The transfer portal has turned Wisconsin basketball’s former roster into a traveling road show, and this season’s group is spread across the sport from Duke to Winona State. There are 11 ex-Badgers in all, with most of them landing at spots that offer more minutes, more usage, or a fresh start after their roles in Madison were limited.
The biggest name on the list is John Blackwell, who is now at Duke. He’s the headliner here, and not just because he left Wisconsin for a chance at a National Championship and a good amount of money. Blackwell also carries the third-best odds to win the Wooden Award, which is enough to make his departure sting a little longer for Badger fans who still haven’t fully made peace with it.
Aleksas Bieliauskas is another player whose move raised eyebrows. After a breakout freshman season, he went from relative unknown to starter for Greg Gard, then transferred to South Carolina. Gard has already replaced him, but the move still stood out when it happened.
Daniel Freitag’s path has been one of the more dramatic ones. He arrived at Wisconsin with 4-star buzz, never really got rolling there, then went to Buffalo and exploded for 19.8 points per game. That kind of season pushed him back into the portal and back toward the high-major level, and now he’s at Oregon State.
A few other former Badgers found homes where they can keep building. Xavier Amos, who was a steady bench piece in Madison, moved on to Loyola Chicago and averaged 11.1 points and 4.3 rebounds last season.
He’ll stay with the Ramblers for another year. Connor Essegian, meanwhile, appears set to suit up for Nebraska after what looks like a medical redshirt following an early-season injury last year.
Riccardo Greppi is headed to Sam Houston as he enters his junior year, looking for a bigger role after being more of a victory-cigar type of player for Greg Gard. Jack Robison, who never really found his footing at Wisconsin, is now at North Dakota State and should get the kind of minutes that can reshape a career.
Gus Yalden’s route has been even more winding. Wisconsin, Seton Hall, Vermont - that’s the trail so far, and he now says he’ll play again for Vermont this season after averaging 16.1 points and 5.8 rebounds last year.
Ross Candelino, a name easy to overlook, is also on the move again. After leaving Wisconsin following the 2022-2023 season and spending two years at Lipscomb, he’s now headed to Fresno State for his fourth college season.
Luke Haertle, a former Wisconsin walk-on, moved on to South Dakota State after his time in Madison and averaged around 14 minutes per game last season. He’s now found a bigger opportunity at Winona State, a Division II stop for the 2026-2027 season.
Then there’s Camren Hunter, who may be the toughest case to pin down. He entered the portal after an excellent season at Central Arkansas and drew plenty of interest from high-major programs, but he still needs a waiver to play another season. That could end up being the deciding factor on whether he has another year left at all.
In Other News...
Jim Leonhard Faces A Defining NFL Test Badgers Fans Will Watch Closely
Jim Leonhards next stop comes with no shortage of scrutiny, and it is the kind of assignment that will be followed closely in Wisconsin as much as in Buffalo. After previous stops with the Denver Broncos, Leonhard is stepping into a defensive coordinator role under new head coach Joe Brady, taking over a unit that is expected to look different from the one Sean McDermott built and coached for years.
The biggest question is how quickly he can reshape the Bills without creating too much friction for the players already in place. A move away from McDermotts familiar 4-3 approach toward a 3-4 base would change responsibilities for returning defenders, and names like Terrel Bernard, Christian Benford and Ed Oliver could all be asked to fit new body types and new roles. ESPNs Ben Solak went so far as to call Leonhards situation the toughest task of any defensive coach this offseason, which only adds to the pressure on a coach Badgers fans know well. [Read more 🡒]
Who Emerges As Wisconsin's Go-To Scorer On This New-Look Roster
Wisconsins summer workouts are underway with a roster that looks noticeably different, and the early conversation around the offense has already started to settle on a few familiar names. Australian point guard Owen Foxwell, George Washington guard Trey Autry and Miami (OH) wing Eian Elmer are among the newcomers, while returning frontcourt pieces Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp are expected to carry major responsibilities when the season arrives.
The most interesting question for the Badgers may be who takes hold of the scoring load in this new mix. A recent poll pointed to Elmer and Winter as the top candidates to lead Wisconsin in points, which at least suggests the staff and fan base see multiple paths to production rather than one obvious answer. Foxwells arrival should help organize things in the backcourt, but the bigger issue for Wisconsin is whether one player can separate himself enough to become the clear go-to option when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Barry Alvarezs Reaction To Wisconsins New AD Will Turn Heads
Shawn Eichorsts return to Wisconsin as the schools new athletic director brings an immediate dose of familiarity to a job that always carries plenty of scrutiny. He replaces Chris McIntosh, and the hire has already drawn attention because Eichorst is not a stranger to the Badgers, having previously worked in the department and later built out his rsum with stops elsewhere in college athletics.
Barry Alvarezs public backing gives the move an extra layer of intrigue, especially for a fan base that remembers how much sway he still carries around the program. Alvarez pointed to Eichorsts Wisconsin roots and his experience at Texas while framing the broader arc of his career as one that has included lessons learned along the way, making this one of those hires where the reaction from inside the building may matter just as much as the rsum itself. [Read more 🡒]