Wisconsin Basketball: Fast-Rising 2026 Guard From Minnesota to Visit

Wisconsin Badgers head basketball coach Greg Gard will have an up-and-coming guard in the 2026 class on campus for a recruiting visit in March.

Cretin-Derham Hall High School standout Joseph Mitchell III confirmed to Badgernotes.com that he’ll take an unofficial visit to campus when the Wisconsin Badgers play Illinois at the Kohl Center on March 2. 

Mitchell, a Saint Paul native, is the latest in a long line of recruits from Minnesota to garner looks from the Badgers staff. 

“I’ve watched the Badgers, and I like how they get after it,” Mitchell said. “They play aggressively and are tough on the boards. Wisconsin is a great University, and I like how they recruit Minnesota players.”

Joseph Mitchell III to Check out the Wisconsin Basketball Program

In the middle of the season, Wisconsin basketball coaches aren’t able to get out and do a ton of recruiting.

But the Badgers have made a concerted effort to get plenty of prospective targets on campus for game day visits to help establish a board heading into the spring and summer evaluation periods.

Coach Krabbenhoft, who typically handles all Minnesota recruiting, first contacted Joseph Mitchell’s coaches. The 6-foot-1 points guard doesn’t have any scholarship offers yet, but he’s already taken unofficial visits to Iowa St, Minnesota, and St Thomas University.

“Coach Krabbenhoft’s message has been to keep my head up right now and keep playing, Mitchell told Badgernotes. “He also mentioned being more than a basketball player and living a great quality of life. He also said he’ll keep watching me play.”

Rodger Bohn, a writer for both SLAM Magazine and Ballislife, had a chance to evaluate Mitchell in person and highlighted him as one of Minnesota’s top underclassmen.

“Yet another interesting underclassman lead guard in Minnesota, Joseph “JoeJoe” Mitchell, may be the best overall scorer as far as guards in the sophomore class are concerned,” Bohn wrote. “The confident scorer dropped 24 points on DeLaSalle via a flurry of quick release jump shots, first step drives to the rack, and jumpers off the bounce. Mitchell will be running with Chatman on the AAU circuit for one of the state’s more interesting 2026 squads in Team FSA.”

Joseph Mitchell III took over in the 2nd half on Saturday! The 2026 guard finished with 24 points in a win for CDH @JoeJoeMIII

Full highlights: https://t.co/YRUvSzwqWR pic.twitter.com/vHLhjoKCk4

— Fresh Coast Hoops (@FreshCoastHoops) February 19, 2024

Mitchell will be a name to remember for Wisconsin basketball on the recruiting trail because of his unique ability to beat his defender off the dribble, attack the basket, and shoot from beyond the arc. There is plenty to like about his game, and Mitchell should be someone to keep tabs on heading into the evaluation periods.

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