Greg Gard explains why the 4-star Jalen Brown signing is so big for the Badgers

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers add their first signee of the 2027 class in 4-star guard Jalen Brown. An important signing for the Badgers, as he's a local product who grew up rooting for the Badgers but developed into a 4-star, top-100 player. Keeping him home was important for Gard and the Badgers.

Well, sort of home, he recently transferred to a prep school in Arizona to continue to improve his game. It was at this point that Badger fans started to get nervous. Sometimes these transfers out of state not only signal a willingness to leave the state, but a prep school transfer adds a dimension of a player wanting more exposure. However, Brown stayed committed, and Gard couldn't be happier; his signing comments show how important Brown is to the future of the Badgers.

Greg Gard loves what Jalen Brown is going to bring to the Badgers next season

Gard's opening statement was about how great it is that Brown grew up a Badger fan and is realizing his dream to play at Wisconsin. That alone is a nod to how big it is to keep local kids home and why Gard prioritized him. But that doesn't really explain what Brown brings to the table.

Gard continued after that to say: "Jalen has the ability to score at all three levels and has great vision on the court. He also has a tremendous work ethic on both sides of the ball and makes everyone around him better. We can't wait for Jalen to arrive on campus."

No one loves a guard that can score at all three levels quite like Gard. He loves a player who can take it all the way to the rim, spread a defense out by knocking down threes, and also can throw an off-speed pitch by stopping in that midrange and knocking it down. But what Gard loves more than anything is hustle...work ethic.

There's a reason Jack Janicki continues to be one of Gard's favorite players, and why both Tonje and Boyd were excellent for Wisconsin. That ability to outwork everyone around you is his favorite trait. He wants the hustle, the energy, the ability to bring a work ethic to both sides of the court.

So, Brown comes ready to go with that already in the bag. It will remain to be seen how ready to go he is as a true freshman, but you can bet that Gard is already giving him things to work on in his final season of high school basketball. Though his ability to already shoot the ball at a college level will have him jumping into at least the rotation, if not the starting lineup, next season as a freshman.

As for the rest of the class, Gard has one more committed player in Baboucarr Ann, a 4-star small forward out of Minnesota. Ann has yet to sign, but all indications are that he will soon, and there's nothing to worry about with his decision to become a Badger.

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