The Badgers defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 92-82 on Saturday afternoon, as Austin Rapp’s shooting led an early offensive barrage that carried Wisconsin to victory. The sophomore forward contributed 19 points, all in the first half, including five 3-pointers on a 71% shooting clip.
Rapp struggled mightily over the last month, shooting just 4-for-21 from beyond the arc since Christmas. On Saturday, however, he proved his 3-point shot can carry Wisconsin’s offense.
With Andrew Rohde out with a sore wrist, Rapp saw more minutes than he had in previous games, which gave him the chance to show what he can do in an expanded role.
After two and a half minutes of action, Rapp caught fire, catching a pass at the top of the key from Jack Janicki and knocking it down effortlessly. A couple of possessions later, with the shot clock winding down, Janicki found Rapp once again, this time in the corner. Rapp let it fly and connected right as the shot clock hit zero.
With eight minutes left in the first half, Rapp secured an offensive board and created space to the top of the key and tested his luck once again. Sure enough, he knocked down another 3-pointer and put the Badgers ahead.
Rapp proceeded to sink two more triples before the end of the half, which capped off his scoring for the night at 19 points.
“I’ve been going through a little bit of a slump lately, but I still trust my shot, and so do my teammates,” Rapp said after the game.
At Portland a year ago, where he was WCC Freshman of the Year, Rapp shot the ball exceptionally well, and it caught head coach Greg Gard’s eye in the transfer portal.
"We're excited to add Austin to the Badger family," Gard said in April. "He's a big-time shooter at the stretch-4 position and will fit really well with how we play and who we are as a program. He's a highly-skilled big man and he showed that in winning Freshman of the Year in a good conference last season.”
But that kind of knockdown shooting has eluded Rapp in his time with the Badgers so far. If Saturday was any indication, things might be changing for the better.
It wasn’t just Rapp’s shooting, though, that elevated the Badgers Saturday, as he also made an impact on the defensive end. He pulled down six rebounds and consistently made smart, timely defensive plays, including a key moment when he was trapped underneath the basket and swatted the ball away to prevent an easy score.
When Austin Rapp plays with consistency, finds his shot and brings efficient defense, he adds another layer to the Badgers’ attack, one that can make the difference in tight matchups like on Saturday.
