Nov 15, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Tyler Wahl (5) celebrates a basket scored by guard Max Klesmit (11) during the second half against the Green Bay Phoenix at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports
Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program have been active in the early stages of the offseason, reaching out to countless transfer options in search of the missing puzzle pieces to the Badgers roster.
Wisconsin lacked depth across the board this past season but appears set to return Chucky Hepburn, Max Klesmit, Connor Essegian, Tyler Wahl, and Steven Crowl, who make up the program’s core.
That said, the Badgers need some additional help.
At the top of UW’s wishlist is an experienced big man that can play immediate minutes behind the duo of Wahl and Crowl. Additionally, a wing that can shoot and offer some scoring punch would go a long way following the departure of junior guard Jordan Davis.
If UW can add one or two viable, experienced options that can slot into the rotation for the Wisconsin basketball program next season, the Badgers could quickly find themselves back in the mix.
Here is an early list of some recent players UW has contacted this offseason.
Kadin Shedrick (6-foot-11 Center; Virginia)
National Recruiting expert Joe Tipton from On3Sports reported that Wisconsin basketball was one of the programs that inquired about Virginia center Kadin Shedrick.
Kansas, Georgetown, Butler, Rugters, Oklahoma, Wake Forest, Indiana, Cincinnati, Xavier, FSU, Texas, Iowa, Kansas State, and Nebraska are also in the mix.
The 6-foot-11, 216-pound center averaged 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks this past season on an efficient 64% shooting from the field in just over 17 minutes per game.
Shedrick started 34 of the 76 games he appeared in for the Cavaliers during his three seasons at Virginia and will have up to two years of eligibility remaining.
Jayden Epps (6-foot-2 Guard; Illinois)
Andrew Slate of Cerebro Sports reported that Wisconsin basketball was one of the teams that touched base with Illinois guard Jayden Epps, who recently entered the transfer portal.
Virginia, Georgetown, NC State, Minnesota, DePaul, Georgia, Pitt, Texas A&M, Auburn, LSU, and Arkansas are also in the mix.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound combo guard averaged 9.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists this past season on 41.4% shooting from the field in just over 24 minutes per game for Brad Underwood.
Epps started 11 of the 31 games he appeared in for the Illini during his freshman season and will have three years of eligibility remaining.
AJ Storr (6-foot-6 Wing; St. Johns)
Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers reported that Wisconsin basketball was one of the teams that expressed interest in St. Johns wing AJ Storr, who recently entered the transfer portal.
Oklahoma State, Memphis, Arizona State, Florida, BYU, Georgia, Cincinnati, Butler, Miami, DePaul, LSU, Indiana, Michigan, UConn, Georgetown, Auburn, Gonzaga, Creighton, and Xavier are also in the mix.
The 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing was a member of the Big East All-Freshman team, averaging 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists this past season on an impressive shooting 40.4% from beyond the arc in just over 21 minutes per game for the Red Storm.
Storr started 17 of the 33 games he appeared in for St. John’s during his freshman season and will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Marcus Domask (6-foot-6 Wing; Southern Illinois)
Evan Flood of 247Sports reported that Wisconsin was one of several teams that expressed interest in Southern Illinois wing Marcus Domask out of Waupun (Wis.), who recently entered the transfer portal.
Virginia, Iowa State, California, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Washington, Iowa, and Washington State are also in the mix.
The 6-foot-6, 215-pound small forward was a first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference member this past season, averaging 16.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 44.7% shooting from the field in just over 35 minutes per game for the Salukies. It’s also worth noting that Domask reached double figures in scoring in 28 of SIUs 33 games in 2022-23.
Domask started 105 of the 106 games he appeared in at Southern Illinois and will have one year of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer should he choose to return to college for a fifth season.
On Sunday, The Portal Report mentioned that Wisconsin basketball was one of the programs that expressed interest in Eastern Washington wing/forward Steele Venters, who recently entered the transfer portal.
Gonzaga, Missouri, Butler, Creighton, USF, Colorado, Washington, UNLV, Santa Clara, Pepperdine, Colorado State, Loyola Marymount, Oregon, Florida, Washington State, USC, Stanford, and Nebraska are also in the mix.
The 6-foot-7, 175-pound small forward was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference member this past season, averaging 15.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 45.7% shooting from the field in just over 31 minutes per game for the Eagles.
Venters started 67 of the 84 games he appeared in at Eastern Washington and will have up to two years of eligibility remaining.
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. Pewaukee
It’s been a busy week for the Wisconsin basketball program, ladies and gents, but you’re in luck because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important Badgers news you may have missed.
Wisconsin Badgers Stay Patient, Land Top 10 2024 Point Guard
— Daniel Freitag (2024) (@DanielFreitag_) June 2, 2023
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.
Not only is Freitag the fifth-highest-rated recruiting in school history, but he’s also the top-rated backcourt player the Badgers have ever landed. The Minnesota native, who held division one offers in basketball and football, chose Wisconsin over a final five, including Minnesota, Baylor, Notre Dame, and Virginia.
Wisconsin basketball was the first program to offer Freitag and never let off in their pursuit. Coach Gard made him a priority, never offering another player at the position despite recruiting Freitag for two years. In the end, his relationship with the top 10 point guard won out.
