Wisconsin was sitting on one of the top recruiting classes for 2027. In fact, it was a top-10 class with three different 4-star recruits. However, one of the key pieces of that class has decided to reopen his recruitment and consider other schools. Jeff Borzello is reporting that big man Jack Thelen is taking away his verbal commitment to Wisconsin, a blow for Wisconsin's 2027 class.
Borzello doesn't give any reasoning for Jack Thelen's change of mind, but his recruiting has taken off in the last year. He was unranked when Gard was able to get him to commit to the Badgers. He then climbed the ladder during the summer circuit and grew even a little taller. He's now 7'1 and was one of the better players in the 3SSB circuit. He's listed as a top-15 center in the 2027 class.
That meteoric rise has put him on the map for a lot of programs. He went from unheralded and relatively unheard of out of Minnesota to being a top player in the class. Thelen was mostly thought of as Baboucarr Ann's teammate (The No. 1 player in Minnesota), and then Thelen made a name for himself. Now Gard is forced to pivot.
NEWS: Four-star center Jack Thelen has decommitted from Wisconsin and is reopening his recruitment, his agents at WME Basketball told me and @PeteThamel. The 7-foot-1 Minnesota native averaged 8.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG on the 3SSB circuit, ending the summer as ESPN’s No. 14 center. pic.twitter.com/Fo5J9bCWkb
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) October 14, 2026
What will Greg Gard do for the 2027 class now that Jack Thelen has re-opened his commitment?
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Well, the most likely answer is nothing. Gard isn't desperate for recruits in the 2027 class and has room to simply leave it as a two-man class with only Ann and in-state star Jalen Brown. It would be nice to add another big man in the freshman class, but Gard doesn't need to force it.
Gard will most likely be losing Nolan Winter and Victory Onuetu after this season. He's got Will Garlock in the wings and Isaac Riddle in the development role. He certainly needs another big man and could even use one this season. However, Gard won't mind looking in the portal. Finding a more proven big man and going that route.
There are also two in-state big men that could maybe get some Wisconsin interest now: Eli Krueger from McFarland, WI, who's a 3-star prospect and is currently uncommitted. Or Tref Rademaker, a 7'0 3-star recruit from De Pere, Wisconsin. Rademaker is currently committed to Toledo and would be a bit of a project but shows potential. Without Thelen in the class, would Greg Gard pivot towards an in-state player?
There's also the option of continuing to pursue Thelen, which Gard will assuredly do. The door isn't completely closed for Thelen to recommit to the Badgers. While he wants to look around, Wisconsin can stay active and maybe get him to see that the grass isn't all that greener. That would be the ideal situation, but at the end of the day, it certainly will make Greg Gard pivot.
The Badgers will now be looking for another big man, either in this 2027 class or in the transfer portal at the conclusion of this season.
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