The 2022-23 Wisconsin basketball season has been less than memorable, to say the least.
The Badgers missed the NCAA Tournament for the second time since 1998 after finishing with a 17-14 record while going 9-11 in conference play. UW did accept an invitation to the NIT, where they secured a No. 2 seed.
Although this season was disappointing, the calls to fire Gard are a bit premature, especially when so much of Wisconsin’s future hangs in the balance. With the Badgers pursuing some top recruits in the 2024 class, a decision to move on would jeopardize the future of the Wisconsin basketball program.
A look at the Wisconsin basketball program’s top recruiting targets
The Badgers are currently chasing after some top dogs in the 2024 class. Players including Kon Knueppel, Daniel Freitag, and Nick Janowski are the top choices, and all three players are four-star recruits.
Knueppel, a Milwaukee native, was seen at the Badgers’ senior night game against Purdue as Wisconsin has continued to stay in the running for the four-star forward. According to the 247Sports Composite, Knueppel is the No. 49 player in the country in the 2024 class. On top of that, he’s the No. 15 small forward in the class and the No. 1 player in Wisconsin.
Janowski is another in-state recruit the Badgers are chasing, and they’re among the four-star prospect’s top choices. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound shooting guard is the No. 96 player in the class, the No. 21 SG, and the No. 2 ranked player in Wisconsin. Janowski holds an offer from Marquette and Big Ten offers from Nebraska and Iowa.
Freitag, who Luke Fickell recently offered a scholarship, is Wisconsin’s other top target. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard is the No. 1 player in Minnesota. He also ranks No. 57 nationally and is the No. 7 point guard in the 2024 class.
Freitag seems to be in reach for UW, as he told Badger Notes in January, “Wisconsin was my first offer, which I do not take likely. They’ve also shown seriousness in how much they want me by not offering any other point guards.”
Although he has yet to decide which sport he will play at the collegiate level, Freitag seems to be within reach for Gard and company. If Wisconsin can land any of its top targets, it will be a win for the program. However, if UW decides to move on, there will be a real risk that they could fall out of the running.
Moving on from Gard brings future recruiting implications
Among Wisconsin basketball fans, one of the biggest gripes has been the subpar recruiting under Gard and not landing in-state talent. But when Gard has a chance to rectify that, calls for his replacement to be named have swirled.
Put plainly, it would be unfair to Gard to kick him to the curb while actively trying to land these high-profile recruits. Gard’s staff has worked hard to stay in the three prospects’ top choices, and a coaching shakeup jeopardizes their efforts.
Sure, there is a conversation to be had about Gard’s recruiting during his time with the program. However, his staff has landed UW squarely in the running for some big-time prospects. If Gard does not land at least one of the top choices, it will be time to re-evaluate. However, pulling the trigger on a coach who is getting close to the finish line for these recruits is premature.
The Wisconsin basketball program’s foundation has plenty of other cracks, but Gard will address those issues in the offseason. The 2023-24 season should be considered a make-or-break year for Gard. If Wisconsin fails to reach the NCAA Tournament again, it’s time for a change. However, now is not the time to make a drastic decision with so many future decisions hanging in the balance.
Oct 12, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, US; Wisconsin Badgers men's head coach Greg Gard speaks to the media during the Big Ten Basketball Media Days at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-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 numerous transfer options, particularly in the frontcourt.
Wisconsin had a severe lack of depth among post options in 2022-23 following the departures of Chris Vogt (graduation) and Ben Carlson + Matthew Mors (transfers).
Unable to land a viable option in the portal last offseason, the Badgers were forced to make do with former walk-on Carter Gilmore as its top forward off the bench and unproven options like Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges to fill in whenever necessary.
Senior forward Tyler Wahl has yet to decide if he’ll exercise his COVID year and return for a fifth season in Madison (I think he will), which could leave the cupboards awfully thin if he chooses to pursue a pro career.
With the roster lacking any proven options behind him, there is a significant need to bring in at least one experienced frontcourt option that can immediately slot into minutes for the Wisconsin basketball program.
Here is an early list of some notable players Wisconsin has contacted this offseason.
Payton Sparks (6-foot-9 forward; Ball State)
National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Dushawn London from 247Sports, reported that Wisconsin was one of the teams that inquired about Ball State center Payton Sparks, who recently entered the transfer portal.
Notre Dame, Arkansas, Florida, Butler, Ohio State, and others are involved.
The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center was an All-Mid-American Conference Second Team member this past season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 58% shooting from the field.
Sparks started all 31 games he appeared in for the Cardinals this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
John Hugley (6-foot-9 forward; Pittsburgh)
Perhaps the most notable frontcourt target of the Wisconsin basketball program, Pittsburgh transfer forward John Hugley, who Joe Tipton of On3Sports reported the Badgers expressed interest in.
UW, Michigan, Oregon, Miami, Rutgers, Xavier, Arkansas, LSU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Maryland, Nebraska, Butler, Georgia, and several others are also involved.
The 6-foot-9, 265-pound forward played eight games this past season before deciding to sit out the remainder of the season to focus on his mental health.
