Tag: wisconsin basketball recruiting

Wisconsin lands a commitment from 2023 three-star PF Nolan Winter

Greg Gard earns a commitment from one of Wisconsin’s top-of-the-board prospects in the 2023 recruiting class:

Madison, Wisc. – As a fan of the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball program, you can count on three things in this life: death, taxes, and prep players from Minnesota committing to play for UW.

On Friday, that statement held true once again when Greg Gard and his coaching staff received a verbal commitment from three-star power forward Nolan Winter out of Lakeville, Minnesota.

Per the 247sports Composite, Winter is the No. 176 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, the No. 38 PF in the country, and the No. 2 player in Minnesota.

If Lakeville sounds familiar, it’s because Wisconsin has recently created a pipeline at Lakeville North High School – producing Badger forward’s Nate Reuvers, Tyler Wahl, and now Nolan Winter.

“I love all the coaches from top to bottom,” Winter told BadgersWire. “The campus is beautiful, and the entire city is awesome with a really supportive fanbase. The players are all really cool and are dudes I can get along with for four years. They know how to win.”

Winter, a 6-foot-11, 210-pound forward who plays AAU with Howard Pulley, chose Wisconsin over scholarship opportunities from Minnesota, Stanford, Xavier, Oregon State, St. Thomas, Wake Forest, and Xavier.

“The staff sees me thriving at the four spot and, over the years, transitioning into the three,” Winter explained. “They compared me a lot to Sam Dekker and Jon Leuer. They also said they want me to have a big impact early on in my career.”

It’s easy to see Winter’s potential fit within a program like UW, given their success utilizing inside-out big men with similar skill sets.

The Lakeville North High School standout is a lanky, stretch big man that excels in the pick and pop, is a good passer from the high post, and has a budding low-post game. He also moves well for his size and flashes the ability to take defenders off the dribble and use his height to score over the top.

Winter, who fills Wisconsin’s last remaining scholarship in the 2023 recruiting cycle, joins combo-guard John Blackwell, forward Gus Yalden, and walk-on shooting guard Jack Janicki.

The Minnesota native announced his commitment to the University of Wisconsin via his Twitter account:

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Wisconsin Basketball Makes the Final Two For 2023 Three-Star F Nolan Winter

With a big decision looming, #Badgers top target Nolan Winter is down to two schools:

With Gus Yalden, John Blackwell, and Jack Janicki already in the fold, the Wisconsin men’s basketball program wants to take one more player in the 2023 recruiting cycle before shifting its focus to 2024.

Greg Gard and his coaching staff have also made it abundantly clear they want that last scholarship to go to three-star power forward Nolan Winter out of Lakeville, Minnesota.

Per the 247sports Composite, Winter is the No. 208 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, the No. 40 PF in the country, and the No. 2 player in Minnesota.

Many have viewed Winter’s recruitment as a three-horse race between Minnesota, Stanford, and Wisconsin.

However, after speaking to the Lakeville North standout, he informed BadgersWire that he’d be announcing his commitment in the next two weeks and has narrowed his list of schools down to Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The 6-foot-11, 210-pound forward also held offers from Stanford, Xavier, Oregon State, St. Thomas, Wake Forest, and Xavier.

Here is what Winter had to say about his two finalists:

2024 four-star F Royce Parham wraps up official visit to Wisconsin

Wisconsin basketball hosted a talented 2024 forward on an official visit over the weekend:

This past weekend, the Wisconsin men’s basketball program hosted 2024 four-star forward Royce Parham out of Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania, on an official visit to Madison.

According to the On3 recruiting rankings, Parham is the No. 53 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, the No. 11 PF in the country, and the No. 3 player in Pennsylvania.

The 6-foot-8, 200-pound F currently holds offers from Duquesne, George Mason, Maryland, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Robert Morris, Rutgers, TCU, and Virginia Tech.

Parham, a standout at North Hills High School, averaged 20.8 points and nine rebounds a game as a sophomore while shooting an impressive 64.2% from the field.

You can watch his AAU highlights here.

I, for one, am a massive fan of Greg Gard getting aggressive in his pursuit of Parham – getting him on campus for an early official visit.

When it’s all said and done, Parham is the type of player I expect will draw significant national interest – so entrenching themselves in his recruitment early on is going to be a must.

The upside with a player like Parham is undeniable. He is a versatile big man that plays with great energy and has all the tools to be a dominant defensive player.

He’s active on the glass, uses his length as a shot blocker, has excellent hands, is a fluid athlete, and has a budding face-up game. Essentially, he’d be a perfect fit in any program across the country.

It’s far too early to project what could happen in Parham’s recruitment, but receiving an early official visit suggests mutual interest between the two.

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Bubu Benjamin, a 2023 SF, will take an official visit to Wisconsin

Wisconsin will host fast-rising SF Bubu Benjamin on an official visit in September:

According to a report from Garrett Tucker, the director of scouting for Marquee hoops, 2023 wing Bubu Benjamin has a three-day official visit scheduled with the University of Wisconsin from September 16-18.

