The Wisconsin Badgers collected yet another wild win against a top-10 opponent on the road on Tuesday, when they took down the No. 8 Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois, via a 92-90 score.
Nick Boyd and John Blackwell joined forces to carry the Badgers past the Fighting Illini despite Wisconsin being down by as many as 12 points in the second half. The resilience of Wisconsin was on full display in that contest.
Meanwhile, what sophomore forward Austin Rapp did in the wild comeback can’t be overlooked.
After scoring 19 points in a previous win against the Ohio State Buckeyes at home, Rapp stayed hot and dropped 18 points on 6/11 shooting from the field versus Illinois. He knocked down four 3-pointers, including a couple of big ones in the final two minutes of regulation.
Rapp is loving it with the Wisconsin Badgers
A transfer from the Portland Pilots in the West Coast Conference, Rapp posted a short but meaningful message on social media after the Badgers’ latest victory.
“Love this group,” Rapp wrote along with a heart emoji.
Love this group ❤️ https://t.co/xNKInSSd8j
— austin rapp (@austinrappp) February 11, 2026
It really looks like Rapp has found a home in Wisconsin, so fans can perhaps expect that he’ll finish his college basketball career in Madison.
The former West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year has been a solid source of secondary offense for Wisconsin, as he is averaging 9.4 points to go with 3.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 33.3 percent from the field as a stretch-big for Greg Gard’s squad.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
