It never fails to amaze me how quickly things change in the transfer portal.
Just four days ago, Wisconsin basketball lacked a transfer addition and had six vacancies to fill on its roster, two weeks after the portal opened.
Following a flurry of transactions, the Badgers now have three portal signees and just three roster spots to fill before the 2026-27 season, assuming they manage to retain everyone already on the roster.
As a result, it is reasonable to assume that this roster is nearly full. With only three slots left, Wisconsin has already secured the most of its important players. Of course, there is still opportunity to increase firepower, but the Badgers’ starting five appears to be set at this point.
Following the Badgers’ recent raid of the portal, here’s how their anticipated starting five for the 2026-27 season looks:
Strengths of Badgers’ Potential. Starting five:
Three-Point Shooting: Given that Wisconsin had the sixth-highest proportion of three-point attempts in the entire country last season, it’s no wonder the Badgers prioritized long-range shooting in the portal. It has played a key role in Madison’s offensive revolution, and this is unlikely to alter anytime soon.
Foxwell is a career 37% three-point shooter in Australia’s NBL. Over the previous two seasons, Autry has shot 39 percent from beyond the arc. Elmer has a career three-point percentage of 41%. Last season, Rapp shot 36 percent from beyond the arc, while Winter shot 33 percent. This squad has the potential to completely light it up from deep.
Experience: This would be a ragged, seasoned crew. Foxwell is 22 years old and has played in 111 NBL games over the course of five seasons. Autry will be a senior, having participated in 100 career games with 68 career starts. Elmer will be a senior who has appeared in 99 games, including 85 starts. Rapp is in his second year with the Badgers and third overall, while Winter is a senior who has been a full-time starter in Madison for two seasons.
Size: This team also has excellent positional size. Foxwell stands 6-foot-2, Autry is 6-foot-4, Elmer is 6-foot-7, Rapp is 6-foot-10, and Winter is 7-feet tall. With Winter and Rapp continuing to grow and develop during the offseason, as well as the addition of a lanky wing in Elmer, this is a lengthy, tall lineup that should not encounter many mismatches.
Weaknesses of Badger Potentials Starting Five:
Defense: Elmer is well-known for his defensive prowess, and his stature certainly aids in this endeavor. The other four starters, at least on paper, have limited defensive potential.
Rapp improved on defense towards the conclusion of last season, and Winter has demonstrated development in that category as well. Still, neither one is known for rim defense. Foxwell has excellent defensive instincts and can get handsy to make steals, but he is still only a 6-foot-2 point guard. Autry’s defense is a bit of a wildcard; it will be fascinating to watch how he adapts to the Badgers’ defensive ideas.
This does not mean that the starting five will be doomed to poor defensive play. This group certainly has the potential to improve, but each player has not shown enough individually. This implies that the defense will be extremely strong.
