Wisconsin Badgers demanding more from Austin Rapp, freshmen forwards

MADISON, Wis. - With the graduation of three-year starter Steven Crowl and key reserve Carter Gilmore, the University of Wisconsin knew it would have to remake its frontcourt.

The optics look good on paper, adding the West Coast Conference freshman of the year in Austin Rapp, an international freshman in Aleksas Bieliauskas with international experience, and a 7-foot rim protector in Will Garlock. Two games against Big 12 competition have proved otherwise.

The trio of new Badgers (5-2) have struggled in the losses this season, a 28-point drubbing to No.9 BYU in Salt Lake City and an 11-point defeat to TCU in San Diego. The shooting hasn't been there, with the trio going 1-for-16 from the floor but only grabbing 16 rebounds in over 80 minutes of court time was a glaring problem.

It's a steep drop off compared to junior Nolan Winter, who has elevated his game by averaging a double-double with 13.3 points and 10.1 rebounds going into tomorrow's Big Ten opener against Northwestern (5-2) at the Kohl Center.

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"Set expectations high and you hold the bar high, and help each other get better and hold them accountable," head coach Greg Gard said about the new forwards. "We took a good step forward (against Providence). (Against TCU) not good enough, and we have to be better."

The only player Wisconsin added from the portal in the offseason with multiple years of eligibility remaining, Rapp is a fit for the Badgers' ball-screen, spread-the-floor offense. He averaged 13.8 points in 30 starts last season for Portland but shined with his perimeter play. He led the West Coast Conference in three-point percentage (35.4) and three-pointers made (83), the latter ranking him second nationally among NCAA freshmen.

UW wants five players on the floor who can be a threat from the perimeter, but the Badgers also want a forward who can be physical and generate low-post offense. Through seven games, Rapp is just 10-for-21 (47.6 percent) from two-point range compared to 12-for-41 (29.3 percent) from three.

Against Providence, Rapp registered a season-high 20 points. He was aided by going 5-for-11 from three-point range but he sparked him offense with eight rebounds and three blocks. In one sequence, he dove on the floor for an offensive rebound and kicked the ball out to Andrew Rohde on the perimeter. He properly positioned himself and collected Rohde's missed and converted at the rim for second-chance points.

Against BYU and TCU, that intensity was missing.

'We have to bring it out of him," Gard said. "The water is deeper at this level. He played in a good league but the requirements and expectations we have, we have high aspirations. We do hold people accountable and when you're not doing what you are capable of doing, we have to get better at that."

Put in the challenging position of being asked to log heavy minutes as freshmen, Bieliauskas and Garlock have contributed in various ways. Bieliauskas leads all UW's reserves in rebounding (4.3) and blocks (14) while Garlock is second on the Badgers with 14 assists despite averaging nine mintues per game.

The production hasn't led to individual offense in UW's two losses: no points, three shots, three turnovers.

"They're freshmen, and this is a big game for them as freshmen," junior guard John Blackwell said after the TCU loss. "I wouldn't say I was fully prepared as a freshman coming in physically, but they'll only get better. The thing about them, they want to get better. When you want to get better, you're only going to get better."

While not the most physical team Wisconsin will see in the Big Ten, the Badgers' frontcourt will be challenge by Northwestern two talented forwards Nick Martinelli and Arriten Page. The 6-7 Martinelli led the Big Ten in scoring last season and is averaging 20.6 points per game with at least seven rebounds in four outings. Page is averaging 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds, having scored in double figures in the last five games.

Rapp was candid that he wasn't engaged in the opening minutes against BYU and that became a focal point of the Gard's criticism and challenging him to play with the aggressive style he had been practicing with.

The Badgers were scheduled to watch film from BYU around 10 a.m. the following morning. Rapp was up at eight just dreading rewatching his "soft" performance.

"That (BYU) game wasn't me, that's not who I am," Rapp said after the Providence win. "We're all basketball players. We're all human. We're going to have days where we come in and don't feel right, don't play the right way. (BYU) was one of those days ... I've got to do a better job getting myself involved earlier in the game ... When I get a few easy ones, that opens up my game from the outside."

UW is in a stretch of seven straight games against power-conference opponents, including a valuable Quad-1 game next Wednesday against Nebraska, which is undefeated behind senior forward Rienk Mast's 17.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

After getting a little glimpse of high-caliber competition last season with matchups against Gonzaga, St. Mary's, and Oregon, Rapp is quickly finding out what it takes to compete at the high-major level with more big tests coming soon.

"I am starting to slowly get used to it," Rapp said. "I think I am a physical guy, but once I get that fiery edge in myself ... I'm 6-10, 240. Once I realize I can hit guys and move off balance, I can be as physical as what they're doing to me. It changes my whole game."

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