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Wisconsin Basketball Getting Return Visit From Top 2025 Recruiting Target

The Wisconsin men’s basketball coaching staff will reportedly get a return visit from one of their top 2025 recruiting targets.

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2 months ago

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Wisconsin Badgers Basketball
Madison, WI, USA. 27th Dec, 2017. A basketball lies on the court before the NCAA Basketball game between the Chicago State Cougars and the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center in Madison, WI. Wisconsin defeated Chicago State 82-70. John Fisher/CSM/Alamy Live News

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball coaching staff hosted fast-rising 2025 top 150 forward EJ Walker out of Earlinger, Kentucky, on an unofficial visit in June.

“What stood out to me the most is the family environment and the winning mentality,” Walker told BadgerNotes.

As it stands, he holds offers from Cal, Dayton, Minnesota, Missouri, Northern Kentucky, Ohio State, Purdue, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Xavier, Wisconsin, and several other schools.

Now it appears the Badgers will get the talented forward back on campus because Jake Weingarten of StockRisers is reporting that the Wisconsin basketball program will get a return visit from the 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward that plays with Brad Beal Elite 16U on the AAU circuit.

Walker shared with BadgerNotes that he expects that visit to occur on September 16, after the recruiting dead period ends.

“I’m looking forward to getting back [to Wisconsin] and spending a couple of days with the staff,” Walker said.

Wisconsin Basketball Getting Another Early Visit From Talented 2025 Forward EJ Walker. 

It’s still incredibly early in the recruiting process for EJ Walker, but it’s encouraging that Wisconsin basketball is getting another visit. Anytime you can get a talented forward like Walker on campus and continue building a relationship is crucial.

He’s also visited Minnesota & Ohio State unofficially and will check out Notre Dame and Missouri this fall.

Assistant coach Sharif Chambliss has been the Badgers lead recruiter for Walker thus far and has played a critical role in putting UW in the mix for Walker’s services.

“I have been building a relationship with them since September,” Walker told BadgerNotes. “The relationship is good. We talk almost every week with Coach Chambliss. They have been to a couple of my games as well.”

The Kentucky native has a unique combination of size, athleticism, and fluidity on the court, making him a versatile chess piece that will be in high demand. Walker can score from the inside with relative ease due to his impressive strength. But his jumper also makes him a threat defenses must account for from beyond the arc.

Suppose he continues to develop his face-up game. In that case, there’s no telling what type of player he could become — when you also consider he can defend multiple positions and be an impact rebounder.

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball coaching staff have only made eight scholarship offers in the 2025 recruiting class — and EJ Walker has been identified as a high-priority target for the Badgers.

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 Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball Fans React: Badgers Miss on 5-Star Recruit

Published

4 days ago

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September 21, 2023

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Wisconsin Basketball; Badgers recruiting target Kon Knueppel
Wisconsin Lutheran guard Kon Knueppel (33) handles the ball against Pewaukee guard Nick Janowski (25) on Tuesday January 3, 2023, at Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Badgers basketball program was in the thick of the recruiting battle for in-state prospect Kon Knueppel. The five-star prospect out of Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee) officially visited UW earlier this year. A sharpshooting wing and top-20 prospect in the nation, the leading scorer on Nike’s EYBL circuit was a highly coveted prospect. After official visits with the Badgers, Marquette, Alabama, Virginia, and Duke, he has made his decision.

Top Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting Target Commits to Duke

The 2024 recruit announced his commitment to the Duke Blue Devils on the website formerly known as Twitter. Wisconsin basketball fans used the same website to voice their opinions on his decision. Some took it in stride. Others, not so much.

Despite what you might think, some level-headed people are on the internet. Even people in college basketball fandom. I know, shocking, right?


At the end of the day, these are teenagers trying to make the best decisions for the future. It is important to remember that. Watching Wisconsin basketball fans take a commitment to another program in stride is always a welcome sight.

Wisconsin Basketball Fans Have Harsh Reaction to Recruit’s Decision

Not all fans took the high road this time. Some had to get some pretty negative feelings out there.


Getting my head checked aside, these last two are so odd to me. “I am not saying this 17-year-old I have never met before is dead to me, but I did want to say it.” Or do you prefer, “I want to say a lot of mean things, but do not fret! I am showing restraint at this time!” Who asked? At least they make for good content for me to riff on!

Wisconsin Basketball Fans Want Greg Gard Fired

Check your watch! What time do you have? Mine must be broken because it says it is once again time to fire Badgers head coach Greg Gard. The Wisconsin basketball head coach, who has won two of the last four Big Ten titles, simply cannot manage to do anything right.


Maybe this was a bad metaphor. A broken watch is still right twice a day, after all. Oh well, it stays in.

Wisconsin Sports Celebrities Comment On Kon Knueppel Committing to Duke

Okay, “celebrities” (multiple) may be pushing it. I mean no disrespect to the Don – the one real celebrity here. Scary Alvarez and Packers beat reporter Rob Demovsky added their thoughts on Knueppel’s commitment Thursday night.


