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.