In 2021-22 however, he led the Panthers in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game and 7.9 rebounds on 47.1% shooting en route to All-ACC honorable mention honors.
Hugley has up to three years of eligibility remaining.
Dame Adelekun (6-foot-8 forward; Dartmouth)
The first frontcourt player Wisconsin basketball reached out to was Dartmouth forward Dame Adelekun, according to a report from Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.
Arkansas, Ohio State, Wichita State, Boise State, Clemson, Arkansas, Seton Hall, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, Loyola Chicago, and several others are also in the mix.
The 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals on 56.3% shooting from the field this past season.
Adelekun has up to two years of eligibility remaining.
Ball State men's basketball sophomore center Payton Sparks smirks after turning over the ball during a game against Indiana University South Bend at Worthen Arena Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Ball State won 86-72
Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball coaching staff have recently checked in on a MAC big man that entered the transfer portal.
Earlier this week, National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Dushawn London from 247Sports, reported that Wisconsin was one of the teams that inquired about Ball State center Payton Sparks.
“It has always been a dream of mine to play at the highest level of college basketball,” Sparks said in the Twitter post. “With that being said, I feel like it’s in my best interest to chase my dream and enter the transfer portal. There will always be a place in my heart that is Ball State!”
Along with UW, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Utah, Oklahoma, Seton Hall, Dayton, Arkansas, Iowa State, Loyola Chicago, Florida, Butler, LSU, Georgetown, Ohio State, and several other schools expressed interest in Sparks.
The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center was an All-Mid-American Conference Second Team member this past season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 58% shooting from the field.
Sparks started all 31 games he appeared in for the Cardinals this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Why Payton Sparks Makes Sense for Wisconsin Men’s Basketball
Dating back to the last offseason, Wisconsin men’s basketball had a clear need in its frontcourt following the departures of Chris Vogt (graduation) and Ben Carlson + Matthew Mors (transfer).
However, UW never found a good fit in the portal and instead relied on former walk-on Carter Gilmore as his backup “big man” and unproven options like Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges.
Coach Gard has already made it abundantly clear that he knows what his team needs and intends to fix this glaring hole going into 2023-24.
I expect the Badgers to be heavy players in the portal as they pursue options to improve their front-court.
Dec 14, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders fly the banners across the court before the game with the Green Bay Phoenix at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin defeated Green Bay 73-59. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been a busy week for the Wisconsin basketball program, ladies and gents, but fear not because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important news you may have missed.
Wisconsin Badgers Continuing to Keep Tabs on 2023 Forward
Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball program might be open to a late addition in the 2023 recruiting class.
After de-committing from Notre Dame in late January, top 150 prospect Brady Dunlap is back on the market, and Wisconsin is one of the schools that expressed interest in the sharpshooting forward, along with Villanova, Seton Hall, Oregon, UCLA, TCU, Saint Mary’s, and Butler.
Arguably the top unsigned prospect in his class, Dunlap is the No. 147 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and the No. 22 player in California, according to the 247Sports composite.
Recruiting News: Brady Dunlap tells ESPN he has committed to Mike Brey and Notre Dame. The 6’7” Dunlap is no.82 in the ESPN 100. Ideal fit, as Dunlap is a major jumper shooter, with terrific size and basketball IQ. @11Bradyd@NDmbb@NDMikeBrey@SCNextpic.twitter.com/yZre7de4un
Although the Badgers would seem to have no available scholarships, already holding commitments from four-star big man Gus Yalden and three-star prospects Nolan Winter and John Blackwell, a source indicated that Wisconsin has been enamored with Dunlap for quite some time and felt the need to kick the tires.
With plenty of roster changes expected to occur once the season concludes, it’ll be interesting to see if UW tries to make a real run at a talented late addition to its class.
Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Showing Interest in AAC Transfer Guard
Speaking of players that Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball coaching staff have been in contact with, add a high-scoring combo guard from the AAC into the mix.
Last week, Joe Tipton of On3Sports reported that Wisconsin was among the teams that expressed interest in Temlple transfer guard Khalif Battle.
Along with UW, there is plenty of suitors for Battle because Villanova, Arkansas, Arizona, Ohio State, Memphis, Florida, USC, UCLA, and several other schools have also reached out.
The 6-foot-5, 175-pound guard appeared in 27 games, starting eight, and led the Owls in scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game and 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals on 41% shooting from the field.
The former four-star recruit has up to two years of eligibility remaining.
Other Wisconsin Basketball News
Well, it finally happened; St. Thomas leading-scorer, freshman guard Andrew Rohde has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.
The Milwaukee native averaged 17.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this season en route to becoming the Summit League Freshman of the Year.
There were rumblings throughout the season that Greg Gard and company would make Rohde a high priority if he became available — and now that he is, Wisconsin will undoubtedly make a serious play for his services.
Rohde would fill an immediate long/short-term need within the Wisconsin basketball program as a wing with the ideal size to play the “3” that can score the rock and has three years of eligibility remaining.