Tag: shooting guard

Wisconsin basketball signs international 2025 SG Hayden Jones

Wisconsin basketball signs international 2025 SG Hayden Jones

Wisconsin basketball signed class of 2025 shooting guard Hayden Jones on Wednesday morning.

Jones became the second class of 2025 Badger commit to sign with UW on Wednesday, alongside in-state shooting guard Zach Kinziger.

At 17 years old, the 6-foot-5 swingman plays semi-professional hoops for the Nelson Giants of the New Zealand National Basketball League. This past summer, the 2025 recruit averaged 11.6 points per appearance for the country at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey.

With his appearance in the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup, the 17-year-old became the fourth-youngest player to debut for the senior national team. New Zealand earned fourth place in the international tournament.

Jones also registered 12.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists for New Zealand during its runner-up finish at the 2023 FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Qatar.

The New Zealander has a smooth handle and a quick release on his jump shot. His experience against the most elite prospects from around the world also bodes well for his integration into Gard’s program.

With Middleton, Wisconsin native Will Garlock also signed, Wisconsin has inked its entire 2025 class.

Wisconsin basketball top 100 class of 2025 SG target transfers to in-state high school

Big news for the Badgers in the class of 2025:

Wisconsin basketball’s top-ranked class of 2025 target, Amari Allen, announced his decision to transfer to Ashwaubenon High School on Sunday.

The shooting guard attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, before making the transition back to his home state. The 6-foot-7, 180-pound guard played high school hoops at Kaukauna High School in Kaukauna, Wisconsin before his stint in Florida.

The move is certainly significant in the recruiting realm. Allen grew up in Kaukauna and scheduled an official visit with the Badgers the weekend of Sept. 14. His proximity to the college program will help the Badgers’ recruiting efforts.

Allen plans to take trips to Minnesota, Alabama, Nevada, Mississippi State and UCF — his finalists — this fall.

Given Allen’s status as one of Wisconsin’s most important prospects for the class of 2025, Greg Gard’s staff will surely position his in-state ties near the top of his recruiting pitch. The rising senior ranks as 247Sports’ No. 98 player in the class of 2025, No. 18 small forward and No. 14 recruit from the state of Florida. Those will shift given the move to Wisconsin this fall.

While Wisconsin may not offer what a program like Duke, North Carolina or Kentucky can on the hardwood, it can compete with every other suitor in this recruiting battle. Alabama, which finished No. 3 in the final AP poll of 2024, and UCF, which holds a connection to Allen’s time in Florida, present the most obstacles for UW.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 currently ranks within the top 10 in the nation with commitments from two in-state prospects: four-star shooting guard Zach Kinziger and three-star center Will Garlock.

Alabama lands in top 7 for 2025 5-star SG Meleek Thomas

The Alabama Crimson Tide were recently listed as a finalist to land the commitment of 2025 five-star shooting guard Meleek Thomas.

The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball program has had abundant success as of late on the recruiting trail. The coaching staff has done an excellent job of identifying prospects that fit the team’s needs and are equipped to play in Nate Oats’ system. One prospect that would fit Oats’ system is 2025 five-star shooting guard Meleek Thomas.

On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania native released his top schools list. One of the schools that was listed was Alabama. When asked by On3’s Joe Tipton about his thoughts on the Crimson Tide, Thomas had the following to say:

“They run a guard-heavy program. They’ve had a lot of guards come out of there. I like how they play, I’ve studied their play style and I’ve heard and asked around about their facilities and I’ve seen how they let their guards rock. So with all of that, they are a school that I want to take a visit and see more about.”

Thus far, Thomas has taken official visits to the Auburn Tigers, Pittsburgh Panthers, and UConn Huskies. Thomas has intentions to visit multiple schools in the near future. One of which includes Alabama.

An interesting thing to note is that Alabama is also a finalist for Thomas’ high school teammate Jasper Johnson. The two will suit up alongside one another for their senior season at Overtime Elite. Both are high on the Crimson Tide’s radar and are considered to be priority recruits.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama men’s basketball program and its efforts on the recruiting trail.

Wisconsin basketball cracks top nine schools for top class of 2025 target

Wisconsin basketball cracks top nine schools for top class of 2025 target

Wisconsin basketball cracked the top nine schools for top class of 2025 shooting guard Davion Hannah on Monday.

Alabama, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Xavier, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Louisville and Ohio State round out the rest of his list.

Hannah’s top nine arrives eight days after he released his official visit schedule for this fall. Hannah will venture to Madison, Wisconsin for an official visit the weekend of Sept. 14 — the same date as fellow top target Amari Allen.

The rising senior will also take trips to Alabama, Louisville, Ohio State, Michigan State, NC State, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh this fall. Wake Forest was originally on his slate.

Before transferring to Branson, Missouri’s Link Academy for his final year of high school, Hannah was ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit from Wisconsin while he attended Nicolet High School.

247Sports now has Hannah as the No. 3 overall recruit from Missouri, No. 4 combo guard in the class of 2025 and the No. 29 overall player in the class. The 6-foot-5, 175-pound combo guard remains a four-star recruit across all major recruiting platforms.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 currently ranks No. 7 in the nation with commitments from in-state shooting guard Zach Kinziger and in-state center Will Garlock. Both are three-star prospects.

Hannah would be a defining addition to the class if Greg Gard and his staff are able to pull off a substantial recruiting victory.

