It’s safe to say that Wisconsin’s respective basketball programs are in different places in their rebuilding process.
Men’s Basketball
After their crushing loss to High Point in the first round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, the Badgers’ roster was deconstructed. Whether it be from graduation or transferring, Wisconsin lost eight of their total 14 players, including star back court tandem John Blackwell and Nick Boyd, as well as fan-favorites like Riccardo Greppi and Isaac Gard.
So far, Greg Gard and company have recruited three transfer players and four incoming freshmen for the new campaign.
The biggest get of the new class is Miami (OH) junior transfer guard Eian Elmer. Elmer was vital to the Redhawks’ undefeated season, leading the team in three-point percentage, rebounds and three-pointers made. Elmer will be a strong candidate to start for next season.
Wisconsin also received commitment from George Washington junior guard Trey Autry. As a junior, Autry posted a 38.5% three-point percentage, making 2.5 per game. Autry is also a projected starter for Gard’s Badgers next year.
The final transfer for Wisconsin so far is Hofstra junior Victory Onuetu. The 6’10 forward led the Pride with 6.9 rebounds per game last season. While he will have to compete with returning bigs Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp to start, Onuetu is a lock for the rotation next season.
Of the four recruits that have been signed by the Badgers, only one is from the U.S.
Forward LaTrevion Fenderson out of Delafield, Wis. is a composite three-star, nationally ranked 208th according to 247 Sports. Fenderson averaged 14 points, six assists and two rebounds his senior season, and will look to compete for playing time with other swing forwards.
Guard Jackson Ball will have an opportunity to compete this year as well. The 6’4 Kiwi played on the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup team alongside fellow Badger Hayden Jones.
Wisconsin also picked up a pair of commitments from the land down under in forward Isaac Riddle and guard Owen Foxwell. Riddle most recently played in the 2025 U17 Oceania Cup where he averaged 14 points a game. Foxwell, a 22-year-old who played for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the Australian National Basketball League last year, averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 assists and three rebounds per game.
The blow of losing over half of the team is significant and Greg Gard will have to prove that he can turn the new era of players into a postseason-caliber team, and with one open roster spots remaining, there is still room to make a splash.
Women’s Basketball
Wisconsin Women’s Basketball turned a new leaf after the messy departure of Marisa Moseley by hiring long-standing Missouri head coach Robin Pingeton. Pingeton’s first season as head coach in Madison didn’t go as planned, but it was a step in the right direction.
In a very competitive Big Ten in 2025, Wisconsin finished in 15th place, winning one more game than last season, but new transfers and incoming freshmen have high hopes for the new campaign come November.
The first and possibly the biggest addition for the 2026 newcomer class for Pingeton is former five-star guard Addie Deal. The true freshman had a solid 2025 campaign, averaging 5.1 points and 1.6 assists per game. Her freshman season was highlighted by a 20-point performance against Ohio State as well as multiple five-assist games.
Out of high school, Deal was also a McDonalds All-American and Jersey Mike’s Naismith Player of the Year award recipient. Deal will have a great chance to make an impact for Wisconsin this year after struggling to find her role on a stacked Iowa team.
Senior forward Kadidia Toure is the second addition to the Badgers for the upcoming season. The Long Island transfer averaged a double double on 19.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. She also led the Sharks in steals and blocks per game last season, and willed the Sharks to an impressive second place finish in the Northeast Conference.
Wisconsin also added three incoming freshmen for next season, including forward Adaline Sheplee, a huge addition for the Pingeton era. The star out of Rice Lake, Wisconsin is one of the top rated players in the 2026 class, with 247 Sports ranking her at no. 55. She is also the second ranked player out of the state of Wisconsin.
In her senior season at Rice Lake High School, Sheplee averaged an astonishing 27.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, including 40-plus-point performances against Eau Claire North and Prescott.
Forward Leah Nordin was the next to commit to the Badgers. Nordin is the all-time leader in points at Shawano Community High School and averaged 26.5 per game her senior season, which is ranked fifth in all of Wisconsin.
Last but not least is guard Giselle Janowski out of Pewaukee, Wisconsin. In her senior year at Pewaukee High, Janowski averaged 15.3 points per game and is also responsible for their state title in 2024 and state runner-up finish in 2023.
Pingeton and her staff have done a wonderful job in this recruitment cycle and have created an opportunity for the Badgers to be competitive in 2026.
There are a lot of new faces in the Wisconsin basketball ecosystem, and possibly more to come. Many players in both the men’s and women’s portals have yet to commit. John Tonje — the school’s most notable portal product in recent years — didn’t commit until May.
Both teams have a lot to prove this season, and have made substantial swings to improve their rosters. Now, we are all eagerly waiting for November for them to prove it.
