Wisconsin Basketball Offers In-State Standout Vaughn Karvala

Wisconsin basketball is making a habit of recruiting in-state talent early. Thursday, the Badgers became the first to offer a high-upside prospect from Freedom, Wisconsin, in the 2027 class. Friday, head coach Greg Gard went into his backyard and jumped into the race for another fast-rising recruit.

Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting: Badgers Offer Top In-State 2026 Prospect

Nov 10, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard watches his team during the second half of their game against the Tennessee Volunteers at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Vaughn Karvala is creating a buzz on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer. At EYBL Session 4, he averaged 16.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in five games for Team Herro. It is an impressive summer that built on a breakout high school season. Karvala averaged 24.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game as a sophomore at Oregon High School. Gard and Badgers assistant Sharif Chambliss observed the rising junior at WIAA/WBCA June Jam earlier this month during the NCAA Evaluation Period. Less than a week later, Gard and assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft offered Karvala a spot in their 2026 recruiting class.

After a great conversation with coach Gard and coach Krabbenhoft I’m grateful to receive a scholarship offer from the University of Wisconsin ! pic.twitter.com/nMFz0IEInk

— Vaughn Karvala (@vaughnK2026_) June 28, 2024

The Wisconsin basketball staff was the second high-major program to extend a scholarship offer to the six-foot-five-inch small forward. Marquette Golden Eagles head coach Shaka Smart offered Karvala earlier this month at MU’s team camp. He also holds an offer from the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

Gard and Smart both have hometown connections to Karvala. Smart is an alumnus of Oregon High School. With Oregon, a short drive from Madison, Gard’s daughter and son, including Badgers basketball walk-on Isaac Gard, attended Oregon High School.

Wisconsin Badgers Basketball: State of the 2026 Recruiting Class

Karvala is the fourth-known player in the 2026 class to receive a scholarship offer from Wisconsin. The Badgers have also offered Dezhon Hall, Gabriel Sularski, and Christian Wiggins. Gard has yet to secure a ’26 commitment, but Karvala might become a centerpiece of the prospective class.

Karvala projects as one of the best players from Wisconsin in his class. According to 247Sports, he is the 108th-ranked recruit nationally in the 2026 class and is the top-ranked prospect from Wisconsin. His current offer list may not reflect his status as a fringe top-100 recruit, but other power conference teams, including Purdue, Nebraska, and Iowa State, have taken notice of Karvala’s talents. More scholarship offers are certainly on the way for Karvala during the July live evaluation period.

Wisconsin Badgers Notch Top-25 Finish in Directors’ Cup Standings

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