Despite losing out on Knueppel, Wisconsin basketball still has a solid 2024 recruiting class. The group ranks 22nd nationally and fifth in the Big Ten according to the 247Sports Composite. It is comprised of two commits, Daniel Freitag and Jack Robison.

Wisconsin Football Fans React: Badgers Defeat Georgia Southern

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 Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Kedrick Stumbris on Twitter @KedrickStumbris.

Follow this link and use promo code: BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

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Basketball

Where Wisconsin Basketball Commits Land in Recruiting Rankings Update

Published

6 days ago

on

September 19, 2023

By

Wisconsin Badgers Basketball court: The Kohl Center
Photo Credit: Dillon Graff

In college basketball recruiting, the latest rankings update can bring about waves of excitement and anticipation. The recent 247Sports 2024 recruiting class rankings update for Wisconsin basketball fans will likely elicit mixed emotions, as one of the Badgers commits saw their stock rise significantly — while another unexpectedly saw their stock dip.

Wisconsin, known for its rich basketball tradition, has always been an exceptional recruit and develop program, where players that need more seasoning make their mark at the collegiate level later in their careers.

The latest rankings update reaffirms that Greg Gard has done an exceptional job of identifying system fits early in the process and closing on his top-of-the-board recruiting targets.

Where Wisconsin Basketball Commits Landed in the Latest Recruiting Update.

As it stands, Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program have the No. 19 rated class in the composite rankings and the No. 5 class in the Big Ten, with two Top 150 prospects.

In a surprising development, three-star wing Jack Robison from Lakeville North, Minnesota, jumped all the way from No. 178 to No. 101 and is now the highest-rated Wisconsin Badgers basketball recruit in the 2024 cycle.

On the flip side, prize point guard recruit Daniel Freitag, the highest-rated recruiting win of the Greg Gard era when he committed, dropped from No. 98 to No. 124.

Final Thoughts 

While these rankings updates are certainly cause for celebration, it’s essential to remember that they represent just one chapter in the journey of these young athletes. Regardless of the rankings drop, I refuse to believe there are 123 better players in this class than Daniel Freitag. 

The rising ranking of Wisconsin basketball commit Jack Robison serves as a motivating force for both him and the coaching staff. The rankings validate the hard work put in by all parties when Robison was unranked, and now the national pundits are catching a glimpse of the potential that can be unlocked in the years to come.

While rankings are a valuable measure of potential, the true impact of these commits will be felt in the games they play and the moments they create on the hardwood. Wisconsin basketball fans can look forward to an exciting era of Wisconsin Badgers basketball fueled by intriguing talents ready to leave their mark on the program.

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 Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

*Subscribe to BadgerNotes After Dark on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the official Wisconsin Badgers podcast of the Big Banter Sports Network.

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Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball Hosts 2025 Four-Star Forward on Unofficial Visit

Published

7 days ago

on

September 18, 2023

By

Wisconsin basketball recruiting target Trent Sisley
Heritage Hills’ Trent Sisley (40) drives around Mater Dei’s Drew Lannert (32) as the Mater Dei Wildcats play the Heritage Hills Patriots Friday, Jan. 27, 2023.

During the first live evaluation period of the summer, Greg Gard and his coaching staff were impressed enough to offer a scholarship to 2025 four-star power forward Trent Sisley out of Lincoln City, Indiana.

This past weekend, their relationship took another step in the right direction when UW got the top 100 recruit on campus for an unofficial visit to Madison.

According to the industry-generated Composite rankings, Sisley is the No. 53 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, the No. 13 PF in the country, and the No. 4 player in Indiana.

Currently, the 6-foot-7 forward holds offers from Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, West Virginia, and the Wisconsin basketball program.

Exploring Trent Sisley & His Unofficial Visit with Wisconsin Basketball

It’s easy to see why the Wisconsin Badgers coaching staff wanted to get Trent Sisley on campus. He’s a versatile forward who could slot in as a more traditional small forward or bump down and serve as a stretch four. Sisley’s fundamentals and explosiveness make him someone who could see the floor early for whichever program he chooses — while still having plenty of upside. 

However, Wisconsin basketball has an uphill climb to land his services, considering almost everyone in the Big Ten is involved in this recruitment.

Coach Chambliss is acting as the lead recruiter for Sisley. Still, from everything I’ve heard surrounding Sisley’s recruitment, the University of Wisconsin is “in the mix” at best — with a lean towards Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Indiana. 

As it stands, Greg Gard has an early commitment from three-star in-state shooting guard Zach Kinziger. But it’s also worth noting that Wisconsin basketball envisions the 2025 recruiting class being a sizeable one — with players like Davion Hannah, EJ Walker, Will Garlock, and Xzavion Mitchell looking like more realistic options at this juncture.  

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 Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Follow this link and use promo code: BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to BadgerNotes After Dark on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the official Wisconsin Badgers podcast of the Big Banter Sports Network.

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