Category: Recruiting

Michigan State basketball offers top 2021 prospect Charles Bediako

Tom Izzo is looking north of the border for his next recruit. Michigan State has offered 2021 big man Charles Bediako out of St. Catherines, Ontario. After talking with Coach Izzo, l am blessed to have received an offer from Michigan State …

Tom Izzo is looking north of the border for his next recruit.

Michigan State has offered 2021 big man Charles Bediako out of St. Catherines, Ontario.

The photo of Bediako is from his unofficial visit to campus on August 30 this year.

Bediako is a 6′ 11, 215 lbs. center and is rated as a four-star prospect by the 24/7 Sports composite rankings. Bediako is the No. 6 center in the class of 2021 and No. 40 overall prospect.

Bediako is very athletic for his size and fits the mold of a modern center with the ability to run the floor, shoot the three and block shots at the rim.

Michigan State currently doesn’t have any players committed for the 2021 class.

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Notre Dame Recruiting: Second 2022 Defensive Back Offered on Navy Weekend

Xavier Nwankpa of Southeast Polk in Pleasant Hill, Iowa became the second defensive back in the class of 2022 to receive a scholarship-offer from Notre Dame.

While Iowa was busy ruining Minnesota’s perfect season and Iowa State was upsetting Texas on a last-second field goal, Notre Dame was dismantling Navy and attempting to steal defensive back prospect out of The Hawkeye State.

Xavier Nwankpa of Southeast Polk in Pleasant Hill, Iowa became the second defensive back in the class of 2022 to receive a scholarship-offer from Notre Dame.

Iowa, Iowa State and Nebraska were the first three programs to offer Nwankpa a scholarship.

Mike Singer of Blue-Gold Illustrated caught up with Nwankpa who said he was “excited and in shock” upon receiving the offer.

Check out Nwankpa’s sophomore highlight tape below and stay tuned to FIW for any breaking recruiting news!

Michigan recruits invade Ann Arbor for annihilation of MSU

The Wolverines hosted several top-targets to campus for the 44-10 beatdown of Michigan State.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan recruiting might be quiet lately, but Saturday’s guest list certainly wasn’t of the quiet variety.

Several Michigan commits, top targets and prospects made their way to campus to take in the Wolverines stunning 44-10 beatdown of Michigan State at the Big House.

Naturally, the biggest name on deck was four-star tight end Theo Johnson, who hails from Windsor (ONT) Holy Names, and has been a frequent visitor to campus. Johnson will be making a decision soon, and it looks to be a Michigan – Penn State battle for his services.

But there were a handful of 2021 four-stars on-hand, to go along with 2020 commits Roman Wilson, Blake Corum and Braiden McGregor (not pictured) as well as 2021 commit Giovanni El-Hadi. Among the four-stars included local names such as Rocco Spindler and Garrett Dellinger — both from Clarkston (MI) — and Ohio product A.J. Kirk Jr. and Indiana TE Rodney McGraw.

WolverinesWire was on the scene to capture some of the prospects who made it to town for the game.

Michigan commit Roman Wilson
2022 Zeeland (MI) East OLB Tag Bonnema
2020 Windsor (ONT) Holy Names four-star TE Theo Johnson
2021 Clarkston (MI) four-star OG Garrett Dellinger
2021 Clarkston (MI) four-star OT/DT Rocco Spindler
MORE on the NEXT PAGE!
Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

Oklahoma lands commitment from 3-star receiver Marvin Mims

Oklahoma continues to target the Dallas-Fort Worth area for receivers. The Sooners second receiver from the 2020 class committed Thursday.

Oklahoma continues to target the Dallas-Fort Worth area for pass-catchers.

After landing a trio from the DFW metroplex in 2019, the Sooners have landed their second for the 2020 class. Three-star receiver Marvin Mims (Frisco Lone Star; Frisco, Texas) announced that he was flipping from Stanford to Oklahoma Thursday night, making him the Sooners 18th commitment for the 2020 class.

Mims committed to Stanford over Oklahoma and a handful of other suitors on Aug. 14. As the season went on, the idea of Mims looking back towards the Sooners came to fruition with a visit and flip from the Cardinal.

The 6-foot-1, 168 pound receiver joins Trevon West as the receivers for this 2020 class. While West has the speed, Mims has the intangibles, route-running and toughness in the slot that has fit well at Oklahoma, most recently with Sterling Shepard.

Head coach Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma are likely done at the skill positions for the 2020 class after Thursday’s commitment.

The first national signing day is just over a month away on Dec. 18.

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Steven Crowl Signs National Letter of Intent with Wisconsin Basketball

Steven Crowl signed his national letter of intent on Wednesday becoming the latest member of 2020 class for Greg Gard.

