During the Wisconsin Badgers’ dominant win over Ohio State, a familiar face made his presence felt on the court and in the box score.
Australian forward Austin Rapp delivered a wonderful performance off of the bench for Wisconsin that helped the team put the Buckeyes away in the Kohl Center. The forward dropped 19 points, six rebounds, and five made three-point shots against Ohio State. Rapp began the season as a starter for the Badgers before ultimately hitting the bench in favor of Aleksas Bieliauskas.
The forward is currently a sophomore who got his start last season as a true freshman with Portland. Rapp averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks last season for the Pilots while establishing himself as a dangerous perimeter shooter.
Rapp was previously one of the top transfer portal additions the Badgers’ had made during the off-season. The young forward was considered to be a rising star, and for the moment the jury is still out of whether or not Rapp can lead the offense himself in Madison.
Austin Rapp Provides Wisconsin Badgers’ Offense with Five Three-Point Buckets Against Ohio State
Rapp has perhaps been one of the more interesting transfer portal additions for Wisconsin across the past few seasons due to his highs and lows. The forward had four double-digit point games in November and finally doubled his total against Ohio State with his 19-point effort. The forward also played a hand in the wins over Providence (20/8/1) and Northwestern (13/3/2) earlier in the season.
Previously, Rapp played in a far different offense with the Portland Pilots that allowed the forward to be a volume shooter. With talented and proven scoring options like John Blackwell and Nick Boyd, Wisconsin does not need the forward to be as significant of a force shooting the basketball.
Rapp attempted 236 three-point field goals last season, netting 83 of his attempts, which will likely be more than the total field goals the forward attempts in his first season with Wisconsin. The forward is currently averaging 7.5 shot attempts per game with a projection of 209 total shot attempts to end the season.
Adjustment can take time, but the Badgers could perhaps have a solution regarding how to utilize Rapp given his performance off of the bench. Bench guards Braeden Carrington and Jack Janicki offer different looks with Carrington being a deep-range scorer and Janicki primarily serving as a gritty defender. Rapp could continue to give Wisconsin a stronger offensive look off the bench than fellow forward Will Garlock can at the moment.
A notable change the forward has made on the court involves his turnover total which has dramatically dropped this season. Rapp averaged 2.6 turnovers per game last season, totaling 82 turnovers and 80 personal fouls. The forward has cut both of those totals down, sitting at just 18 turnovers and 29 personal fouls in his first season with Wisconsin.
The Badgers have just nine regular season games left before the Big Ten Conference Tournament tips off ahead of the NCAA Tournament.
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