Badger Basketball Exit Meetings: Andrew Rohde had an up-and-down season in his homecoming

When Andrew Rohde made the decision to come home in the offseason, he raised the ceiling of the Wisconsin offense, adding a talented playmaker to a group with plenty of offensive weapons.

After Max Klesmit, Carter Gilmore and Kamari McGee departed the program, the Badgers needed a homegrown player to fill that void, and Rohde was tasked with that responsibility. Here is an assessment of his up-and-down campaign to close his collegiate career.

2025-26 stats (26.4 minutes per game)

5.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.2 SPG | 36.3% FG, 31.8% 3-pt, 77.8% FT

2025-26 High

In a two-game stretch which consisted of the Big Ten opener against Northwestern and the I-94 rivalry against Marquette, I felt like Rohde displayed his full arsenal, having two of his best games as a Badger.

Against Northwestern, he didn’t make a single field goal, but dished out a season-high nine assists. Entering the year, this is the trait I felt Wisconsin would benefit most from with Rohde. The per game number wasn’t gaudy, but I felt like having an extra playmaker on the wing paid major dividends for the Badgers.

To me, it felt like John Blackwell got much cleaner looks from deep this season than last, and it wasn’t just because of Nick Boyd. Rohde’s ability to penetrate and kick, especially on longer cross-court skip passes was a nice luxury. Even if it didn’t lead to him averaging a bunch of assists, I believe there was an impact beyond the box score from Rohde in that department.

The Brookfield native flashes showed that he was capable as a scorer with a season-high 17 points against in-state rival Marquette. He scored 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting, 3-for-5 from three, but most importantly, had four steals.

He led the team in steals per game and drew some of the toughest defensive assignments on a nightly basis. He never ended up blossoming into a guy who popped out in box scores, but Gard was complimentary of him on multiple occasions, and his defensive activity was critical all season.

Perhaps the play that best sums up Rohde’s time as a Badger was at Penn State when he dove to secure a steal, faceplanting, but completing a big-time effort play. What he did was never flashy, but I felt Rohde was much more impactful than numbers suggest.

Rohde handles against Ohio State. — Feb 17, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Andrew Rohde (7) looks to pass the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes center Christoph Tilly (13) defends during the first half at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

2025-26 Low

Rohde not having the ball in his hands a ton because of Boyd and Blackwell's success was obviously welcomed with open arms. He was best with the ball in his hands as a playmaker, but simply wasn’t needed in that capacity as much as some anticipated before the season.

Boyd and Blackwell handling the majority of the offensive creation forced Rohde into a off-the-ball heavy role, and that's where I felt things became slightly problematic for him individually, seeing he never seemed to fully settle into that role.

In 2024-25 at Virginia, he shot 41.3% from three, and the resounding assumption from fans, myself included, was that he would be able to shoot that clip again, if not better, in an offense that takes, and makes a bunch of threes. All the time off-the-ball didn't seem to help him as you'd think it would've.

It’s not that the looks weren’t there, he just never seemed to settle in entirely with his jumper. Obviously, his mid-season wrist injury could have played a part in that. Even when he suited up following the injury, it’s one of those thorns in your side that could’ve affected the comfortability with his shot.

Regardless, I felt that throughout the entire year, offensively, Rohde seemed like a shell of what people expected him to be.

Final grade: B-

Albeit a fairly underwhelming season for Rohde in his final year of eligibility, there’s a reason Gard started him. His playmaking unlocked different parts of the offense throughout the year, whether it was obvious to fans or not. The Badgers didn’t need another scorerm, and bext to a backcourt that was prone to defensive lapses, I thought Rohde provided stability on that end, which was needed more than scoring.

I didn’t want to go much higher than the baseline grade because of the offensive struggles, but because he gave Wisconsin a shot of what it needed throughout the year, and was obviously trusted by the staff, I felt inclined to give him a slight bump in the right direction.

Rohde defends Rob Martin in the NCAA Tournament — Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; High Point Panthers guard Rob Martin (3) drives to the basket against Wisconsin Badgers guard Andrew Rohde (7) during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

What’s next?

Like Braeden Carrington, Rohde is out of eligibility and doesn’t have NBA prospects, but I imagine a professional contract is in his future. To be determined whether he takes the G-League route or heads somewhere overseas, but he has the tools to be a well-rounded player at some level. Now, we just wait to see where that is.

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