Steven Crowl

6’9″, 210, center, Eagan, Minn. (Eastview)

Crowl used a strong summer in front of the Wisconsin coaches to earn his offer from the Badgers this past July. After taking an official visit to Wisconsin in September he made his commitment to the Badgers in mid-September. Crowl officially became a Badger on Wednesday when he signed his letter of intent to play for Wisconsin.

Crowl and Ben Carlson will complement each other well when the duo are on the floor together. Similar to Carlson, Crowl is able to stretch the floor in addition he’s able to make an impact on the defensive side too. Crowl could use a redshirt year as it would be beneficial for him to continue to add strength in addition due to the depth Wisconsin has in the frontcourt.

Note: All quotes/stats provided by uwbadgers.com

Crowl chose Wisconsin over other offers from: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, and South Dakota

Crowl’s Accolades: Three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals … his junior season, led Eastview High School to the Minnesota Class 4A state tournament while averaging 19.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, shooting 39% 3FG from beyond the arc … scored 630 points as a junior and 470 points as a sophomore giving him 1,100 career points entering his senior season … first-team South Suburban All-Conference in 2019 and second-team in 2018 … plays travel basketball for D1 Minnesota, the same program as current Badgers Nate Reuvers and Tyler Wahl.

Gard on Crowl: “Steven has so many of the characteristics that we look for, both on and off the basketball court. He has excelled at a high level both on the court and in the classroom. From the first time we saw him, Steven has continued to grow and develop as a player. He has a great feel for the game and he will be able to utilize all those skills as he continues to develop. Steven has the ability to score both inside and out, which will add him to a long list of big men who have come through this program over the years. We are excited to add Steven to the Badger basketball family.”

Georgia among top schools for 2021 four-star defensive end

The Georgia Bulldogs are in Monkell Goodwine’s top eight schools. Goodwine is a four-star defensive end in the class of 2021. He plays at National Christian Academy and is from Fort Washington, Maryland. Goodwine announced his top-eight a couple …

The Georgia Bulldogs are in Monkell Goodwine’s top eight schools. Goodwine is a four-star defensive end in the class of 2021. He plays at National Christian Academy and is from Fort Washington, Maryland.

Goodwine announced his top-eight a couple days ago via Twitter:

Georgia joins Maryland, Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, and Texas A&M in Goodwine’s top eight. The 2021 defensive end has a year plus to decide where he’ll attend college. Georgia offered Goodwine in January of this year.

Goodwine will potentially join Georgia’s three 2021 commitments. Kirby Smart and the coaching staff aren’t focusing on the 2021 class quite yet. They still have quite a bit of work left for the class of 2020. Georgia has sixteen commitments and several elite targets remaining.

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Jordan Davis Signs National Letter of Intent with Wisconsin Basketball

Jordan Davis is the latest 2020 member to sign his letter of intent to play basketball for Greg Gard.

Jordan Davis

6’4″, 185, guard, La Crosse, Wis. (Central)

After receiving his offer in early June it didn’t take long for Davis and his brother Jonathan to commit to Wisconsin as they added their names to the 2020 class on the same day in June. Jordan Davis made it official on Wednesday by signing his letter of intent to play for his home state Badgers along with his brother Jonathan.

All five players in Wisconsin’s 2020 recruiting class can bring something to the table. For Jordan his defensive game is ahead of his offensive game. Although Jordan will likely redshirt his first year on campus due to the depth at the guard position will allow for Jordan to continue to develop his offensive game while continuing to add strength.

Note: All quotes/stats provided by uwbadgers.com

Davis chose Wisconsin over other offers from: UW-Green Bay, UW-Milwaukee, UNLV

Davis Accolades: Three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals … as a junior, averaged 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals per game at La Crosse Central, earning first-team all-conference honors and named the team’s defensive player of the year … his sophomore season, averaged 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals per game, garnering first-team all-conference honors … along with brother, Johnny, helped lead Central to the WIAA Division 2 state tournament each of their three years on the varsity team, including a title in 2017 with current Badger Kobe King … on the football field, Davis is also an impressive wide receiver for the Red Raiders, posting 358 receiving yards with 5 TDs through three games before suffering a season-ending injury … hauled in 49 receptions for 873 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior.

Gard on Davis: “We are thrilled to welcome Jordan to our program.  His commitment and work ethic on the basketball court and in the classroom is exactly what we look for in a Wisconsin student-athlete. Jordan brings a certain level of toughness to the basketball court that has been developed on the football field as a star receiver. He comes from a winning culture at La Crosse Central and knows what it takes to compete for championships. He has known Badger Basketball his entire life and his commitment shows how much pride he has in representing Wisconsin.”

