forward Chris Hodges. Unlike some of those names, though, Amos had carved out a real spot in the rotation and seemed poised to take another step.
From the version of Amos we saw early in the season—when it was fair to wonder if he was even playable—to the player he became by season’s end, it’s clear he made strides under Coach Gard and company.
Amos didn’t just hang around and pout when he didn't earn the role he envisioned—he got better. Amos responded to the coaching and found ways to contribute, which speaks to the growth he showed in his short time at Wisconsin.
That growth was easy to see down the stretch. Amos brought energy, length, and some real stretch-forward potential off the bench. Wisconsin’s frontcourt depth naturally limited his role, but even with that, Amos was arguably one of the most high-upside end-of-the-rotation pieces the Badgers have had in recent memory.
Amos may not have fully reached the level many hoped when he signed, but the flashes were there—and in a different world, maybe they would have taken shape next season. Instead, Amos will look elsewhere for a larger role.
This is college basketball in 2025.
The portal’s a two-way street—and for as much credit as Wisconsin deserves for landing impact players like Andrew Rohde, Nick Boyd, and Rapp, departures like Amos remind you just how difficult it is to build (and keep) a complete roster in this era.
The staff will regroup. They have to. With three scholarships still available and a frontcourt spot that needs plugging, there’s no time to dwell. But Xavier Amos' exit leaves a void—one Wisconsin men’s basketball will now have to fill.
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Not that anything really surprises me anymore in the portal era - but this one was unexpected. Liked his development the second half of the year. Became a valuable piece off the bench. Really thought he would play a key role next year. Perhaps some behind the scenes discussions with the staff regarding his role? Wish him well ….
Aaaaaaachhhh.....damn. He had to know it was going to be his time next season! I am glad he has the courage and confidence to make this decision but disappointed it won't be in Madison. Hope he finds what he is seeking out in Portal Land.