“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.”
Wisconsin Basketball Receiving Visit From Top Remaining Target in 2024
According to a report from Mark Miller, Phenom University standout and top 40 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, Kon Knueppel, plans to visit Madison on June 21.
Per the 247Sports Composite rankings, he is the No. 32 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 11 SF in the country.
The four-star wing has been on a tear this summer, averaging 22.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, shooting 50% from the field and 46.7% from beyond the arc. He will also take an unofficial to Marquette and official visits to Louisville and Ohio State.
Knueppel, a 6-foot-6 marksman from in-state, currently holds offers from Notre Dame, Stanford, Marquette, Virginia, Miami, and several other Power 5 programs.
A trusted source to BadgerNotes has shared that Wisconsin basketball is very much in the mix for his services and is considered to be in Knueppel’s “top 2” at the moment. “I’m very interested,” Knueppel told 247Sports. The hometown aspect is a big appeal. But it’s also been a very successful program for quite a long time.
If the Badgers could add him to their 2024 recruiting haul, Greg Gard would have a chance to finish with the best class in program history.
Other Wisconsin Basketball News
Speaking of the 2024 Wisconsin basketball recruiting class, Badgers commit Jack Robison out of Lakeville North HS has put together an impressive summer of his own playing for Howard Pulley in the EYBL.
The 6-foot-6, top-150 recruit went off during session 4 in Memphis, averaging 22.5 points per game. Per 247Sports, he’s considered the No. 142 player in the country and the No. 3 player in Minnesota.
Robison is a lanky, gritty wing that can really shoot it from beyond the arc and has the positional versatility as a defender to guard two through-small-ball four that Greg Gard and his staff covet.
Robison is your prototypical hard-nosed Wisconsin basketball player that is intriguing in his own right and was a nice complimentary pickup by the coaching staff early in the 2024 cycle.
Madison, Wis. –The Wisconsin basketball staff is expected to host one of the top in-state recruits in the coming days following his impressive Spring season.
Kon Knueppel, a rising Junior at Wisconsin Lutheran, is a 2024 four-star recruit. Knueppel is the top prospect in the state of Wisconsin for the 2024 basketball recruiting class. The small forward also ranks as the No. 11 player at his position and the No. 32 recruit overall in the class.
Knueppel is arguably the best shooter in the class and has recently included the Badgers on his list of unofficial visits.
Junior standout Kon Knueppel of Wisconsin Lutheran and Phenom University plans to take unofficial visits to Marquette (June 15) and Wisconsin (June 21). Also taking official visits in June to Louisville and Ohio State. #wisbb
The talented small forward Kon Knueppel is by far the best recruit that Wisconsin has tied themselves to in the 2024 recruiting class. The forward is an incredible shooter with a particular interest in shooting long range shots. Knueppel can pull-up from anywhere on the court and threaten the defense with his ability to score. This past season for Wisconsin Lutheran, Knueppel developed into a truly strong shooter as he led his team.
Wisconsin basketball coach Greg Gard has been eager to make a splash in the recruiting world to help boost the Badgers team. Recently, Gard was successful at landing St. John’s transfer guard AJ Storr. However, he also lost fellow transfer Noah Reynolds to the portal before he officially joined the team. Gard has been heavily scrutinized since taking over as the Wisconsin basketball head coach due to his lack of success in the position. The Badgers have struggled under Gard, but perhaps with the right recruits Wisconsin can turn themselves around.
EYBL Session 4 📝: ‘24 Kon Knueppel put on a shooting clinic today, scoring 58 total points in 2 games. He possesses undeniable touch from distance (9 3PM on the day) but is also savvy operating in the mid-range, where he leverages his positional size and smarts to his advantage… pic.twitter.com/OPZysVcVfZ
Now, after shaking up the 2024 recruiting class by landing four-star Daniel Freitag, Gard may continue to set his sights on top recruits. Knueppel is one of the highest rated recruits left on the board for the Badgers. With an upcoming visit at the end of June, Wisconsin expects to make a heavy push for the recruit. Thus far in the Spring EYBL sessions, Knueppel has dominated the competition and put his deep-range shooting on display. Knueppel has shot 47.9% from long range while averaging 28.2 points per game during the most recent session in Memphis. The recruit earned offensive Most Valuable Player honors during this past session.
Another Massive Commitment Could Pull Wisconsin Closer To Top Recruits
— Daniel Freitag (2024) (@DanielFreitag_) June 2, 2023
According to the 247Sports Composite, Freitag is the No. 69 player in the nation, the No. 8 point guard, and the No. 1 player in California. The Badgers beat out Minnesota, Baylor, Virginia, and Notre Dame for the four-star prospect.
The Wisconsin basketball staff made Freitag a priority, as he was the only point guard offered in the 2024 cycle. The risk paid off, and now, the Badgers will have a dynamic floor general headed to Madison in 2024.
Incoming recruits and former players took to social media to celebrate the announcement. Here are some of the best reactions.
Twitter reacts to Wisconsin basketball landing Daniel Freitag
Current teammate and Wisconsin basketball commit Jack Robison congratulates Freitag
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