Alabama lands in top 10 for elite, 2025 4-star SG Braylon Mullins

On Monday, the Alabama Crimson Tide were listed as a finalist to land 2025 four-star shooting guard Braylon Mullins.

The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball coaching staff has been busy on the recruiting trail. In recent years, the Crimson Tide have had a lot of success landing some of the top prospects in the country. On Monday, one of the top prospects — Braylon Mullins listed Alabama as one of his finalists.

Mullins is a 2025 shooting guard from Greenfield, Indiana. He is listed at 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds. As a junior, Mullins averaged 25 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, and 3.2 assists per game. He shot an impressive 56% from the floor.

Alabama does not have any commits in the ’25 recruiting class. However, the Crimson Tide are in play to land some of the top prospects. One of them being Mullins. Mullins is scheduled to take an official visit to Alabama on September 28. In addition, he has official visits scheduled to UConn Huskies (August 1), Michigan Wolverins (September 7), North Carolina Tar Heels (September 14), Indiana Hoosiers (September 20), Tennessee Volunteers (October 19), and Kentucky Wildcats (October 25).

The expectation is that Mullins will announce his commitment following his scheduled official visits.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama basketball program and its efforts on the recruiting trail.

Alabama MBB a finalist to land 2025 SG Dorian Jones

Alabama men’s basketball was listed as one of 10 finalists to land 2025 shooting guard Dorian Jones.

Recently, 2025 shooting guard Dorian Jones narrowed his list of finalists down to 10 schools. Alabama was one of the schools that made the cut.

Jones, an Ohio native, has not taken a visit to Alabama at this time. The only schools that he has visited up to this point are in-state programs Cincinnati and Ohio State. The expectation is that Jones will begin taking visits toward the end of spring and into the summer.

Jones plays for Richmond Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio. He is listed at 6-foot-4 and 160 pounds. As it stands, Jones would likely play the shooting guard position at the college level. He will need to add some weight to play the small forward position.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down Dorian Jones’ recruiting profile.

Alabama MBB offers 2025 SG Dorian Jones from Ohio

Recently, the Alabama men’s basketball coaching staff extended an offer to 2025 four-star shooting guard Dorian Jones.

The Alabama coaching staff recently extended an offer to 2025 shooting guard Dorian Jones.

Jones plays for Richmond Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio. During his sophomore season, Jones helped lead the Spartans to a 29-0 record and a state championship victory as a part of the OHSA’s Chagrin Conference.

The talented guard stands at 6-foot-3 and 160 pounds, according to 247Sports. At the college level, Jones would likely begin his career as a shooting guard with that size and stature. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see his growth and development over the next two years.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down Dorian Jones’ recruiting profile.

Alabama MBB lands in top 9 for elite, 2025 SG Isiah Harwell from Idaho

2025 shooting guard Isiah Harwell released his top schools list. Among the programs listed was the Alabama Crimson Tide.

In the past, Alabama struggled to recruit and land commitments from top prospects across the country. Things have changed since Nate Oats assumed the role as Alabama’s head coach. For one, the Crimson Tide has become a national attraction for some top prospects.

One of those prospects is 2025 shooting guard Isiah Harwell. On Monday, Harwell narrowed his list of finalists to nine schools. Among the programs listed was the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Harwell has not taken a trip to Tuscaloosa at this point. However, that is subject to change over time. The Alabama coaching staff seems to high on Harwell and rightfully so. He is regarded as a five-star by every recruiting service. That is pretty remarkable in itself.

The Idaho native is currently a junior at Wasatch Academy in Wasatch, Utah. The Tigers play at a national level. Meaning they compete against the likes of national, powerhouse programs like La Lumiere High School, Montverde Academy, and IMG Academy.

Harwell has faired well against his opponents. Alabama offered him back in May and will continue pursuing Harwell.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down Isiah Harwell’s recruiting profile.

Alabama lands in top 8 for 2024 SG Billy Richmond III

2024 shooting guard Billy Richmond III released his top schools list on Saturday. Richmond III included Alabama in his top 8.

Class of 2024 shooting guard Billy Richmond III released his top-eight schools’ list on Saturday. Richmond III included Alabama as a finalist to land his commitment.

The Tennessee native is the son of former Vanderbilt and Memphis guard Billy Richmond.

The 6-foot-5 wing is an excellent scorer and defender. During the 2023 Nike EYBL Peach Jam, Richmond III averaged 13.8 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game, 2.6 assists per game, and 1.6 steals per game.

If Richmond III were to commit to Alabama, he would likely play either shooting guard or small forward. One thing that the Alabama coaching staff emphasizes on the recruiting trail is pursuing positionless basketball players. Meaning the recruit can guard and play at any position on the floor.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down Billy Richmond III’s recruiting profile.

Alabama MBB offers 2024 4-Star SG Jalil Bethea

Bethea has been climbing up the recruiting rankings and Alabama is the latest program to offer him.

The Alabama coaching staff extended an offer to 2024 shooting guard Jalil Bethea on Tuesday.

Bethea plays for Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, Pennsylvania. Last season, the Vikings finished with a 19-9 record. Bethea was an intrical part of the program’s success a year ago.

At 6-foot-4, 170 pounds, Bethea could play either shooting guard or small forward at the next level. Alabama head coach Nate Oats uses his players in multiple positions. Bethea’s versatility could bode well in Oats’ system.

Bethea has a similar skillset to Alabama wing Rylan Griffen. The two are similar in stature and have similar styles of play.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down Jalil Bethea’s recruiting profile.