Top remaining targets for Wisconsin in the class of 2021

With the all of the members of the 2020 recruiting class signed, here’s a look at Wisconsin’s top remaining targets in the class of 2021.

Wisconsin has officially secured its five scholarship commits in the class of 2020, as Ben Carlson, Johnny and Jordan Davis, Lorne Bowman, and Steven Crowl all put pen to paper and signed their letters of intent to play for Greg Gard on the first day of the early signing period yesterday.

As it has been a while now, all eyes are now on the 2021 class, where the Badgers are off to a fantastic start early on with commitments from Matthew Mors, Chris Hodges, and Chucky Hepburn. However, the staff is looking to add at least one and possibly even two more prospects to this class.

Here the top three remaining targets on Wisconsin’s board.

1. Julian Roper – Shooting Guard

Hometown: Franklin, Mich.

Rankings (per the 247Sports composite): 4-star (No. 36 SG, No. 152 overall)

Other offers: Northwestern, Alabama, DePaul, Illinois, Iowa, Miami (Ohio), Missouri, Ohio State and Toledo

Wisconsin has been a major player in Roper’s recruitment since extending an offer to the 6-3, 183-pound prospect in February, to the point where the Badgers could very well be the favorite as things stand today.

An athletic, high-upside guard who can slash to the basket and knock down shots from outside, Wisconsin doesn’t have players like Roper in its backcourt very often, and Gard and company have heavily prioritized him as a result. Additionally, it certainly doesn’t hurt the Badgers’ chances that they have Bowman, a high school teammate of Roper, in his ear about continuing their partnership in the backcourt at the next level.

Wisconsin is in such good shape here that many Badger fans felt there was a possibility Roper would pull the trigger and commit during his official visit last weekend, though that ultimately did not come to pass.

While Wisconsin has been trending in Roper’s recruitment, if it isn’t able to lock him down before the start of the AAU season in the spring, the competition is likely to ramp up significantly given his talent and the fact that he plays on the high-profile Nike EYBL circuit. Keep a particularly close eye on what in-state powers Michigan and Michigan State do here, as the Wolverines and the Spartans remain in play even though offers haven’t been extended.

2. Logan Duncomb – Center

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Rankings (per the 247Sports composite): 4-star (No. 15 C, No. 123 overall)

Other offers: Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio), Winthrop and Xavier

Wisconsin already has a couple of frontcourt prospects committed in Mors and Hodges, but the staff wouldn’t mind adding a center to this class as well.

The Badgers have offered two 4-star recruits at the position in Duncomb and Jackson Grant (Olympia, Wash.), but the latter is off the board after committing to Washington last week. However, the good news is that Wisconsin appears to be sitting in a pretty good position for Duncomb at the moment.

The 6-9, 225-pound center has the typical skill set that the Badgers love to have in their system with his versatile, inside out offensive package, so it’s no surprise that Duncomb has become a priority target for the staff.

As with Roper, the Badgers were able to snag a crucial official visit from Duncomb in October.

An Iowa legacy, the Hawkeyes are a major factor in the recruitment as well, and Wisconsin is also facing stiff competition from Indiana and Ohio State at the moment.

3. Patrick Baldwin Jr. – Small Forward

Hometown: Sussex, Wis.

Rankings (per the 247Sports composite): 5-star (No. 2 overall)

Other offers: Duke, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, North Carolina, Northwestern, Arizona State, DePaul, Iowa, Kansas State, LSU, Minnesota, Missouri, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Wake Forest and UW-Milwaukee

Baldwin could give 2020 Duke signee Jalen Johnson a run for his money as the best player to ever come out of the state by the time his prep career is over.

There’s also a strong case to be made that the 6-8 forward is the nation’s best player in the class of 2021 with his package of excellent positional size and length, lights-out shooting, athleticism, intangibles and advanced skill set. Baldwin will almost certainly be a one-and-done prospect for whichever college program is fortunate enough to secure his services for a season, and we could potentially be talking about a lottery selection in the NBA draft if all goes according to plan.

As a result, it’s no surprise that Baldwin is being heavily pursued by teams that make up the royalty of college basketball, such as Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina. The Blue Devils, in particular, appear to be out in front to land the best prospect in Wisconsin for the second straight season as things stand today.

While the chances of Baldwin ending up in Madison are incredibly slim, don’t be surprised if the Badgers hang around in this recruitment for a while given the proximity to home and a longstanding relationship between assistant coach Howard Moore and his father, UW-Milwaukee head coach Patrick Baldwin.

