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4-star Baboucarr Ann's latest comments should put Greg Gard completely at ease

Wisconsin won't have to worry about Baboucarr.
ByMark Knight
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Mar 18, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard answers questions from the media before a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Mar 18, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard answers questions from the media before a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the top players in Wisconsin basketball's recruiting class and in the state of Minnesota is Baboucarr Ann. He's a 4-star wing with a huge ceiling and a lot of long-term potential for the Badgers. He's been committed to Greg Gard and Wisconsin since June, but there have been some nerves that he was reconsidering his commitment. He has put that all to bed.

The worry wasn't because of anything he said or did, but simply because his teammate and friend Jack Thelen backed off his Badger commitment. The 7-footer followed Ann to Wisconsin to join in the impressive 2027 recruiting class that featured a trio of 4-star players. However, his recruitment took a turn that had Thelen rethinking his commitment.

When Thelen decommitted from Gard and the Badgers, there was worry that Ann would follow suit. However, that's not the cause. Ann told Evan Flood of Rivals, "I let every school know that I'm 1,000 percent committed to Wisconsin. There's no changing my mind. I want to be a Badger, and that's who I am."

Baboucarr Ann will be signing in November and will be a big part of Wisconsin's future

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Ann plans to sign in November and has no plans to change his mind. Even though he's a 4-star player and arguably the top recruit of his class in the state of Minnesota, he doesn't want to look elsewhere. Ann has 10 offers, including from Iowa State, Arizona State, Notre Dame, West Virginia, and even his home state, Minnesota. None of those matter, as he's locked in on Wisconsin.

He figures to be a big part of the future of Wisconsin basketball if he continues to develop like many scouts think that he will. 24/7 Sports scout Adam Finkelstein said this about Ann, "He’s long with solid perimeter size and is making enough strides as a ball-handler to indicate he could end up being a secondary guard. He’s a reliable decision-maker (2.7 assists vs. 1.6 turnovers), even with that increased on-ball volume. While he’s capable of putting more pressure on the rim than he showed this season, the shooting remains the biggest long-term swing skill."

The goal is for Ann to continue to develop his shooting stroke from behind the arc, but that's something that Greg Gard and his team specialize in. He may need a year on the Badger bench as he develops under the tutelage of Gard's coaching staff, but the ceiling is high.

Ann joins fellow 4-star guard Jalen Brown in the 2027 class. There's still a chance that Wisconsin can land Thelen to keep the original trio together, but it may not be as easy as you'd think. Thelen is getting a lot of attention but still only has four offers.

For now it's great to hear that both Ann and Brown are full-go to be Badgers.

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