Why Austin Rapp chose Wisconsin men's basketball and what comes next
Wisconsin men's basketball transfer Austin Rapp explains why he chose the Badgers, his fit in the system, and the vision Greg Gard laid out for his future.
The path to signing with the Wisconsin basketball program wasn’t entirely a coincidence for former Portland forward Austin Rapp. It was the byproduct of deep-rooted connections, a clear vision for his future, and an offensive system built to maximize his skill set moving forward.
When Rapp committed to the Badgers, it marked a significant portal win for Greg Gard and his coaching staff. The 6-foot-10 forward and reigning WCC Freshman of the Year chose Wisconsin over interest from Michigan, Iowa, Oregon, and Clemson, among several other programs.
But his ties to the program ran deeper than just basketball fit.
Kirk Penney, a fellow Oceanic native who played in the NBL like Rapp, was one of the many connections that made Madison feel like home during his official visit.
"I knew Kirk a little bit. We knew so many of the same people,” Rapp said. “On my visit, we could’ve chopped it up for ages.”
He also noted that Portland's head coach, Shantay Legans, was familiar with the Wisconsin staff. And a current Portland grad assistant previously served as a manager for the Badgers. Add it all up, and in the end, Rapp’s decision had as much to do with familiarity as it did with growth.
“I got to know about Wisconsin before going there just through asking questions,” Rapp added. “Obviously, I watch Wisconsin basketball. So, it worked out that I had all of these connections, and that’s what kind of got me to Madison in the end.
“I made a connection with the coaching staff as soon as I got on my visit."
Rapp had grown up admiring the Badgers’ style of play—from the Frank Kaminsky Final Four teams to bigs like Ethan Happ and countless others. So when Greg Gard showed him some film of their past success stories—of which there are many to choose from, the fit felt obvious.
“They’ve had so many guys,” Rapp said. “They play stretch fours, stretch fives. That’s all they’ve played the last 10 years, and that’s what they look for. That suits their offense particularly—and I think I do a good job stretching the floor at 6-foot-10 and knocking down threes.
"So, it was pretty easy for me in terms of the fit—I knew my playstyle fit Wisconsin to a T. It was a selling point because there are heaps of guys similar to me who have succeeded at Wisconsin."