Greg Gard pushing Austin Rapp to keep more aggressive mindset for Wisconsin Badgers

Madison, Wis. -- It hasn't been the season Austin Rapp envisioned when he committed to Wisconsin out of the transfer portal.

The sophomore was fresh off earning West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year honors and was slated to start alongside Nolan Winter in the Badgers frontcourt.

After seven starts, he was replaced by true freshman Aleksas Bieliauskas. The move came as a result of disappointing losses to BYU and TCU in a three-game span.

In those two losses, Rapp totaled two points, five rebounds and five turnovers. He went 0-for-8 from the field.

But against Central Michigan on Monday, Rapp showcased the massive boost he can give the Badgers when playing to form.

Related: Greg Gard provides injury updates on Nolan Winter, John Blackwell after win over Central Michigan

Now, Greg Gard is pushing for the sharpshooting big man to maintain that level of play going forward.

"Aggressive mindset" is key

Gard wasn't pleased with the way Rapp performed in Wisconsin's overtime loss to Villanova last week. The 6-foot-10 forward attempted just two shots and failed to pull in a rebound.

Those two statistics, Gard said, showed Rapp's lack of aggression.

Rapp played with more aggression against Central Michigan, tying for the team high in points (18) while snaring seven rebounds. Beyond that, he didn't turn the ball over, notched a steal and committed just one foul.

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"To bounce back tonight and see a few shots go down and kind of get a good win and see other guys contribute too was really cool," Rapp said postgame. "Coming off the bench, it doesn't phase me... Bring a scoring punch, and the coaches are pushing me to be aggressive and hunt shots out there."

In addition to knocking down four of his seven three-point shots, Rapp sought out scoring opportunities on the interior and wasn't afraid to bang bodies with CMU's forwards. Rapp made three two-point buckets, tying his season high in the category.

"He's continued to learn to ignite his game in other ways than just threes," Gard said of Rapp. "It's the rebounding, getting knocked around and scoring at the rim on a ball screen. And then the threes become easier, and he's more relaxed and he's going to hunt them more."

In the ebbs and flow of the Badgers season, Rapp's production has been erratic.

He's scored two or fewer points in three of his last eight games but topped 15 points twice during that stretch. He's endured cold spells from three-point range, including 0-for-5 and 1-for-6 shooting lines during across the eight-game span.

But as Wisconsin's schedule has lightened to accommodate for end-of-semester academic testing, Rapp has spent more time in the gym, getting shots up. As he works through inconsistency, these sessions have helped him grow more confident.

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"I feel like the last couple games I was playing a little timid, not myself," Rapp said. "That little break was good for me to get in the gym. I was getting a lot of shots with Brad Davison, and I think that's important, to just get back in the gym and keep working."

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Part of the additional work included a late-night shootaround with teammate Braeden Carrington on Sunday. Carrington had gone 0-for-8 from three-point range across his previous three appearances but drilled three three-pointers against the Chippewas.

Their combined success may have even sparked a new ritual, one that the Badgers would welcome with open arms if it works.

"Me and [Carrington] came and shot last night for the first time in a while," Rapp said. "We shot well last night too, so maybe we should start doing that before every game."

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