Wisconsin Basketball Contacts Athletic Wing in the Transfer Portal

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball coaching staff have been in contact with a transfer portal wing out of the Gulf South Conference. 

Representation confirmed to Badgernotes that the Badgers have formally expressed interest in Union University forward Jordan Pyke. He’s also heard from schools such as Stanford, George Mason, Wofford, New Mexico State, Colorado State, and Grand Canyon, among many others. 

Pyke, the 6-foot-7 wing who won the Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year, averaged 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 51.7% shooting from the field in 25 minutes per game for the Bulldogs. Pyke also won the conference Freshman of the Week award six times.

Union U’s Freshman standout Jordan Pyke tells me that he’s entering the transfer portal

Averaged 14 PPG, 6 RPG, 2.3 APG and shot 72% at the rim

High level athleticism, elite motor, great defender and upside.

Has 3 years of eligibility remaining @jordanpyke7 pic.twitter.com/v59EZjGk58

— PDT (@PDTScouting) March 8, 2024

The North Carolina native appeared in 26 games during his lone season at Union University and will have three years of eligibility remaining. 

Wisconsin Basketball in Touch With Jordan Pyke 

The Badgers staff cannot fully assess its needs, as the Wisconsin basketball team is still playing and isn’t sure how their scholarship distribution will fall. That said, adding another springy wing with multiple years to develop in the program makes sense.

“We’re in contact with people because you have to be,” Gard told reporters. “You have to stay ahead of it regardless of what your needs are or will be because it’s an ever-changing world.

“I got one or two assistants kind of keeping an eye on it and in touch with people.”

It’s clear that the Badgers are set at the guard spots next season, with Chucky Hepburn, Max Klesmit, John Blackwell, Kamari McGee, and Connor Essegian all expected to return. Still, exploring the idea of bringing in another athletic small forward with a tendency-breaking skillset would be a lot of fun in Coach Gard’s system.

There are a lot of unknowns surrounding AJ Storr’s future with Wisconsin basketball, so this could be a situation where they’re just kicking the tires on an intriguing wing while not formally being in the market, either.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. For more Wisconsin Badgers Athletics and Big Ten content, follow us on Twitter & Facebook. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher @DillonGraff at Dillon.T.Graff@gmail.com. 

Also, be sure to check out our shop, subscribe to our newsletter, and the BadgerNotes After Dark podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. Because of your support, we have become one of the fastest-growing independent media outlets focused on giving a voice to the fans!