If there is one hole on an exciting 2023-24 Wisconsin basketball roster at this point in the offseason, it would be the need for another backup big.
Wisconsin was looking to solve this problem by reaching out to Mississippi State transfer Will McNair Jr.
The Badgers were among a long list of teams to reach out to the SEC transfer according to The Portal Report. Vanderbilt, Nebraska, Tulsa, Georgetown, George Washington, and others have reached out to the Philadelphia native.
McNair Jr. averaged 3.3 points per game in 2022-23 in his lone year at Mississippi State. His first three seasons in college were spent at New Mexico State. He averaged a career-best 6.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 2021-22 with the Aggies.
Mississippi State (D1) transfer Will McNair Jr. told @ThePortalReport that he has heard from the following programs:
Vanderbilt Wisconsin Nebraska Tulsa Temple Georgetown Western Kentucky George Washington UTEP pic.twitter.com/dTUCQcLCQ9
— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) May 24, 2023
Greg Gard and company hosted one of the nation’s best shooters on an official visit last weekend:
Madison, Wis. – Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard hosted a couple of high-priority targets on campus for official visits last weekend, both of which were Minnesota natives.
One of the 2024 recruits that UW quickly identified and made a point to get on campus was three-star forward Jackson Mcandrew out of Wayzata, Minnesota.
“We watched practices, toured campus and facilities, met with coaches and staff, went to coach’s house, watched the football game, and hung out with the team,” McAndrew told BadgersWire.
Per the 247Sports Composite, he’s the No. 172 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, the No. 34 PF in the country, and the No. 2 player in Minnesota.
The 6-foot-8, 190-pound forward who runs with Howard Pulley on the Nike EYBL circuit currently holds offers from St. Thomas and Northern Iowa, Nebraska, Creighton, and Wisconsin.
He’s also hearing from Virginia, Xavier, Iowa, Wake Forest, Minnesota, Iowa St, and Colorado St.
“The coaches and players stood out to me the most; the team culture was great, and the facilities were amazing,” McAndrew explained. “My relationship with all the coaches is very good, and I feel super comfortable with them and have gotten to know them pretty well.
On the court, McAndrew can flat-out shoot the ball, and he’s a sniper from beyond the arc with a quick, repeatable release. The intrigue with a prospect like McAndrew comes from his high, unrealized ceiling.
— Fresh Coast Hoops (@FreshCoastHoops) July 7, 2022
“Wisconsin envisions me being a versatile piece playing multiple forward positions,” said McAndrew. “They [UW] really like my skillset and the versatility I bring.
It’s also worth mentioning Coach Gard has already offered McAndrew’s Howard Pulley teammates, Andrew Freitag and Jack Robison, in the 2024 recruiting class.
“Wisconsin is a serious contender, and I can see myself fitting in very well.”
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.
Wisconsin’s top-ranked in-state player in the 2025 recruiting class provides an update on where things stand with UW:
Madison, Wis. – It’s been a hell of a long-time since the University of Wisconsin signed a scholarship player from the city of Milwaukee – 2005, to be exact (Markus Landry). A trend that UW hopes to buck in the near future.
After impressing at Wisconsin basketball’s advanced camp this summer, Greg Gard and his coaching staff made four-star small forward Davion Hannah, out of Milwaukee (Wis.), the first scholarship offer of the 2025 recruiting cycle.
According to 247Sports, he is the No. 49 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, the No. 11 SF in the country, and the No. 1 player in Wisconsin.
“The coaches and I at Wisconsin have a very strong and comforting relationship,” Hannah told BadgersWire. “Every time I speak with them, I get this welcoming feeling, and it feels like home.”
As a freshman, the 6-foot-5, 180-pound forward averaged 13.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game on 55% shooting while playing for the Milwaukee Academy of Science.
Hannah already holds offers from Arizona State, LSU, Marquette, Mississippi State, and Wisconsin. He’s also heard from Iowa State, Minnesota, and Ohio State.
