Winter returns to full practice; Rapp progressing as Wisconsin weighs exhibition lineup

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said Tuesday that Nolan Winter has returned to full practice and Austin Rapp is expected to be back at full participation this week, according to first-hand reports from the media session. Their availability for Saturday’s exhibition against UW-Parkside remains unclear.

Zach Heilprin of The Zone reported Gard’s update on both forwards. Evan Flood independently reported that Gard was unsure whether Rapp would play Saturday after offseason surgery. The accounts distinguish progress in practice from a decision to use either player in the exhibition.

Winter’s return restores a player who was central to Wisconsin’s frontcourt last season. The university credits him with averages of 13.1 points and a team-leading 8.5 rebounds in 2025-26. He started 30 games and ranked fourth in the Big Ten in rebounds per game.

His 12 double-doubles ranked second in the conference and were Wisconsin’s third-highest single-season total since 2000, according to the school’s account. Winter was named to the preseason All-Big Ten team Monday, his first honor of the new campaign.

Rapp also supplied regular scoring from the frontcourt. Wisconsin’s official 2025-26 statistics list him at 9.7 points per game. Gard’s Tuesday update puts his return to full work within this week, while Flood’s account leaves his participation in the first exhibition undecided.

Both players missed time during the offseason because of injuries, Heilprin reported. The latest statements describe Winter as fully participating already and Rapp as moving toward that point. Neither report announces a starting lineup or a guaranteed workload for Saturday.

Wisconsin hosts UW-Parkside at the Kohl Center on Saturday, October 10, for the 10th annual Garding Against Cancer game. The school lists the exhibition’s tipoff at noon Central. That gives Gard a near-term opportunity to assess his available frontcourt, with the two returning forwards’ practice progress providing the latest information.

Winter’s full return and Rapp’s expected progress give Wisconsin a clearer practice picture. Gard still has to decide whether either plays in the opening exhibition.