Wisconsin has only 1 player on the latest Top 100 ESPN transfer rankings
Is this good news or bad news? Seems like it’s irrelevant to Greg Gard.
The new Top 100 transfer rankings from ESPN just dropped. Jeff Borzello, one of the leading voices in college basketball, went through and ranked the best players in the transfer portal, and only one Wisconsin player is featured. That player was Nick Boyd, a transfer from San Diego State. It feels like once again, the major media is underrating Wisconsin players.
Nick Boyd is ranked No. 71 on the latest ESPN Top 100 Transfer Rankings
Wisconsin has had a very good transfer portal this offseason, with pickups of Nick Boyd, Austin Rapp, and Andrew Rohde all ranked as 4-star transfers by On3.com. They also added a solid depth piece in Braeden Carrington from Tulsa, who had previously played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
They didn’t go for the big splashes; they went for solid additions that fit the program and will help them win. Maybe that’s why they only see one player on this ranking. Greg Gard wasn’t going for the top players just because they are top players; he wants players who fit his system, find their role, and can help elevate the team as a whole.
All four players he added seem to have that figured out. Each knows what role they will have in the Wisconsin scheme, and it appears they fit it like a glove.
The rankings don’t really mean much; last year, John Tonje was considered a terrible pickup by the Badgers, a player who had shown signs of being a top guard but got injured at Missouri and would only be a depth player for a college team. Boy, were the pundits wrong about that. He went on to become arguably the best player in the Big Ten.