Jonathan Davis Signs National Letter of Intent with Wisconsin Basketball

Wisconsin Head Coach Greg Gard received Jonathan Davis letter of intent on Wednesday as Davis is a part of a five-man 2020 recruiting class.

Jonathan Davis

6’4″, 185, guard, La Crosse, Wis. (Central)

Davis held a Wisconsin offer since December of 2017 but he didn’t verbally commit to play for the Badgers until June of 2019. Davis officially became a Badger on Wednesday when he faxed in his letter of intent to play for his home state Badgers.

There were many aspects about Davis’ game that Greg Gard was drawn to but Gard appreciates and enjoys recruiting players who have played multiple sports in high school and Davis certainly fits that bill. Outside of being a standout basketball player, Davis has also excelled on the football field as he has served as La Crosse Central’s starting quarterback. The competitive nature that Davis has developed playing both football and basketball will certainly serve him well when he enrolls at Wisconsin.

Note: All quotes/stats provided by uwbadgers.com

Davis chose Wisconsin over other offers from: DePaul, UW-Green Bay, Iowa, UW-Milwaukee, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, UNLV, and West Virginia

Davis Accolades: Four-star recruit by Rivals … conference player of the year averaged 23 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists per game as a junior for La Crosse Central, earning unanimous first-team all-state selection and first-team all-conference honors … La Crosse Tribune Coulee Region Player of the Year in 2018-19 … as a sophomore, averaged 22.7 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists per game and earned first-team all-conference and first-team all-state honors … along with brother, Jordan, helped lead Central to the WIAA Division 2 state tournament each of their three years on the varsity team, winning the state title in 2017 with current Badger Kobe King … on the football field, Davis is also a standout three-year starter at quarterback, passing for 6,572 yards and 56 touchdowns, while rushing for more than 2,000 yards and scoring another 34 touchdowns on the ground.

Gard on Davis: “Johnny is the ultimate competitor. He’s proven that on the basketball court, on the football field and in the classroom. Johnny’s ability to play and guard multiple positions is extremely valuable in today’s game. He brings a tremendous toughness and competitive spirit to both ends of the floor. His experiences as a high school quarterback will serve him well as he makes the transition to a collegiate basketball player. He has grown up watching Wisconsin Basketball and takes pride in wearing our colors. We’re excited to get to work with him and to help him reach his potential as a Badger in the years to come.”

Lorne Bowman Signs National Letter of Intent with Wisconsin Basketball

Lorne Bowman becomes the latest member in the 2020 recruiting class to sign his letter of intent to play for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Lorne Bowman

6’2″, 180, guard, Detroit, Mich. (St. Mary’s)

Bowman became the first commit in Wisconsin’s 2020 recruiting class when he made his verbal commitment to Wisconsin in November of 2018. Bowman made it official on Wednesday by signing his letter of intent to play for Wisconsin.

The Badgers are getting a talented playmaker who is able to not only create shots for himself but also for his teammates. Despite D’Mitrik Trice, Brad Davison, and Trevor Anderson being ahead of Bowman when he arrives on campus the trio will all be seniors. There may not be many minutes available to Bowman in his first year but it could be beneficial to him to see the floor as a true freshman to gain some valuable experience before he officially takes over once Trice, Davison, and Anderson have exhausted their eligibility.

Note: All quotes/stats provided by uwbadgers.com.

Bowman chose Wisconsin over other offers from: Iowa, Nebraska, Buffalo, Oakland, Toledo, and Valparaiso

Bowman’s Accolades: Four-star recruit by ESPN … ranked No. 94 in the ESPN 100 for 2020 … standout at St. Mary’s High School is a two-time Class A All-State honoree in Michigan, earning first-team honors in 2019 and honorable mention in 2018 … averaged 23.1 points and 5.1 assists per game during his junior season … averaged 22.5 points and 4.9 assists per game as a sophomore … in AAU, member of EYBL where he excelled at the Nike circuit, averaging 13.5 points and 3.6 assists through his first six games.

Gard on Bowman: “We are ecstatic to have Lorne join our Badger family. He’s the ultimate competitor, both on the court and in the classroom, and we can’t wait to begin working with him. It was evident early on that Lorne is exactly what we look for and he’s only continued to improve. Lorne plays at his own pace, always under control, giving his team whatever it needs in the right moments with a skillset that can turn from scoring guard to playmaker in an instant. He has a great ability to get the ball where it needs to be and can also create shots with his tremendous pull-up game. Lorne displays natural leadership, both by his extreme work ethic and also through his communication on and off the court.  Lorne and his family are a pleasure to be around and represent everything that being a Badger is about.”