Assistant coach Sharif Chambliss is acting as the lead recruiter for the top 50 prospect and has been in regular contact with Hannah.
“Coach Sharif is the coach I talk to the most, and every time I speak with him, it’s like I’m speaking with someone I’ve known for years,” Hannah explained. “Wisconsin wants me to be a leader and have a big role on the team; every time I speak with the coaches, they tell me how much I can help the program.”
On the court, the Milwaukee native is a physical and versatile forward who can score from all three levels and play high-level defense on the perimeter. He’s especially good at slashing through the lane and finishing strong around the cup. Hannah has an excellent overall feel and basketball IQ.
Davion Hannah put on a show to help Nicolet win the @otsportswi fall league title! Highlights of the 6'6 2025 wing @Davionhannah25
It’s tough to project a young player’s ceiling, but there are quite a few similarities to former Badgers guard Johnny Davis. There is superstar potential here.
It’s incredibly early in the four-star prospects recruitment, but Hannah has already visited the campus three times and really likes what the Wisconsin coaching staff has to offer.
“Wisconsin feels like home; it’s an atmosphere that brings me happiness and comfort, and as I said before, the coaches already welcome me in like it’s home.”
When asked if he planned to take another visit to UW anytime soon, Hannah wrote back: “YES, for sure I LOVE visiting Madison; I’m in the middle of setting up another date soon.”
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.
Coach Gard and his staff have received their first verbal commitment of the 2024 recruiting cycle:
Madison, Wis. – Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard and his staff landed their first piece of the puzzle in the 2024 recruiting class – from UW’s feeder program, Lakeville North in Minnesota.
Following an official visit this past weekend, three-star wing Jack Robison verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin on Tuesday, making him the fourth Lakeville North player to commit to the Badgers in the past six years.
“I’ve always kind of known that is where I wanted to be,” Robison said. “So I was debating whether I was going to commit going into the weekend, and this weekend just reassured me with everything.”
“It was the right time for me. I couldn’t be more happy to be a Badger.”
Per the 247Sports recruiting rankings, Robison is the No. 145 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, the No. 34 SF in the country, and the No. 3 player in Minnesota.
Coach Gard offered the 6-foot-6, 175-pound wing a scholarship last August, making UW the first power-five scholarship offer for the Minnesota native – and he never took his foot off the gas pedal, continually making him a priority.
The three-star forward also held offers from Minnesota, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, South Florida, and St. Thomas.
Scouting Report
On film, the Lakeville North High School standout is a left-handed three-level scorer who is especially dangerous from the perimeter. Robison is a microwave from beyond the arc.
He’s also made noticeable strides physically and as a playmaker who can put it on the deck and get to his pull-up mid-range jumper.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in the weight room this summer, and I’ve gotten a lot quicker and more explosive,” Robison explained.
Robison’s length and positional versatility obviously appeal to coach Gard, who puts a premium on players capable of defending multiple positions.
On top of the measurables, he’s another player who isn’t afraid to mix it up, take a charge, and get on the floor after a loose ball – yeah, he’s a Badger.
In short, Robison checks a ton of boxes for the program, is nowhere near his ceiling, giving him plenty of room to develop, and stylistically, is a perfect fit at Wisconsin.
The Minnesota native announced his verbal commitment to the University of Wisconsin via his Twitter account:
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.
Wisconsin MBB will have a top-100 recruit in the 2024 recruiting cycle on campus for an official visit:
Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and his coaching staff will have a significant prospect on campus for an official visit this coming weekend – 2024 four-star point guard Daniel Freitag out of Bloomington, Minnesota.
Per the 247Sports Composite, he’s the No. 53 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, the No. 8 PG in the country, and the No. 1 player in Minnesota.
