Wisconsin Badgers expected to get key rotation piece back in matchup at No.8 Illinois

Wisconsin is looking for its second top-10 road win of the season when the Badgers face Illinois at the State Farm Center.

Wisconsin forward Austin Rapp (22) drives between USC's Jacob Cofie (6) and forward Ezra Ausar during the second half of their game Sunday, January 25, 2026 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. USC beat Wisconsin 73-71. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The University of Wisconsin is expected to be at full strength as it tries to knock off its second top-10 opponent on the road this season.

Forward Austin Rapp is expected to return to the rotation tonight when Wisconsin faces No.8 Illinois at the State Farm Center in Champaign, as the sophomore wasn't listed on the teams' injury report.

Rapp missed Saturday's 78-77 overtime loss at Indiana with what UW officials called an illness. It's the fourth missed conference game of the season for Rapp, who also missed a week's worth of games in early January with an ankle injury.

Preview: Wisconsin #Badgers look to slow Keaton Wagler, high-powered Illinois offense at the State Farm Center tonight https://t.co/t3jPnddWLY

— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) February 10, 2026

UW missed Rapp after the sophomore had one of his best games of the season, scoring all 19 of his points in the first half that helped boost the host to a 92-82 win over Ohio State on Jan. 31.

"You take out one of our big shooters," head coach Greg Gard said after Saturday's loss. "Their ability to squeeze the paint and plug and keep the ball in front of them is easier to do when we have less shooters on the floor. He's coming off a really good game."

Rapp is averaging 8.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in his first season with the Badgers, shooting 41.5 percent from the floor and 31.5 percent from three-point range.

He has also shown growth on the defensive end floor, a weakness that caused him to lose his starting spot in early December. Rapp didn't score in the second half against the Buckeyes but stood out to Gard for ripping an offensive rebound away from senior Bruce Thornton in the second half to extend a possession, handled switches on to Ohio State's guards, chesting up to block dribble penetration, playing defense with his feet and not his hands, and even forcing a shot-clock violation.

In 20 minutes on the floor, Rapp was whistled for only one foul.

"He's had his ups and downs," point guard Nick Boyd said of Rapp. "We tend to forget he was just a freshman last year, and he jumped right up to the Big Ten. That comes with a lot of difficulties. He's been able to navigate through that. That's been more impressive than anything he's done on the court."

Illinois has won 12 of its last 13 games and nine of the last 10 in the series against the Badgers. The Illini are favored by 11.5 points.

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