More playing time for young forwards now may make the Wisconsin Badgers better when Nolan Winter is back

Austin Rapp and Aleksas Bieliauskas have stepped up while Nolan Winter nurses an ankle injury. Their temporary increased responsibilities could mean Wisconsin looks better even when Winter is healthy

Mar 7, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Aleksas Bieliauskas (32) high fives Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) during the second half at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

CHICAGO -- Nolan Winter, the Badgers' starting center and leading rebounder, has been absent for Wisconsin's last two games, but you wouldn't be able to tell simply by looking at the final score.

Wisconsin's young frontcourt has weathered the blow of Winter's absence, helping deliver back-to-back wins in high-pressure environments

"With Nolan out, it means one less rotation in the frontcourt," sophomore forward Austin Rapp said after Thursday's 85-82 win over Washington at the Big Ten Tournament. "But it also means more minutes for me and (Aleksas Bieliauskas) to show out."

Related: Blackwell, Boyd shine as Wisconsin advances with tight win over Washington

Wisconsin Badgers big men stepping up in place of Nolan Winter

As Winter recovers from a left ankle injury, Greg Gard is down to three big men: Rapp, Bieliauskas and Will Garlock.

Rapp and Bieliauskas have both set season highs in minutes played during Winter's two-game absence, and it's come against premier opposing big men: Trey Kaufman-Renn of Purdue and Hannes Steinbach of Washington.

While a matchup between the all-conference players and underclassmen in Rapp and Bieliauskas may seem one-sided, the Badgers' duo held their own.

Against Purdue, Rapp (17 points) and Bielauskas (16 points) each drilled four three-pointers. Against Washington, Rapp played physical defense and competed on the glass before falling into foul trouble in the first half, while Bieliauskas came away with eight points and nine rebounds (six offensive).

Both players will likely see their playing time drop once Winter is cleared to return, but the importance of this stretch for both of the young forwards can't be understated.

"This is big for them. This is huge," Gard said Thursday. "Aleksas, with how he played last week at Purdue and how he played again today... all those experiences he can get against that type of competition helps, and obviously, (Rapp) getting more experience and more run during the guts of the game, so to speak, is going to help him, which in turn, it helps us when Nolan comes back."

For Bieliauskas, taking on more responsibilities sans Winter could give him a confidence boost that sticks for the rest of the season and beyond. Gard told the freshman from Lithuania that he had to shoot five three-pointers against Purdue.

Bieliauskas made four of the five.

He took six total shots against Washington, which he did just once in the 11 games that preceded Purdue.

"I have to take more shots, obviously, and if I make some and (Rapp) makes some, it opens up the defense and it opens drives for guys like Nick Boyd and John Blackwell," Bieliauskas said.

Aleksas Bieliauskas beats the buzzer with the tap-in 👀 @BadgerMBB up, 43-33 at the half.

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/GRcqsutiGR

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 12, 2026

The freshman is using these matchups with star centers as motivation and a learning opportunity.

"Guarding good and great bigs, it just gives you a boost that you have to match their level," Bieliauskas said. " (I try to) learn from them, see what they're doing different than what I'm doing and improving and try to repeat it."

Rapp, who has a full season at Portland under his belt, still had plenty to learn and improve this season.

After opening the season in the starting lineup, Rapp struggled with physicality and defense, prompting Gard to replace him with Bieliauskas.

Since late January, Rapp has turned a corner. He's been a positive presence on the glass and been good enough on defense to see prolonged playing time, which has allowed him to showcase his offensive skillset.

Huge three from Rapp to cut into the momentum#Badgers #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/l1Afro9leF

— 🧺 (@cjlowehoops) March 7, 2026

This two-game stretch, even with his foul trouble Thursday, has been another sign of growth.

"He's gone from maybe being able to guard (a reporter) back in November to playing against a preseason All-American (Kaufman-Renn), and for the most part I thought did a good job." Gard said after the win over Purdue. "His toughness has gotten better, but he's also understood... what we do within our system."

Rapp scored in double figures in five of his final eight regular-season appearances, including an 18-point outburst in a road win over Illinois.

Rapp and Bieliauskas' performance is directly tied to the Badgers floor, according to Gard, and it seems like the pair are improving with each experience.

Said Blackwell, "they're just going to keep getting better. They're young. They're going to keep getting reps and keep getting better game by game."

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