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Wisconsin Basketball: Badgers offer class of 2021 guard Julian Roper

By Sam Land

EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 26: Head coach Greg Gard of the Wisconsin Badgers looks on during the game against the Michigan State Spartans in the second half at the Breslin Center on February 26, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 26: Head coach Greg Gard of the Wisconsin Badgers looks on during the game against the Michigan State Spartans in the second half at the Breslin Center on February 26, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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Wisconsin Basketball made its next move in the 2021 class on Monday, offering Michigan point guard Julian Roper during his visit to Madison.

Greg Gard and his staff are slowly adding pieces to Wisconsin’s recruiting board in the class of 2021.

On Monday, they handed out their fourth known offer in the class to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (Detroit, MI) guard Julian Roper during his visit to Madison to take in Wisconsin’s victory over Illinois. Evan Flood of Badger247 broke the news following the game, while Roper himself announced his latest offer early Tuesday morning.

At this point, Roper’s only other offer is from Iowa, though he is receiving interest from the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue. The 6’3 combo guard is currently unranked by the recruiting services, but considering how early it still is in the 2021 cycle, this doesn’t carry much meaning. He plays his AAU ball with the Indy Heat in the high-profile Nike EYBL, so there’s a strong chance that his recruitment will blow up this summer given the stage he will play on and his talent.

This was a great move by the Badgers to get involved with Roper early, as he is exactly the type of guard that Wisconsin often lacks on its roster. He’s got standout athleticism and length that hint at major upside on both ends of the floor and the versatility to play both the 1 and 2 at the next level. Roper can drill it from long range, but he’s also dangerous off the dribble in creating shots for himself and his teammates, an especially crucial skill that the Badgers need more of in the program moving forward.

His recruitment is going to get a whole lot bigger, but you’ve got to think Wisconsin will be a player. As usual, the staff was on him earlier than just about everyone else, and they can also offer Roper the chance to join forces with one of his prep teammates: he just transferred from Detroit Country Day to Orchard Park St. Mary’s, where Wisconsin’s 2020 point guard commit, Lorne Bowman, is a star. While Roper won’t be able to suit up with Bowman this season due to a school rule, hopefully, the two will form some chemistry together in the backcourt next season.

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Roper joins 5-star guard Max Christie (Rolling Meadows, IL), 5-star forward Patrick Baldwin (Sussex, WI), and unranked forward Matthew Mors (Yankton, SD) as the only known recruits in the class of 2021 to receive an offer from Wisconsin to this point.