The 6-foot-7, 210-pound small forward currently holds offers from Montana State, Northern Arizona, Lehigh, and Howard.

Unranked by reputable recruiting services, Benjamin has recently seen an uptick in his recruitment, hearing from Wisconsin, Arizona State, Santa Clara, Pepperdine, Minnesota, Cal, and Utah State.

The fast-rising senior, who attends Edge School in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a good athlete that can score at all three levels. He shows good size and playmaking ability on film, with the tools to be a versatile defender.

With the recent addition of Jack Janicki as a PWO, the need for another wing isn’t an absolute must. Still, there is no denying that Benjamin would add a completely different element to this roster. I, for one, am very intrigued by his talent and versatility on both ends of the floor.

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Wisconsin Basketball Target Jamie Kaiser Commits to Big Ten School

Wisconsin misses on four-star SF Jamie Kaiser, who committed to another Big Ten School on Sunday:

In June, newly minted four-star small forward Jamie Kaiser trimmed his list of schools down to nine, with the University of Wisconsin firmly in the mix.

On Sunday, the Burke, Virginia native, verbally committed his intention to play for the University of Maryland.

Per the 247Sports Composite, Kaiser is the No. 101 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, the No. 21 SF in the country, and the No. 13 player in Virginia.

The four-star forward also held offers from Wisconsin, Virginia, Indiana, Miami, Boston College, Iowa, Wake Forest, West Virginia, and several other Power 5 schools.

Kaiser announced his commitment to the University of Maryland via his Twitter account:

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Wisconsin Basketball Target Cyril Martynov Commits to an ACC School

Wisconsin basketball misses on its top remaining target in the 2022 recruiting class:

After Wisconsin made the final four cutdowns for 2023 center Cyril Martynov on Tuesday, the Canadian-Born big man wasted little time with his decision, reclassified to the 2022 class, and committed to Georgia Tech.

The 6-foot-11, 230-pound C reportedly became enamored with Georgia Tech on his official visit, the only school he visited in his final four that also included Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Missouri.

As for Wisconsin, this was coach Gard’s last known offer out to a big man in the 2022 recruiting cycle, and he must now scramble to find another option. 

Behind junior C Steven Crowl, UW is incredibly thin in the frontcourt and needs someone who can immediately step in and play minutes. Otherwise, the Badgers will have to rely on unproven 6-foot-9 redshirt freshman Chris Hodges to step into Chris Vogt’s vacated role off the bench, with no other real options behind him.

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2023 Three-star F Nolan Winter Recaps Official Visit to Wisconsin

Wisconsin basketball’s top remaining target in the 2023 recruiting class breaks down his official visit to Madison:

On Thursday, 2023 three-star power forward Nolan Winter out of Lakeville, Minnesota, wrapped up a two-day official visit to the University of Wisconsin.

If Lakeville sounds familiar, it’s because UW has created a bit of a pipeline at Lakeville North High School in recent years – producing Badger forward’s Nate Reuvers and Tyler Wahl.

“The thing that stands out about Wisconsin is how early they started to recruit me, and from that day on, we’ve been in constant contact,” Winter told BadgersWire.

This visit represented the last time coach Gard and his coaching staff could push their chips all in on the 6-foot-11, 190-pound forward they have been in constant pursuit of since they offered back in June of 2021.

“The UW campus was just beautiful,” Winter said. “The college feel made it extra special; everybody there loves the Badgers, and the culture is awesome. The coaches and players are really cool, super easy to talk to, and are very nice.”

Per the 247sports Composite, Winter is the No. 208 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, the No. 40 PF in the country, and the No. 2 player in Minnesota.

The stretch forward also holds offers from Minnesota, Stanford, Xavier, Oregon State, St. Thomas, Wake Forest, and Xavier.

“Wednesday, we had meetings and got in-depth tours of the campus. I also talked to Coach Gard a lot; he showed me their playing styles and how I could fit in perfectly with how they want to play. I also hung out with the players for a while and got to know them more.”

The Lakeville North High School standout is a lanky, stretch big man that excels in the pick and pop, is a good passer from the high post, and has a budding low-post game. He also moves well for his size and flashes the ability to take defenders off the dribble and use his height to score over them.

You can watch his highlights here. 

“The staff sees me thriving at the four position and, over the years, transitioning into the 3,” Winter explained. “They compared me a lot to Sam Dekker and Jon Leuer. They also said they want me to have a big impact early on in my career.”

Along with strong academics, the 6-foot-11 forward is looking for a competitive program with an established culture, winning tradition, and a great relationship with the coaching staff.

But the question on everyone’s mind is, could Wisconsin’s top-of-the-board target see himself in the cardinal and white?

“I definitely could. Everything about UW is amazing, and it really does check all the boxes. Playing in Madison would be awesome, and more specifically in the Kohl center would be unreal.”

Winter, a Minnesota native, intends to take one last official visit to the University of Minnesota, where he has strong family ties to the program, and then make his final decision late in August.