Wisconsin was the first Power 5 program to offer 2024-point guard Daniel Freitag a scholarship after their advanced camp in June 2021. Since then, the Minnesota native has picked up offers from Baylor, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Virginia.
“He [Coach Gard] sees me making an impact for the team immediately and believes I can lead the team at the guard position,” Freitag said in a previous interview with BadgersWire. “He seems to have a lot of trust in me, and I like that.”
Freitag, a four-star prospect, has everything you could want from a point guard. Good size, physicality, well-above-average athleticism, playmaking ability, and toughness. He can also slash, play above the rim, and shoot from beyond the arc. In short, he’s the total package.
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.
Top-100 recruit Gus Yalden talked with @DillonGraff about the unconventional path that eventually led him back home:
Madison, Wis. –- For Gus Yalden, a 2023 Wisconsin men’s basketball commit, “home” has been difficult to peg down, at least on paper.
During his unconventional prep career, the 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward has lived in Wisconsin, Nebraska, back to Wisconsin, Colorado, California, Florida, and North Carolina. He will finish his prep career at LaLumiere High School in Indiana, a national hoops power, before the GusBus makes its final stop in Madison next season.
While discussing his childhood during a recent interview with the Badgerswire, Yalden felt that the unconventional, winding road that ultimately led him to Madison shaped him into the man he is today.
“My roots and childhood home have always been in Wisconsin,” Yalden said. “I’m familiar with being uncomfortable, which is a critical component of success. We are the sum of all of our experiences, so I would say that for a senior in high school, I’ve had a pretty full life so far.”
Yalden’s fondest memories of the Wisconsin men’s basketball program came during a two-year stretch from 2014-2015 when the Badgers earned back-to-back Final Four trips under Hall-of-Fame head coach Bo Ryan.
“I remember it all,” Yalden explained. “The players on the podium, Nigel Hayes challenging the stenographer with “onomatopoeia,” Josh Gasser’s big three against UNC, Dekker’s dagger to beat undefeated Kentucky, and the heartbreaking call…when that loose ball clearly bounced off the fingertip of Justice Winslow, and then they [Duke] hit a three to seal the dub.”
Those memories, while painful, serve as proof that UW can win at the highest level when everything breaks right.
Yalden, a lifelong Badgers fan and top-100 national recruit, sees no reason why Wisconsin can’t replicate that success and has set some lofty goals of his own once he sets foot on campus.
Could Jack Robison be the next Lakeville North player to commit to the Wisconsin men’s basketball program? @DillonGraff has the latest:
When 2024 three-star wing Jack Robison out of Lakeville North, Minnesota, takes his early official visit to Wisconsin on October 21, it’ll be an opportunity to strengthen his already rock-solid relationship with Greg Gard and the Badgers coaching staff.
“My relationship with the staff is great,” Robison explained. “I talk on the phone with coach Gard very often, and coach Krabbenhoft is my lead recruiter, so I speak to him quite often as well.”
Per the 247Sports recruiting rankings, Robison is the No. 145 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, the No. 34 SF in the country, and the No. 3 player in Minnesota.
Coach Gard offered the 6-foot-6, 175-pound wing a scholarship last August, making UW the first power-five scholarship offer for the Minnesota native. Since then, he’s picked up offers from Minnesota, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, South Florida, and St. Thomas.
His high school teammate at Lakeville North, three-star power forward Nolan Winter, recently committed to play for the Badgers and will join the program in 2023. Will that commitment have any impact on Robison’s future?
“I’m super happy for Nolan making his decision, it wasn’t an easy one for him, but he made the decision based on what he felt was best for him,” said Robison. “I could definitely see myself playing with Nolan in college; we’re best friends. I don’t want to make my decision based on where he is, but if we can play together, that would be fun.”
On film, the Lakeville North High School standout is a left-handed knockdown shooter out on the wing who has made noticeable strides physically and as a playmaker.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in the weight room this summer, and I’ve gotten a lot quicker and more explosive,” Robison explained.
