Wisconsin Basketball doesn’t have any commitments for the class of 2019. Here are some players the Badgers could be targeting.
It’s safe to say the 2018 recruiting cycle for Wisconsin basketball did not go as Greg Gard and company had hoped.
The Badgers missed out on their top two targets, Joey Hauser (signed with Marquette) and Tyler Herro (decommitted from Wisconsin, then signed with Kentucky), in addition to some other prospects they were in on.
That being said, the Badgers did land some intriguing players in Tai Strickland, Taylor Currie and Joe Hedstrom, all of whom possess traits that should give each of them a good shot to carve out a successful career in Madison.
The Badgers are looking to bounce back in 2019 and land a few of their top targets. Things are not off to the best start, as arguably the staff’s top target, point guard D.J. Carton, recently released a top 6 that, somewhat surprisingly, did not include Wisconsin.
Here’s a list of some other prospects to keep an eye on.
Zeke Nnaji—6’10 PF—Hopkins, MN (Hopkins High School)
Zeke Nnaji is at the top of the Badgers’ wish list for the 2019 class. Nnaji is brimming with upside and has the look of a potential mismatch nightmare at the next level offensively. He is also a versatile defensive player capable of guarding multiple positions.
As is often the case, the Wisconsin coaching staff was ahead of the curve in his recruitment. They identified his talent and offered him a scholarship before any other program.
Since the Badgers offered, Nnaji’s recruitment has exploded.
He currently comes in at number 187 according to the 247 Sports composite rankings, but if all the recent offers he has received are any indication, that ranking could improve considerably.
Nnaji has picked up offers from Arizona, UCLA, Purdue, Ohio State, Iowa, Minnesota, Xavier, Baylor, Illinois, Oklahoma, and St. John’s, among others, with more likely coming his way as the AAU season continues.
Despite the heavy interest he is receiving from so many other schools, the Badgers still seem to be in good shape to land his services at this point, based on a recent interview Land of 10’s Jesse Temple did with the Nnaji family. A telling quote from Zeke in that piece regarding Wisconsin:
"“They saw a light in me before anyone else did,” Nnaji said. “They believed in me before anyone else. It definitely does mean a lot because they took a gamble and I’m just trying to prove that I deserve the offer that they gave me.”"
Another from Nnaji’s father, Alphan:
"I just have a lot of respect knowing that they were the first to offer Zeke because it shows me that they had vision and they saw how the trajectory of his game can develop even at this early stage."
Alphan also told Temple that the family has friends in the Madison area, and described Madison as a “second home.”
In addition, Nnaji could benefit most from a program with a track record of developing talented, but somewhat raw, big men into stars. Very few (if any) do that better than Wisconsin. Some guy named Frank Kaminsky comes to mind, though he is far from the only example.
These factors should help Wisconsin remain a contender in this recruitment. However, it certainly will be tough for the Badgers to fight off some of the other programs pursuing Nnaji.
Tyler Wahl—6’7 SF/PF—Lakeville, MN (Lakeville North High School)
Tyler Wahl’s game practically screams “future Badger.”
A do-it-all forward with a motor that never quits, Wahl would fit in seamlessly with the Wisconsin program. Brian Snow of 247 Sports had this to say about him following a recent AAU event:
"Wahl might not shoot the ball great, but he does everything else well. He can handle, he gets to the rim, he competes, and he will also really rebound. Add in that he is one of the toughest players on the circuit, and there is a lot to like with Wahl.He is very productive, and while he doesn’t bring much flash, Wahl is the type of player who helps college teams win a lot of games."
The Wisconsin program is built on players like Wahl.
As Snow mentioned, he might not bring much flash or put up massive scoring numbers, but he does all the little things to bring his team victory. Players like that have historically thrived in the Cardinal and White.
Wisconsin should be one of the top contenders to land Wahl, as he and the Badgers are a match made in heaven. It doesn’t hurt Wisconsin that Wahl’s former high school teammate, Nate Reuvers, is on the squad.
He still only has a few Power 5 offers from the likes of Northwestern, Iowa State, Minnesota, and Butler, but he is likely to pick up a few more this summer. Wahl currently checks in at 127 in the 247 Sports rankings.
Nobal Days—6’9 PF—Racine, WI (Washington Park High School)
Days is considered the top 2019 prospect in Wisconsin and 153rd overall prospect nationwide according to the 247 Sports composite rankings, holding offers from Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Boston College, and Northwestern, among others.
The Badgers have been on him for a long time, offering him way back in September of 2016.
Days is a very raw prospect who is still limited as a scorer, but he possesses a unique skill set. His high school coach elaborated on his game in an interview with Land of 10:
"You can’t teach some of the things that he does,” Racine Park boys basketball coach Jim Betker said. “The kids around here love playing with him just because he’s so unselfish.I know a lot of times people are looking for maybe a high-scoring type of kid. But this kid’s a stat stuffer… I look at him as kind of a point-forward. He handles the ball well for his size, and his basketball IQ is extremely high."
From Days’ father, Al:
"He’s truly the epitome of a pass-first kid, which kills me as his dad because I want to see some points on the board…But what is just in his DNA is he is a facilitator, and he even calls himself that: a facilitator."
Like Nnaji, Days might be best suited choosing a program skilled at developing big men, which can only work in the Badgers’ favor.
The value he places on academics is a plus as well. Jesse Temple added in his piece that the Days family has been impressed with what Wisconsin has to offer in that regard.
Wisconsin should have a good shot here.
Malik Hall—6’7 PF—Wichita, KS (Sunrise Christian Academy)
Hall was an intriguing offer. He is a very highly ranked forward (247 Sports has him at 59 overall in its composite rankings) being pursued by some of the nation’s top programs, boasting offers from the likes of Kansas, Purdue, Louisville, Villanova, and Texas, among many others.
He would be a massive get for the Badgers if they could pull it off.
However, his level of interest in Wisconsin is unclear. No visit to Madison has been set up to date, and it is not certain if one ever will be. In a recent conversation he had with Evan Daniels of 247 Sports, he mentioned schools that he would like to visit, and the Badgers were not mentioned.
The Badgers will have to fight an uphill battle here.
Matthew Hurt—6’9 PF—Rochester, MN (John Marshall High School)
Matthew Hurt is ranked 5th in the country in the 2019 class, according to the 247 Sports composite. He is being pursued by perennial powers such as Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, and Arizona.
Hurt’s highlights show a long, lanky prospect who uses that length to shoot over defenders with ease. He is a formidable offensive talent, with the ability to score from both the perimeter and the post.
Despite Hurt’s tall rating, the Badgers have an in with him. Hurt runs with D1 Minnesota on the AAU circuit alongside Wisconsin targets Zeke Nnaji and Tyler Wahl. His skill set would also make him an excellent fit in the swing offense.
Unfortunately, the Badgers’ chances of landing him seem slim to none with his offer list. Of the players mentioned in this article, he is probably the least likely to end up at Wisconsin.
Next: Top 10 Wisconsin Badgers in the NFL
Wisconsin Basketball will likely need to hit on at least one of these key players to have a successful 2019 class.