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Wisconsin Basketball Receives Commitment From 4-Star, Top-100 PG Daniel Freitag

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4 months ago

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Wisconsin Badgers Basketball
Photo Credit: Dillon Graff

Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball coaching staff only offered one point guard in the 2024 recruiting class (Daniel Freitag), and thankfully they never had to cast a wider net because the Badgers landed their top target.

Freitag, a four-star point guard and dual-sport athlete out of Bloomington, Minnesota, announced his commitment to the University of Wisconsin on Friday over a final five that also included Minnesota, Baylor, Notre Dame, and Virginia.

Per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings, Freitag is the No. 71 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 9 PG in the country, making him the fifth-highest-rated prospect in school history.

“The Wisconsin staff has always been great to me; Coach Gard and I are very close,” Freitag told BadgerNotes. “I am also very close to Coach Krabbenhoft and the other UW assistants.”

The Skinny

Wisconsin basketball was the first Power 5 program to offer Daniel Freitag a scholarship after their advanced camp in June 2021, well before he blew up, which is something he didn’t take lightly. The Badgers also reinforced his being a top priority by never offering another player at his position.

Additionally, Coach Gard never took his foot off the gas pedal. He stayed in contact with Freitag far more consistently than other schools throughout the process and even had Freitag on campus six total times. 

Because of their efforts, Wisconsin has its point guard of the future in the fold, where the proverbial keys to the car will be waiting after learning and developing behind Chucky Hepburn for one season. 

“He [Coach Gard] sees me making an impact for the team immediately and believes I can lead the team at the guard position. He has a lot of trust in me, and I like that.”

What Daniel Freitag Brings to the Wisconsin Basketball Program 

Daniel Freitag, the highest-rated backcourt recruit of the Greg Gard era, is everything you could want from a lead guard.

As a junior, the 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard averaged 28.8 points per game for Bloomington Jefferson High School en route to being named first-team All-Metro by the Star Tribune.

The Howard Pulley standout has good size for the position, well-above-average athleticism, playmaking ability, and toughness. Freitag also plays with great confidence, can get downhill and finish at the basket, make plays above the rim, and shoots well from beyond the arc.

In short, he’s the total package and a cold-blooded killer the Wisconsin basketball program can build around.

Final Thoughts on Greg Gard, Wisconsin Basketball Program 

In my opinion, this is the biggest recruiting win of the Greg Gard era, or at least on the same level as keeping Johnny Davis home.

Coach Gard has shown a willingness to adapt and pick up the pace when the roster warrants it, as evidenced by the Badgers finishing No. 215 in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom, during the 2021-22 season when Wisconsin won the Big Ten regular season title. I wouldn’t be shocked to see UW modify its approach to accentuate the strengths of its personnel moving forward. I cannot stress enough how big of a recruiting win this is for the program.

Freitag joins three-star forward Jack Robison from Lakeville North High School in Minnesota as the second verbal commit in the 2024 recruiting class.

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

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1 day 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.

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

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Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball Announces 2023-24 Big Ten Schedule

Published

3 days ago

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September 20, 2023

By

Wisconsin Badgers basketball head coach Greg Gard
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard is shown during the second half of their game Thursday, March 2, 2023 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. Purdue beat Wisconsin 63-61.

You read that right: Wisconsin Basketball is right around the corner. Although football season just started, it’s never too early to talk Badgers hoops.

The Big Ten released the 2023-2024 men’s basketball schedule. Just like last year, Wisconsin will have one conference game in December and then return to Big Ten play again in January. This is one of the toughest and most exciting schedules I have seen recently.

Let’s take a look at some early thoughts on the schedule.

Wisconsin Basketball Has a Tough First Week of December

I mentioned how tough this schedule will be for Wisconsin basketball, and the first week of December is indicative of that. The Badgers will host Marquette on December 2nd, travel to East Lansing for their Big Ten opener against Michigan State on December 5th, and then head to Arizona on December 9th.

Safe to say, Wisconsin basketball fans will get a good sense of how great this team can be early on.

Wisconsin Basketball Has an Exciting Home Schedule

The Kohl Center should be rocking this year. Wisconsin basketball has a plethora of really intriguing home games this season. UW will have 13 games this year where they face a NCAA tournament team from last year. With nine of those being at the Kohl Center. Five Friday night home games, which include matchups with Tennessee, Indiana, and Michigan State.

On top of that, 5 Saturday/Sunday home games, including matchups with Marquette, Purdue, and Illinois. With the addition of alcohol being served at the Kohl Center now, I expect the Wisconsin basketball home crowd to be rowdy this year!

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 Griffin Gamble on Twitter, @gamble_griffin3

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

3 days ago

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September 19, 2023

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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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