Wisconsin has added a new target for the 2027 class in 7'1 center, Jack Thelen. The 3-star recruit from Osseo, Minnesota, has been flying a bit under the radar, considering his huge size. Thelen holds four offers, and his best one is now the Badgers. Greg Gard has beaten Minnesota to the punch as the Golden Gophers have been sniffing around but have yet to pull the trigger on an offer.
Not only has Gard beat Niko Medved to the punch, but he also seems to be doing something that worked tremendously for 4-star recruit Jalen Brown. He's taking the lead on Thelen's recruitment. According to Thelen's X post, it was a conversation with Gard that secured Thelen's coveted Wisconsin offer.
For the Badgers, there are two big reasons this is a generous offer, and there should be some excitement from the fanbase after reading the reasons.
After an amazing conversation I am blessed to receive an offer from the university of Wisconsin !!! Thank you coach @GregGard and the rest of the Wisconsin Staff!!! @Blessed2Coach @Muhneyy_Kev @D1MN2027@nickschroeder24 @JaredMartyMN @GroveHoops pic.twitter.com/3n36zPaph5
— Jack Thelen (@JackThelen_) June 10, 2026
3-star 7-footer Jack Thelen has received an offer from Greg Gard and Wisconsin
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24/7 Sports has yet to give Thelen a rating, but On3 has him as a 3-star recruit and the fourth-best player in the state of Minnesota for the 2027. He's known as a high-motor player who uses his work ethic and desire to be better to succeed. That's a Greg Gard guy, if you've ever met one. For Wisconsin fans, there are two things to consider when it comes to Thelen's offer.
The first is that Wisconsin is known for developing big men from Minnesota. Specifically, those around or over 7-feet tall. Think of the current one on the roster in Nolan Winter or maybe the one that graduated out last year and is currently in the G-League, Steven Crowl. The Badgers aren't scared to swoop in and take the top big men in the state of Minnesota, developing them and turning them into All-Conference players.
Thelen could be the next one on the list, and since Gard is the first one to the table among Power-4 programs, there's some energy to thinking that Wisconsin could close the deal. The competing offers for Thelen right now aren't all that exciting.
The second big reason this offer matters for Wisconsin is that Gard continues to gain ground on Baboucarr Ann. The 4-star, top-100 player in the nation is a priority recruit for the Badgers and plays on the same high school and AAU team as Thelen. Gard would love to add them both, and the opportunity for the two players to keep playing together has now become a primary selling point.
Ann is a player who has recently said positive things about his recruitment with the Badgers and his opportunity to play for Gard and Wisconsin. Adding Ann Thelen to a class that already features top-100 player Jalen Brown would go a long way. It would also be pretty amazing to swoop into Minnesota and steal their best players. Wouldn't be the first time, but it's truly great each and every time.
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