The Wisconsin Badgers are actively looking to improve their roster in the transfer portal, as they have six roster spots to fill this offseason after some senior departures and the transfers of John Blackwell, Aleksas Bieliauskas, Jack Robison, and Riccardo Greppi.
While retention is at the forefront of the staff’s priority list, the Badgers will have a few needs to fill in the transfer portal, namely a scoring guard/wing, a more three-and-D type of wing, and a big man.
Head coach Greg Gard has long
said that the transfer portal is something being monitored 365 days a year, not just during the portal window in January, as teams are constantly evaluating players and looking to see who could be available in the offseason.
The Badgers are forming their target list in cognizance of their budget, but they’ll have to be creative with six open roster spots. One key area that Wisconsin has always looked to target in the transfer portal is culture guys with Midwest or state ties that can come in and be seamless fits in the program.
A couple of years ago, Wisconsin got two of those players when Kamari McGee and Max Klesmit transferred back into the program. Andrew Rohde was another key guy last offseason. And there are several players with Wisconsin ties in the transfer portal this year.
Let’s look at five players who could be good fits with the Badgers in the portal.
St. Thomas-Minnesota guard Nolan Minnesale
A recent entry into the transfer portal, Minnesale should have some quality interest after dropping 19.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from three this past season.
A sophomore in 2025, Minnesale hails from Brookfield, Wisconsin, and stands 6’5, 200 pounds. With Wisconsin not having as many resources to splurge in the transfer portal, Minnesale could be a key culture fit that also can provide a scoring punch for the Badgers next year.
He’s continuing to increase his three-point volume, has been an efficient two-point scorer, and also has some playmaking ability to be a combo guard in the backcourt. He also added 1.6 steals per game last year. That’s what the Badgers need.
Cleveland State guard Chevalier Emery
A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, Emery had his best collegiate season yet in 2025, averaging 12.7 points and 2.0 assists for Cleveland State, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from three.
He’s steadily improved as a scorer and shooter, and at 6’0, 183 pounds, gives Kamari McGee vibes as a culture fit who could come off the bench in a reserve role. The Badgers will want some more experience on the team and Emery, heading into his senior year, could look for that type of role jumping up a level in his final season of college.
North Dakota State forward Noah Fedderson
I’ve mentioned the need for a big this offseason, and Fedderson fits that mold at 6’10, 245 pounds, hailing from Menomonie, Wisconsin.
Fedderson has played a consistent role for the Bison over the past three years, averaging 22.8 minutes per game, while seeing action in 99 games and making 69 starts. He’s averaged 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. He’s even got some three-point touch, hitting 35.3 percent of his triples on 1.7 attempts per game for his career.
Fedderson didn’t shoot the three as well last season, but has shown the ability to in his career, and that skillset seems to fit well with what the Badgers want. They need some size and physicality, with shooting being an added bonus in the frontcourt.
St. Thomas-Minnesota guard Nick Janowski
We’ve talked about one Wisconsin native on St. Thomas-Minnesota. Why not the other leading scorer?
Janowski, a Pewaukee, Wisconsin native, was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2024, where he committed to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. After redshirting his freshman year, he transferred to St. Thomas and was their second-leading scorer this year.
The 6’4, 205-pound guard averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, while shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from three. Wisconsin will likely target potential starters first with its resources, but Janowski could be another guy who fits the program’s needs and still has three years of eligibility remaining.
Colgate guard Stevie Clark
Clark, a 6’6, 200-pound sophomore from Omro, Wisconsin, is a different type of player, as he’s played sparingly at Colgate through two years.
He saw action in 11 games as a freshman in 2024-25, averaging 3.0 minutes and scoring 0.7 points per game. This past season, he didn’t see any action for the Raiders.
So, why could he be a target for the Badgers? Well, Wisconsin is expected to take a walk-on or two for the roster, and Clark is the nephew of Badgers assistant Lance Randall. Clark was also the all-time leading scorer at Oshkosh North, where he had 1,979 points, 537 rebounds, 308 assists, and 164 steals across his four-year career.
He could be a back-of-the-roster addition for the Badgers as a walk-on with evident ties to the state and the program.