Robison’s length and positional versatility are especially appealing to coach Gard, who puts a premium on players capable of defending multiple positions. In short, this recruit checks a lot of boxes for the program.
“I’m looking to join a team with a winning culture, somewhere where winning is the expectation,” Robison told Badgerswire. “Obviously, Wisconsin checks that box, so I can definitely see myself there.”
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.
Wisconsin MBB had one of the nation’s top young big men on campus this past weekend:
This past weekend, Greg Gard and his coaching staff hosted one of the nation’s premier big men, 2025 top-100 center Kai Rogers, on campus for an unofficial visit.
Per 247Sports, he’s the No. 72 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, the No. 11 C in the country, and the No. 2 player in Wisconsin.
Rogers, a 6-foot-10, 210-pound big man out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, already holds offers from Florida State, Georgetown, Illinois, Iowa, Ole Miss, St. John’s, Texas, and his home state, Wisconsin Badgers.
As it stands, Rodgers is one of just two players Greg Gard has offered in the 2025 recruiting cycle, along with fellow in-state standout Davion Hannah.
As a freshman, he averaged 10.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks on 69% shooting from the field for Wauwatosa West High School.
Right now, Roger’s strengths are his ability to finish in the paint, using his frame to establish a deep post position, and playing through contact. Defensively, he has all the tools you’re looking for at the Power 5 level.
Rogers is still maturing physically, which is scary considering the incredibly high-ceiling he already has – making him one of the top prospects in the 2025 recruiting class.
The UW coaching staff has made Rogers a priority early in his recruitment and figure to be in the mix until the end. However, the blue-bloods are already sniffing around, so it’s only a matter of time before they truly throw their hats in the ring.
That said, Wisconsin appears to have put itself in a good position early on for the top-100 recruit.
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.
Wisconsin MBB has made the top 10 for a four-star center from Illinois:
On Friday afternoon, 2024 four-star center James Brown out of Chicago, Illinois, announced his top 10 schools he’ll consider moving forward, a list that included the University of Wisconsin.
In addition to Wisconsin, Brown is still considering Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Howard, and Eastern Michigan.
Per the 247Sports Composite, he’s the No. 27 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, the No. 6 C in the country, and the No. 1 player in Illinois.
According to MaxPreps, the 6-foot-10, 210-pound big man averaged 11.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.8 blocks per game as a sophomore for St. Rita High School in Chicago.
On film, Brown shows flashes of a player with immense upside. He’s a rim-running big man that can handle the ball, crash the glass, make plays around the rim, alter shots, and has a budding faceup game.
“I don’t know a lot about them [UW] to be honest. We visited there because they expressed interest in me towards the end of my high school season so we visited up there and I ended up getting an offer. So that’s a school I’m really excited to learn a little bit more about,” Brown said in an interview with On3Sports. I like Coach (Sharif) Chambliss and what he had to say about what they like to do, previews of game situations, and stuff like that. So I’m excited to learn a little more.”
The Illinois native announced his top 10 list via his Twitter account:
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.
Wisconsin WBB has extended an offer to a four-star wing from Massachusetts:
Earlier this month, Marissa Mosley and her coaching staff went out east to extend a scholarship offer to 2025 four-star wing Kaelyn Carroll out of Dedham, Massachusetts.
According to the ESPN recruiting database, she’s the No. 17 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class and the No. 5 player in Massachusetts.
Carroll, a 6-foot-2 forward, currently holds offers from Villanova, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, North Carolina State, Harvard, and Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin women’s basketball program is in the midst of a rebuild under Mosley, who is in her second year with the program but has given Badger fans a lot to be excited about moving forward.
Whether she can pull a top talent like Carroll remains to be seen, but she’s wasting no time establishing relationships with one of the top talents in the country.
The Massachusetts native announced her scholarship offer from the University of Wisconsin via her Twitter account:
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.
