It is now a little bit more apparent how difficult Wisconsin’s path will be to reconstruct its roster.
With the addition of Australian point guard Owen Foxwell, the Badgers now have just nine players and only three forwards on the team—Nolan Winter, Austin Rapp, and Will Garlock—after losing Aleksas Bieliauskas, a young sophomore forward.
This indicates that, in the absence of additional transfer portal departures, Wisconsin needs to fill at least six roster positions, making head coach Greg Gard and his staff’s free agency period hectic.
Losing Bieliauskas was the most unexpected outbound move thus far, and it leaves a gaping hole in the frontcourt; the Badgers must strengthen every position. The Lithuanian, who stands 6 feet 10 inches tall, had a season record that isn’t particularly impressive (4. 9 points, 4. 4 rebounds), but he was a constant presence in Wisconsin’s paint and made 37% of his shots from beyond the arc during conference games. He also had red-hot shooting streaks that indicated a lot of potential for the future.
The Badgers must now locate his replacement on the ground. Here are three big men from the transfer site who might take Bieliauskas’ place:
- North Dakota State’s Noah Feddersen
Following a successful junior season with the Bison in 2025-26, especially in the second half of the year, Feddersen should have a lot of candidates. He averaged 12. 8 points and 5. 6 rebounds from January 22 onwards, while also hitting 40% of his shots from beyond the arc during that time.
Although Feddersen’s primary skill is not defense, he did average one block each game, which is more than Bieliauskas could claim. He is roughly the same size as the Lithuanian forward at 6 feet 10 inches and 245 pounds.
Additionally, Feddersen is from Menomonie, Wisconsin. He was a hidden gem who wasn’t originally recruited by the Badgers. However, there is a possibility that Feddersen may be interested in coming home if they are now curious about his return to the open market.
Feddersen may also require some level of guarantee of playing time, which Wisconsin may not be able to provide if Winter and Rapp both come back, given that he has one year of eligibility left. Although there are numerous variables for potential portal candidates, there are a few signals that the Badgers might have a chance.
- Colorado, Sebastian Rancik
After a successful sophomore year in Boulder, expect Rancik to face tough competition in the transfer portal once more. However, there is much to admire about the big man’s game if the Badgers have the means to pursue him.
In his 29 games for the Buffaloes, Rancik averaged 12. 3 points and 5. 6 rebounds, starting 26 of them. The Slovakian forward, who stands 6’11” tall, also demonstrated the ability to get hot from long range by shooting 33. 4% from distance on 4. 1 attempts each game.
As the other main forwards, Winter and Rapp, lacked in both of these qualities, Bieliauskas’ size and physicality down low were essential attributes for Wisconsin last season. With two more seasons of eligibility, Rancik would make up the size gap at 6-foot-11 and 220 pounds, which is quite promising.
- Garrett Sundra, Notre Dame
If Wisconsin cannot afford either Feddersen or Rancik, or if it must allocate its resources elsewhere, a player like Garrett Sundra may give the Badgers a strong frontcourt presence.
Gard and colleagues likely exaggerate Sundra’s size, as he only attempted 1. 7 shots from deep each game with the Fighting Irish last season, with a 30. 8% success rate. Nevertheless, he had a much hotter start to the season and made one three in each of the first four games of the year. He has the potential, and he has two more years of eligibility to hone it.
Sundra, who is 6’11”, has the necessary physical stature to dominate the paint and occupy that real center position. In the end, Bieliauskas played a lot. If the Badgers secure Winter and Rapp as starters, he’s a little less enticing of a prospect and probably projects as a rotational backup. However, he’s someone the Badgers can pursue.
