Head coach Greg Gard has been at the helm of the Wisconsin basketball program since 2015, taking over for legendary coach Bo Ryan midway through the season.

Coach Gard has had a successful tenure thus far, leading the Badgers to six NCAA Tournament appearances in his first eight seasons, winning two Big Ten regular season titles and two league Coach of the Year awards.

However, one issue that has plagued Gard and his staff nationally is their inability to bring in high-end talent consistently.

While Gard is considered an elite talent evaluator, as evidenced by the success of players he recruited and played a hand in developing, like Jordan Taylor, Ethan Happ, Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker, and Johnny Davis, he has struggled to close the deal on some of the top recruits in the country despite the programs early involvement.

It’s on Gard to ultimately close the deal with recruits, and he could certainly stand to be more aggressive, but it’s worth acknowledging that Wisconsin basketball could benefit from making a change on his coaching staff if the athletic department is willing to fork over the money.

Why Greg Gard Should Consider Making a Change on His Staff

First things first, I’m not suggesting any Wisconsin coach get fired because we’re privy to a select tidbit of information. We’re not present behind closed doors to know the coaches’ relationships with players or their role in developing some of the young talents.

That said, we have access to a small amount of Wisconsin basketball recruiting information from 247Sports that I found interesting + worth discussing.

Assistant coach Dean Oliver, who has been on staff since 2017, has secured a verbal commitment from four players (Taylor Currie, Lorne Bowman, Connor Essegian, and John Blackwell) that he served as the lead recruiter.

For comparison, associate head coach Joe Krabenhoft has landed 14 commits during that same time frame. And Sharif Chambliss, who is entering his third season on staff, has yet to secure a verbal commitment, although he’s made strong inroads in the Milwaukee metro area, which has tremendous value–especially in the 2025 in-state cycle.

Adding Context to the Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting Situation 

Now, the context in this situation is important because coach Oliver isn’t acting as the lead for players in traditional strongholds like Wisconsin and Minnesota. Instead, he’s communicating with players who often know very little about the program and would have to travel much further than Krabbenhoft’s targets to visit campus.

These assignments are certainly no easy task, but at the end of the day, if that’s your role, then you need to execute well enough for Coach Gard to get those recruits on campus for visits and have the chance to close on recruits.

Not saying that coach Chambliss should get a pass here because it’s time to start seeing some returns from him as well. Still, Dean Oliver hasn’t been able to bring in impact recruits outside of Connor Essegian consistently (I can’t emphasize enough how great of a find he was).

But I think it’s fair to say that from a fan perspective, you’d like to see more success from your assistants on the recruiting trail. Closing rates are unimportant without context, and we ultimately have no idea how good at recruiting anyone is or isn’t. Still, the more challenging assignments have led to few wins outside of more common recruiting areas.

Some Thoughts on Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting

Mar 28, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard looks on during the first half against the North Texas Mean Green at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Suppose Wisconsin basketball decides it needs to allocate more resources to recruiting. In that case, I think Greg Gard would benefit significantly from prioritizing a coach outside his network, which has built a reputation as a top-notch recruiter.

Hiring an assistant coach known for his recruiting prowess could be the boost the Badgers need to elevate the program’s ceiling and work their way into the mix for some of the higher-ranked prospects in the country.

I firmly believe that Gard is an excellent in-game coach who gets the most production out of his players. Since taking over the Wisconsin basketball program, Gard has led the Badgers to the highest win total among Big Ten teams. He has also compiled the third most conference wins, despite averaging the No. 9 recruiting class in the B1G during that timeframe.

Still, his roster management and talent evaluations more recently have left the program with questionable depth and need an overall upgrade in talent from top to bottom.

Of course, bringing in a new assistant coach is not a guaranteed solution to Wisconsin basketball and its perceived recruiting woes. It will still be up to Gard and his staff to build relationships with recruits, sell them on the program, and close the deal.

Only time will tell if Greg Gard agrees and decides to make this move. Still, it’s certainly an idea worth considering because if Wisconsin can elevate its recruiting efforts even marginally, It could get the Badgers back on track and over the hump.

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Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin basketball coaching staff has been active in the transfer portal this year, with another massive target entering the picture.

