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.
Win,” Yalden said plainly. “A lot and often.”
