Greg Gard scouting 2026 7-footer drawing national attention

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard was spotted at the AAU gym in Atlanta today checking in and scouting rising 2026 7-footer Jones Lay. Lay has been picking up steam lately in his recruitment. He has recently picked up an offer from South Carolina, but is drawing interest from all over the country. Greg Gard loves having a versatile 7-footer, and he's checking to see if Lay has what it takes to be a future Badger.

2026 C Jones Lay has drawn attention from Tennessee, Wake Forest, Dayton, South Carolina, Wisconsin among others

Jones Lay hails from Hickory, North Carolina, and is playing high school basketball for Moravian Prep. He hasn't had a lot of interest from programs until this summer's AAU circuit. As of a month ago, he only held one offer from Eastern Kentucky, and yet the sharks are starting to swirl as he is a big that shows a ton of promise.

Greg Gard is known for his development of big men, especially if they can extend the floor and play an inside-out offensive style. Lay seems to have the motor and the tools to be a project that Gard could turn into a wonder. There's a ton of gathering interest around Lay, but Gard was one of the few head coaches in to check him out specifically.

While Wisconsin hasn't yet submitted an offer to Lay, it may be only a matter of time. It's hard to know exactly how his recruitment will shake out, especially as it's just now starting to heat up. But a 7-footer that has athleticism and the ability to both score and pass is not as common as you would think in the world.