“Could Wisconsin’s Transfer Class Be the Secret Weapon to Dominating College Basketball This Season?”

As the dust settles on another whirlwind offseason, Wisconsin basketball finds itself at the center of the collegiate sports universe. With a recruitment strategy that has turned heads, the Badgers have secured a remarkable trio of transfer athletes—Andrew Rohde, Austin Rapp, and Nick Boyd—who are currently making waves by being ranked as the top transfer class in the nation, according to On3. Despite the sting of losing key players to the transfer portal, most notably Xavier Amos, Wisconsin’s ability to attract such talent showcases a promising revival following a challenging season. While rankings alone don’t decide fates on the court, the prowess of this new lineup coupled with adept coaching will be crucial for navigating the tough waters of the upcoming campaign. Join me as we dive deeper into how Wisconsin’s transformative offseason could shape their destiny in the competitive landscape of college basketball. LEARN MORE.

AI-assisted summary
• Wisconsin’s incoming transfer class, featuring Andrew Rohde, Austin Rapp, and Nick Boyd, is currently ranked No. 1 by On3.
• The Badgers lost key players to the transfer portal, including Xavier Amos, creating a need for frontcourt depth.
• While transfer rankings don’t guarantee success, Wisconsin’s high-ranked class reflects a successful offseason.
• The team’s ultimate success will depend on how the coaching staff fills out the rotation and develops team depth.

That is to display that transfer rankings don’t mean everything. For example, John Tonje was the No. 296 transfer during the 2024 cycle before delivering an All-American season leading the Badgers.For reference, Louisville boasted On3’s top transfer class last offseason, headlined by Wisconsin star Chucky Hepburn. That class led the Cardinals to a resurgent season in year one under Pat Kelsey — a final 27-8 record and NCAA Tournament appearance. Other top-ranked transfer classes didn’t boast the same success, as Kansas (No. 2), West Virginia (No. 3), Indiana (No. 4) and Nebraska (No. 5) mostly fell short of preseason expectations.Bookmark our transfer tracker for the latest on the team’s upcoming moves.Wisconsin’s class currently includes wing Andrew Rohde, forward Austin Rapp and guard Nick Boyd. On3 lists each as a four-star transfer prospect, ranked as the portal’s No. 110, No. 139 and No. 36 overall players, respectively.

As of April 12, On3 lists the Badgers’ three-person transfer group as the No. 1 transfer class in college basketball. The group narrowly edges Kentucky (four commits), Oklahoma State (four commits), Butler (three commits) and Michigan (four commits) in the recruiting service’s top five.Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion

The team’s success in 2025-26 may still come down to how Greg Gard fills the rotation, whether with underclassmen or remaining transfer additions. While the team can hold top rankings for its star-powered transfer-heavy starting lineup, it will likely only go as far as its depth takes it.Wisconsin’s new-look starting five with Rohde, Rapp, Boyd, John Blackwell and Nolan Winter should line up favorably against most in the Big Ten. It includes an ascending star in Blackwell, a promising big man in Winter, the 2024 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year in Rapp, an experienced sharpshooter in Rohde and an established guard with Final Four experience in Boyd.

Wisconsin basketball’s impressive offseason is continuing to earn national recognition.Meanwhile, the Badgers have lost two three-star and one four-star transfer in Camren Hunter, Daniel Freitag and Xavier Amos, respectively. Amos is by far the biggest loss of the three. His departure creates a glaring need at depth forward, one the Badgers must address before the transfer cycle concludes.

Still, On3’s transfer ranking reflects Wisconsin’s successful transfer cycle to date. Boyd, Rapp and Rohde were all top targets from the start, plus Wisconsin edged top programs North Carolina, Michigan and Iowa State, respectively, for their commitments.