Tag: Wisconsin Recruiting News

Dec 14, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders fly the banners across the court before the game with the Green Bay Phoenix at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin defeated Green Bay 73-59. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

Posted on | by Dillon Graff | Leave a Comment on Wisconsin Basketball Makes the Final Two for 2023 Three-Star F Nolan Winter

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

With a big decision looming, long-time Wisconsin basketball target, 2023 three-star forward 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 BadgerNotes 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:

Minnesota Basketball

“Everything about it [Minnesota] is great,” Winter explained. “The coaches, players, and vision coach Johnson has is going to be special.”

Wisconsin Basketball

“I love all the coaches from top to bottom,” Winter told BadgerNotes. “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.”

Analysis

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.

Coach Gard and his staff pushed their chips all in on the stretch forward long ago, maintaining constant contact since they offered back in June of 2021.

“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,” Winter explained in an interview following his official visit. “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.”

Now, the big question on everyone’s mind is whether or not Wisconsin did enough to pry the Minnesota legacy away from his home state of Minnesota.

Thankfully, we’ll have that answer soon.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Basketball news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin games for FREE by clicking this link.

*Chat about this article over at Badgers After Dark

Dec 14, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders fly the banners across the court before the game with the Green Bay Phoenix at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin defeated Green Bay 73-59. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

Posted on | by Dillon Graff | Leave a Comment on 2024 four-star F Royce Parham wraps up official visit to Wisconsin

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

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.

Thoughts on Wisconsin’s pursuit of Royce Parham

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.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Football news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin games for FREE by clicking this link.

*Chat about this article over at Badgers After Dark

Posted on | by Dillon Graff | 1 Comment on 2023 QB Ryan Browne taking an unofficial visit to Wisconsin for its season opener

2023 QB Ryan Browne taking an unofficial visit to Wisconsin for its season opener

Wisconsin’s coaching staff has struggled to find a signal caller in the 2023 recruiting class. Does their newest visitor give them renewed hope? 

Madison, Wis. — When Wisconsin football takes the field September 3 against Illinois State, they’ll have an important visitor in the stands – 2023 three-star quarterback Ryan Browne out of New Berlin, New York.

A relationship that began at Wisconsin’s team camp in June has continued to pick up some steam. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound QB has maintained contact with Bobby Engram, Hank Poteat, and Mickey Turner throughout the summer after impressing the coaching staff during a private workout.

According to 247Sports, Browne is the No. 102 QB in the country and the No. 11 player in New York.

The three-star QB currently holds offers from Kent State, Toledo, Western Michigan, Holy Cross, and Rhode Island.

“I’ve been consistently hearing from Wisconsin, Purdue, and Florida State as well,” Browne told BadgerNotes.

It is an unofficial visit to Madison for Browne, but he mentioned that he hopes to take an official visit to Wisconsin at some point during his recruiting process.

“Wisconsin’s message to me has been very positive,” Browne explained. “They [UW] are very excited about how I threw for them this summer. Coach engram told me he loves what I show on film and thinks I am a very mature player. I’m excited to continue to give them some excellent game film to help make their decision easier.”

Browne threw for 2,766 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior, completing 62.2% of his passes. He also ran for 602 yards and an additional 11 scores on the ground.

“Wisconsin is very appealing because it’s a great school and program,” said Browne. “I really think it’s the best of both worlds, and not many other schools compete with that.”

Still searching for the right fit

Rated as a low three-star recruit in 2022, Browne decided to take an additional prep year to continue developing his game and bet on his ability to earn a Power 5 offer.

A standout at Milford Academy in New York, Browne’s film shows excellent size, arm strength that makes defenses defend the entire field, and mobile enough to extend plays with his feet and gain the occasional chunk play on the ground.

Although he doesn’t currently have a timetable for a decision, the under-the-radar signal-caller knows what he’s looking for in a potential fit.

“Once I have a good idea of who has a genuine interest in me and truly wants me in their program, I will go where I feel is the best fit for me long-term,” said Browne.

Wisconsin’s coaching staff is still searching for a quarterback in the 2023 recruiting cycle, and there is undoubtedly some un-tapped potential with Browne – making him worth a more in-depth look.

Wisconsin football currently has 13 scholarship commitments in the 2023 class.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, 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.

*Chat about this article over at Badgers After Dark

*Subscribe and listen to the Badger Notes Podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts).