The Wisconsin Badgers filled out their final roster spot on Tuesday, announcing the signing of Temple Owls transfer forward Elijah Gray.
Wisconsin had been looking for a 15th roster spot for quite some time, as head coach Greg Gard had previously shared the team was looking to fill the void with a scholarship player.
The Badgers now have only one walk-on, guard Isaac Gard, for the 2025-26 season, with Gray in the fold as a scholarship addition. He’s likely to be a part of the rotation in the frontcourt this season, adding more depth to the roster.
Why did the Badgers target Gray in the transfer portal?
“We’re excited to welcome Elijah to the Badger family,” head coach Greg Gard said in a statement. ”He brings a lot of experience to the table having three years of college hoops under his belt. We’re excited to have him on campus this summer and work with us for the upcoming season.”
Gard has preached the importance of experience when building rosters in today’s era of college basketball. That’s in part why the transfer portal has become such a hot commodity; it’s been the top way for programs to rebuild year-by-year and remain competitive with changing rotations.
Gray relished the opportunity to play at a program with good culture, making this an ideal fit for Wisconsin.
“I’m really excited to join such a historic program,” Gray said in a statement. “There is a culture of greatness here at Wisconsin and I’m excited to be a part of that.”
Wisconsin has now added five transfers in the cycle: San Diego State guard Nick Boyd, Virginia wing Andrew Rohde, Portland forward Austin Rapp, and now Gray. In addition, they’ve brought in four freshmen: four-star Zach Kinziger, three-star Will Garlock, three-star Hayden Jones, and 19-year-old Lithuanian Aleksas Bieliauskas.
That’s a lot of new faces for the Badgers, who have a mix of young and experienced talent on the roster now.
Each of the four transfers should play a key role this season, as Boyd, Rohde, and Rapp are projected to start, while Gray profiles as the top forward off the bench.
With two years at Fordham and one year at Temple, Gray certainly has experience, which wasn’t there previously off the bench in the frontcourt. Wisconsin’s other options are freshmen Garlock and Bieliauskas, and sophomore Riccardo Greppi.
Garlock could be ready for an early role with his frame, but is still a ways away from being a consistent contributor. Bieliauskas is a true unknown at 6’11. And Greppi didn’t seem ready to be a part of the rotation yet last offseason/season.
So, insert in Gray to the fold and the Badgers have their Carter Gilmore replacement. It’s a much different team in 2025, but Wisconsin has built up depth once again, setting themselves up well for another competitive Big Ten season.