According to a report from The Portal Report, Wisconsin has been in contact with Mississippi State transfer Will McNair Jr.

McNair Jr, a red-shirt Senior from Mississippi State, played three seasons for the New Mexico State Aggies before transferring ahead of last season. He emerged as a key contributor during the 2021-2022 when the center played 22.9 minutes per game and started 27 games. This past season, McNair Jr served as one of the first players off the bench for the Bulldogs. Now, the talented big man is looking to play elsewhere next season.

Badgers Recruiting Transfer Big Man Will McNair Jr

Shortly after the Mississippi State Bulldogs lost their play-in game for the NCAA Tournament, McNair Jr entered the transfer portal. The versatile forward/center was one of six players last season to appear in every game for the Bulldogs. The big man had his best game last season during a 64-54 win over the Ole Miss Rebels. The center dropped 13 points and seven rebounds of 71% shooting. McNair Jr has shot 52.8% from the floor across his four years of play. The center also shot 54.9% during the 2021-22 season when he played nearly 23 minutes per game.

Coming in at 6-foot-11-inches, 265-pounds, McNair Jr is a powerful player willing to sacrifice his body to make big-time plays. McNair Jr is often flying across the lane for a block or diving on the floor to snag the loose ball. The versatile athlete plays his best down low on defense, where he cleans the glass and blocks shots with ease. Perhaps the best part of McNair Jr’s game is his basketball IQ. The talented center picks amazing shots from the floor, spaces the ball, and fills the lane in transition.

McNair Jr is able to play his best during the pick and roll or pick and pop situations due to his exceptional finishing ability. After struggling to crack the starting lineup for the Bulldogs, the center has now entered the transfer portal with another year of eligibility left. McNair Jr is searching for a team that can both provide playing time and a winning culture, which the Wisconsin Badgers could certainly provide.

Wisconsin Basketball Has Plenty To Offer For Transfer Center

The transfer big man has already heard from Nebraska, Vanderbilt, Tulsa, Temple, Western Kentucky, and Wisconsin among other programs. The Wisconsin Badgers basketball team is by far the biggest program to contact McNair Jr thus far. However, that does not mean they are in the lead to land the talented recruit. Wisconsin still has a long road ahead of them before the recruit is ready to announce his commitment.

Where Wisconsin Basketball Signees Land In Final 2023 Recruiting Rankings

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Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball program will have one of their most coveted 2024 recruiting targets on campus in June. Four-star point guard Daniel Freitag announced on social media that he would be taking an official visit to Madison, specifically for basketball, from June 14-16. 

I will be taking an Official Visit to The University of Wisconsin on June 14-16‼️ pic.twitter.com/X8Mw7TOlXd

— Daniel Freitag (2024) (@DanielFreitag_) May 18, 2023

Per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings, Freitag is the No. 71 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 9 PG in the country. 

“The Wisconsin staff has been great to me; Coach Gard and I are very close,” Freitag previously 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 and has been in heavy pursuit ever since. 

Since then, the Minnesota native, who will play for Southern California Academy next season, has picked up offers from Baylor, Cal, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Virginia.

“Wisconsin was my very first offer, which I do not take lightly,” Freitag told BadgerNotes. “They’ve also shown seriousness in how much they want me by not offering any other point guards.”

Wisconsin Basketball Wants Daniel Freitag…Badly

The proverbial keys to the car would be there waiting if Greg Gard could find a way to close down Daniel Freitag’s recruitment early and bring him aboard the Wisconsin basketball family. 

Current starting point guard Chucky Hepburn would be a senior when he arrives on campus, making him a potential dream successor as the lead guard to the Nebraska native. 

The 6-foot-2 Howard Pulley standout has everything you could want from a point guard. He has good size, physicality, well-above-average athleticism, playmaking ability, and toughness. Freitag can also slash, play above the rim, and shoot from beyond the arc. 

In short, he’s the total package. And it’s no secret how badly coach Gard and his staff want him, considering they’ve barely even kicked the tires on any plan B options. 

As it stands, Wisconsin basketball has one verbal commitment in the 2024 recruiting class from three-star forward Jack Robison from Lakeville North High School in Minnesota. According to 247Sports, he’s the No. 144 overall player in the 2024 cycle and the No. 33 SF in the country.

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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