Badgers X-Factor confirms he'll be back next year after Wisconsin's disappointing March Madness loss

The Wisconsin Badgers failed to make the Sweet 16 for a ninth consecutive season, and for the third time in that stretch, were upset by a 12 seed in the opening round of March Madness.

While the sting of Thursday's 83-82 loss to High Point will linger, Wisconsin will have no choice but to start planning how to retool their roster for the 2026-27 campaign.

Some of their stars, like John Blackwell and Nolan Winter, still have eligibility but could test NBA Draft waters later this spring. Four other players have exhausted their eligibility, and seemingly nobody is safe from being lured into the transfer portal.

Nobody, that is, except for Wisconsin's sharpshooting big man Austin Rapp, who confirmed to reporters postgame Thursday that he'll be back in a Badgers uniform for 2026-27.

Austin Rapp: "There's no doubt I'll be back here next year"#Badgers pic.twitter.com/E2BDv0Eupu
— Andrew Bandstra (@andrewbandstra) March 19, 2026

Related: Plays and Stats that Defined Wisconsin's Stunning Loss to High Point

Wisconsin Badgers' Austin Rapp commits to Badgers for next season and possibly beyond

Rapp finished with the third most points on the team Thursday afternoon, tallying 12 points (4-9 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and four rebounds across 33 minutes.

It was a solid individual finish to his sophomore campaign, where he made huge strides after a slow start to the season. As the regular season wound down and postseason play began, Rapp turned a corner and became an X-Factor off the bench.

A 6-foot-10 forward with a sweet shooting stroke, Rapp hit four or more three-pointers in five of the Badgers final 11 games before March Madness, averaging 11.6 points and 4.5 rebounds during that span.

Austin Rapp just hit SIX threes in a row

One of the most incredible heaters I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/SSVzq7i4uj
— College Basketball Content (@CBBcontent) March 14, 2026

But it was his growth as a rebounder, defender and all-around player that allowed him to become such a critical piece.

"It's tremendous," Gard said of Rapp's in-season improvement. "It's not just the three-point shooting... it's the other parts of his game that have grown. The defensive awareness, the embracing of physicality, the embracing of and the importance of rebounding. All the things that have nothing to do with shooting have improved, which have helped make him a better shooter and a more confident player."

Rapp could have easily folded early in the season, when he was removed from the starting lineup after seven games. The West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year last season at Portland, Rapp could have denied coaching and prioritized his own statistical production before re-entering the portal ahead of his junior campaign.

Instead, Rapp put his head down and evolved into a player who could help Wisconsin win at the highest level, and continue winning during the absence of Winter.

"That's a credit to him to stay true to it," Gard said. "He started early in the year and he wasn't ready for that. I thought we needed to make a change and he's taken that and used that to his advantage."

Rapp, who spoke highly of the Badgers coaching staff Thursday, will look to continue to grow in Madison for at least the 2026-27 season.

Said Rapp, "I love the coaching staff and I'm so grateful that I had this experience this year. They made me not only a better player, but a better person."

But his exact role looks quite uncertain at this point. Winter, should he turn down a move to the NBA or transfer portal, would be locked into the starting five next season. Freshman Aleksas Bieliauskas, who replaced Rapp in the starting lineup, is also likely to be back with Wisconsin. The same goes for fellow freshman Will Garlock.

With a good offseason, Rapp could easily make a case to step back into the first unit alongside Winter -- especially if Winter continues to grow as an interior defender.

But even if Rapp is brought off the bench, he'd continue to be a huge part of the Badgers' attack as the de facto sixth man and a microwave scorer.