Wisconsin Basketball 2024 Recruiting Class Evaluations

MADISON, Wis. – Head coach Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball program have officially put pen to paper with two prospects in the top 125 of the composite rankings, securing point guard Daniel Freitag and wing Jack Robison for the 2024 recruiting class.

According to the composite recruiting rankings, the Badgers finished with the No. 47 ranked class in the country and the No. 9 class in the Big Ten.

Let’s examine what the coaching staff had to say about the new additions, get into player evaluations, and grade the Wisconsin basketball program’s haul in the 2024 recruiting class overall.

Wisconsin Basketball Point Guard: Daniel Freitag

Daniel Freitag is a four-star recruit and the eighth-best point guard in the nation for the 2024 class, according to 247Sports composite rankings.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard is the Wisconsin Badgers highest-ranked point guard prospect in school history — and is arguably the biggest recruiting win of the Greg Gard era.

Freitag averaged 28.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game as a junior at Jefferson High School. He was named the Metro West Conference Player of the Year and is Jefferson’s all-time leading scorer.

Signed ! See y’all soon 🤞🏽#Badgers pic.twitter.com/N1W660nWBz

— Daniel Freitag (2024) (@DanielFreitag_) November 9, 2023

His addition is perfect timing, considering Freitag will enter the Wisconsin basketball program with a year to learn under starting point guard Chucky Hepburn before he presumably gets the keys to the car as a sophomore.

Greg Gard on Freitag:

“Daniel is an excellent addition to our program. We identified him early in the process, not only as a player but also as a person we want inside of our locker room. His infectious personality and bright smile will make him a fan favorite. Daniel has the kind of perspective and values that align perfectly with who we are as a program. Like several former Badger greats, Daniel has also had tremendous success on the football field as a dual-sport athlete. That experience on the gridiron has instilled a certain level of toughness and leadership that transcends sport. He is an electric athlete with skills that fit in with who we are and where the game of basketball is going. His toughness and willingness to do whatever it takes to help his team win makes him an extremely versatile guard who will impact the game in every way. He is a driven and dedicated young man, and we are thrilled to add him to our Badger family.”

BadgerNotes Scouting Report: 

I am enamored with Daniel Freitag’s fit within the Wisconsin basketball program — and I think this is essentially a 99th-percentile outcome for the Badgers at point guard.

The Howard Pulley standout possesses ideal size for the lead guard position and is already physically prepared to see the floor once he steps onto campus.

Offensively, Freitag has well above-average athleticism, can create for himself, routinely gets downhill & finishes well around the basket, and can also make plays above the rim. It’s also worth mentioning that while it doesn’t define his offensive game — Freitag is a plus shooter from beyond the arc.

Although Freitag is a score-first guard, he has come a long way in rounding out his game as a facilitator — and has the work ethic and mentality on the defensive end of the floor this coaching staff covets.

That all-around playmaking and scoring ability will make Freitag a welcomed addition to the Wisconsin basketball program — and he is someone I could see them building around for the future.

Recruiting Grade: A

Wisconsin Basketball Small Forward: Jack Robison

Next up is Jack Robison, a high three-star wing from Lakeville, Minnesota.

According to 247Sports, Robison is the No. 101 player in the 2024 recruiting class, the No. 21 SF, and the No. 2 player in Minnesota.

He has continued the Lakeville North High School pipeline by becoming the fourth player who committed to Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program. The 6-foot-6 small forward joins a list that also includes Nate Reuvers, Tyler Wahl, and Nolan Winter.

𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄@JackRobison17 is a Badger ✍️☑️

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Small Forward
Lakeville, Minnesota pic.twitter.com/pv1vip2Jxj

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) November 8, 2023

As a junior at Lakeville North, Robison earned all-conference honors, averaging 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists per game to help lead his team to the Class AAAA state semifinals.

Gard on Robison:

“We are very excited to add Jack to our program. He has all the qualities we look for in a student-athlete. Both of Jack’s parents are educators, and Jack understands the value of a degree from the University of Wisconsin and wanted to be a part of this program from the beginning of the recruiting process. We have been able to watch him grow and develop as a player for several years now. He plays the game with the kind of passion and fire that our fans have come to know and appreciate here at Wisconsin. He has a high basketball IQ and a skillset that will allow him to be an effective all-around player. Jack has developed a championship mindset while playing for a tremendous program at Lakeville North. He is looking forward to teaming back up with his former high school teammate, Nolan Winter, and the rest of the guys in our locker room after another successful season at Lakeville North. Our staff is excited to work with Jack to help him reach his goals as a student-athlete as a Badger.”

BadgerNotes Scouting Report:

With a height of 6-foot-6, Jack Robison brings tremendous versatility to both ends of the court — and is a perfect culture fit for the Wisconsin basketball team because his skill set matches the Badgers core pillars.

First and foremost, Robison plays with the type of energy, tenacity, and reckless abandon on the defensive end of the floor that Badgers fans have grown to know and love. He is capable of defending the 2-4 spots and is good at leveraging his length to disrupt passing lanes.

Robison is also the type of guy who will dive on the floor and do the dirty work — which, as we all know, will get you minutes at Wisconsin.

On offense, he’s a nice fit into Greg Gard’s system. Robison embodies the characteristics of a prototypical small forward in today’s game — capable of spacing the floor because he’s a plus spot-up shooter who can also put the ball on the floor and attack closeouts. Depending on matchups, he’ll provide Coach Gard with plenty of lineup flexibility.

While he may not develop into a primary scorer for the Badgers during his career, Robison’s on-court presence makes him an excellent complimentary piece for Wisconsin basketball in this recruiting class.

I see Robison becoming a glue guy who finds his way onto the floor — and elevates those around him as a low-usage 3&D guy.

Recruiting Grade: B-

Final Thoughts

Overall, this is a pretty damn recruiting haul for Greg Gard and his coaching staff — despite how close it might have been to becoming the best class in program history.

There’s no denying that adding someone like Kon Knueppel, Jackson McAndrew, or maybe even Daniel Jacobsen would have taken things to another level — but it’s a good class nonetheless.

Wisconsin basketball finished second in several key recruiting battles — which might leave some people unsatisfied. However, Daniel Freitag is among the most prominent recruiting wins this program has had during the Greg Gard era — and he is the point guard of the future — that’s big time.

Jack Robison should also be a contributor at some point, given he’s cut from the same cloth as so many that have come before him, so even in a two-person class, you have to feel good about this cycle.

It didn’t land a big in this class, given Steven Crowl’s reclassification and Nolan Winter already being groomed as the program’s next stud big man. There’s also Gus Yalden to consider, who I think is an excellent fit for the Wisconsin Badgers style of play — and should factor into the equation sooner rather than later.

Overall, I’ll give the Wisconsin basketball recruiting class a B+ grade based on my expectations going into the cycle and how they performed throughout.

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