“I really like the coaches. Coach Gard, coach Krabbenhoft, and the others are super easy to talk to and want what’s best for me. They [UW] are honest with me about where I’m at and say the sky’s the limit on where I could wind up – they can benefit me greatly in the long run.”

It’s no secret that Wisconsin desperately needs a big man to fill out their 2023 recruiting class and that they want it filled by Winter.

It’s easy to see the Howard Pulley standout’s potential fit within a program like UW, given their success utilizing inside-out big men with similar skill sets.

The three-star big man has been one of UW’s top targets for quite some time, and with a decision drawing near, the coaching staff must now wait and see if they did enough to pry the Minnesota legacy away from his home state.

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Wisconsin Lands 2023 SG Jack Janicki as a Preferred Walk-On

Wisconsin lands a talented wing player in the 2023 recruiting class as a PWO:

Madison, Wisc. – As a fan of the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball program, three things are certain in this life: death, taxes, and players from Minnesota committing to play for UW.

On Wednesday, that statement held true when coach Gard and his staff received a verbal commitment from 2023 shooting guard Jack Janicki out of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, who will join the program as a preferred walk-on.

Janicki, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound wing who plays AAU with D1 Minnesota, chose Wisconsin over scholarship opportunities from Wake Forest, Loyola (IL), Rice, Santa Clara, Colorado State, Vermont, Harvard, and St. Thomas.

His commitment comes on the heels of an unofficial visit to Madison on Monday, where the coaching staff made it clear that although they had to save their last scholarship for a big man in 2023, there would undoubtedly be an opportunity to earn one down the road.

Even though he’s currently unranked by the primary recruiting services, this is a noteworthy pickup for the program, filling two prominent needs for the Badgers: a wing with good size that can shoot the three.

The Badgers are getting a sweet-shooting lefty with a repeatable release and sneaky athleticism on film. He can also create space with an array of hesitation moves and step-backs to get his shot off over defenders.

Janicki, who averaged 24.1 points per game as a junior, joins three-star combo-guard John Blackwell and four-star forward Gus Yalden in UW’s 2023 recruiting class.

The Minnesota native announced his commitment to the University of Wisconsin via his Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CgzujnyuyW4/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=2ceab235-8ca8-4de5-8900-81ca196e8c68&ig_mid=4ACCD1CF-7948-4F3A-8106-403776B3D5E2

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Wisconsin Makes Top Four List for Canadian-Born Center Cyril Martynov

Wisconsin makes the cut for a high-priority big man:

The University of Wisconsin desperately needs a big man to round their roster for the upcoming season, but has struck out at every stop along the way. 

On Tuesday, 2023 center Cyril Martynov, who coach Gard offered a scholarship last month, released his top four schools.

Moving forward, 6-foot-11, 230-pound C will focus on Wisconsin, Georgia Tech, Northwestern, and Missouri.

The offer from UW is still contingent on him reclassifying to the 2022 recruiting class and joining the program this fall, although there have been rumblings they’d still consider him for 2023.

“Right now, they [UW] are pitching the development aspect for 2022, which would obviously be much better at the University,” Martynov explained.

Martynov previously shared with BadgersWire that his original plan was to return to school and be a member of the 2023 recruiting class. Still, he and his family will discuss all options for the upcoming season.

The unranked big man had initially stated he planned on taking an official visit to Wisconsin sometime in August, although there has been no word about a date getting scheduled.

“I’m looking for a mix of high-level basketball and academics while also having a coach that values my development and is willing to work with me towards my goals,” Martynov said.

It’s also worth noting that there is currently a crystal ball prediction for Martynov to commit to Georgia Tech, which is coincidentally the only school in his top four that he’s visited.

Behind Steven Crowl, UW is thin in the frontcourt and needs someone who can step in and play immediately; otherwise, the Badgers will have to rely on unproven 6-foot-9 redshirt freshman Chris Hodges to step into Chris Vogt’s vacated role.

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Wisconsin Basketball Target Gehrig Normand Crystal Balled to Big Ten Rival

Wisconsin’s top remaining wing target in the 2023 recruiting class picks up a crystal ball to a Big Ten rival:

On Monday afternoon, four-star wing Gehrig Normand, who the Badgers pushed their chips all in on, picked up a crystal ball prediction from Michigan State insider Justin Thind for MSU.

Per the 247sports Composite, Normand, who has seen his recruitment take off this summer, is the No. 89 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, the No. 17 SF in the country, and the No. 5 player in Texas.

The Birdville High School standout took an official visit to Madison back in June. Still, coach Gard couldn’t seal the deal before the likes of Auburn, Illinois, and Michigan State came knocking during the July evaluation period.

“I’m looking for somewhere I can be as confident as possible and a school where I can trust the coach and have them trust me so I can put a product on the floor that wins a National Championship,” Normand told BadgersWire back in June.

Coach Gard’s need for a wing in the 2023 recruiting class grows more glaring by the day. UW was heavily pursuing four-stars Jamie Kaiser and Gehrig Normand at one point, but now it looks like it’s back to the drawing board in search of a late bloomer with a beatable offer list.

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