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Wisconsin Basketball Takes Surprise Transfer Portal Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kedrick Stumbris | Last updated Apr 7, 2025 8:03 PM ET

Madison, WI — Less than 24 hours after Wisconsin basketball gained a key piece in the transfer portal, it lost another. For the first time this off-season, UW head coach Greg Gard has unexpectedly lost a player in his rotation.

After the Wisconsin Badgers shockingly lost Chucky Hepburn to the Louisville Cardinals a year ago, Gard has kept his portal losses to a minimum in 2025. Although four players had previously entered the portal, none had contributed significantly to the team that earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

This most recent Badgers loss bucks that trend. After successfully getting commitments from three high-priority transfer targets last week, Gard must dip his toes back into the portal waters.

Wisconsin Basketball Forward Xavier Amos Enters Transfer Portal

Xavier Amos entered the transfer portal on Monday afternoon. He will leave Madison after just one year, following a two-season stint with the Northern Illinois Huskies.

The 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward was a rotational piece at Wisconsin. Amos averaged 3.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 9.6 minutes per game. It was an adjustment year after tallying 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game his sophomore year at NIU.

However, Amos was slated for a larger role in his upcoming senior season with Wisconsin basketball. Because starting center Steven Crowl and reserve forward Carter Gilmore exhausted their eligibility, Gard has to fill 44.7 minutes per game in his frontcourt. Even with the addition of West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year Austin Rapp of the Portland Pilots through the portal, extended minutes were sure to be available to Amos.

Amos was on a noted upward trajectory at the end of his junior year. The Chicago, Illinois native nabbed a combined nine rebounds against the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten Tournament final and the Montana Grizzlies in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. In that game against Montana, he added two blocks and 11 points for arguably his best performance in a Wisconsin Badgers uniform.

Instead of carrying that momentum into the fall, the Whitney Young product will play his final season of NCAA eligibility elsewhere. Gard must find another player to take Amos' spot in UW's new-look frontcourt.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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