Wisconsin basketball is the latest Power 5 school showing interest in 2024 three-star shooting guard Cole Certa out of Bloomington, Illinois.
Certa, who runs with the Illinois Wolves on the AAU circuit, currently holds offers from Bradley, Illinois State, Drake, Southern Illinois, Loyola Northwestern, Penn State, and Rice.
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard is also hearing from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Oklahoma, Butler, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech as well.
“Coach [Dean] Oliver is recruiting me; he came to my game on Friday night,” Certa told BadgerNotes. “I’ve watched UW basketball all my life and love how they play. They [Wisconsin] play hard and do it the right way – I’ve seen them have a lot of success with guys who have a similar game to mine.”
According to 247Sports, Certa is the No. 36 SG in the country and the No. 7 player in Illinois.
Right now, things are still in the infant stages between Certa and the Wisconsin basketball program. Still, he plans to visit the school sometime this year, possibly within the next month, to become better acquainted and get to know the coaching staff.
Scouting Report
Certa, a standout at Central Catholic High School, is what I’d classify as a combo guard, and he’s quickly making a name for himself as one of the top shooters in the Midwest.
The Illinois native has also made significant strides as a passer/facilitator. Certa’s selfless style of play, coupled with his shooting stroke, make him a no-brainer for Wisconsin basketball to continue monitoring.
Where the Wisconsin Basketball 2024 Recruiting Class Stands
As it stands, Wisconsin basketball has one player committed (three-star wing Jack Robison) in the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Greg Gard also has offers out to several high-priority targets, such as Daniel Freitag, Kon Knueppel, Jackson McAndrew, Nick Janowski, and several others. With Wisconsin basketball in wait-and-see mode, no new offers appear to be on the horizon – at least in the short-term.
However, it makes sense to begin casting a wider net and building a relationship with a player like Cole Certa. He’ll be an intriguing name to watch in the coming months.
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.
(I was going to say he is dead to me, but that just seems sort of melodramatic. That said, I hope they lose every game and he misses every shot. If they ever play Wisconsin, I hope he get booed.)
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.
I’ll obviously still root for Kon to find all the success in the world
But having the chance to be an all time legend and fan favorite at Wisconsin vs just another great one at Duke feels like a missed opportunity
NBA guy either way and probably a higher scorer at Wisconsin
My sons’ @DePereHoops teams have played against him the last two years and will do so again this year at home on Jan. 13. If you’re in the area, come check it out. https://t.co/xcjVpHLliu
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.
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.
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.
Heritage Hills’ Trent Sisley (40) drives around Mater Dei’s Drew Lannert (32) as the Mater Dei Wildcats play the Heritage Hills Patriots Friday, Jan. 27, 2023.
This past weekend, their relationship took another step in the right direction when UW got the top 100 recruit on campus for an unofficial visit to Madison.
According to the industry-generated Composite rankings, Sisley is the No. 53 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, the No. 13 PF in the country, and the No. 4 player in Indiana.
Currently, the 6-foot-7 forward holds offers from Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, West Virginia, and the Wisconsin basketball program.
Exploring Trent Sisley & His Unofficial Visit with Wisconsin Basketball
It’s easy to see why the Wisconsin Badgers coaching staff wanted to get Trent Sisley on campus. He’s a versatile forward who could slot in as a more traditional small forward or bump down and serve as a stretch four. Sisley’s fundamentals and explosiveness make him someone who could see the floor early for whichever program he chooses — while still having plenty of upside.
However, Wisconsin basketball has an uphill climb to land his services, considering almost everyone in the Big Ten is involved in this recruitment.
Coach Chambliss is acting as the lead recruiter for Sisley. Still, from everything I’ve heard surrounding Sisley’s recruitment, the University of Wisconsin is “in the mix” at best — with a lean towards Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Indiana.