Wisconsin basketball recruiting for 2027 is in a crazy spot right now. It's one of the best classes by rankings in the Greg Gard era. The class features two 4-star, top-100 players in Jalen Brown and Baboucarr Ann. There's also 3-star 7-footer Jack Thelen. The class is most likely complete with these three additions, but it's a class that's as impressive as any in the country.
There are three major databases that rank high school basketball recruiting, and each database has a different forecast for the class rankings. Let's break it down.
24/7 Sports: No. 2 class in 2027 and No. 1 in the Big Ten
Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers hold the top recruiting class in the Big Ten right now, according to 24/7 Sports, and the No. 2 class in the nation. The only program ahead of the Badgers is Iowa State, which has stolen a few top in-state Wisconsin recruits. Gard made up for it with Jalen Brown and then two of the best Minnesota players.
Right now, it's a class that's given 44.41 points in the 24/7 Sports system. The Cyclones have 48.25 points with three total commits, but all three are 4-star players. Illinois is right behind the Badgers at 36.01.
Rivals: No. 12 class in 2027 and No. 3 in the Big Ten
Rivals (On3) has a bit of a different view of the recruiting class of the Badgers, and it's due to the different styles of points the two databases use. Rivals tends to value the class based on the rating of individual players while 24/7 Sports works by rewarding programs with more recruits.10 of the 11 programs in front of Wisconsin in the Rivals rankings only has one player in the class. However, those players are rated higher than any of the Badgers' players.
However, the class is still considered impressive with an 89.58 overall rating (the average of the players in the class). It may not look as impressive with a No. 12 next to it as a No. 2, but Rivals still is overly impressed with it.
Final thoughts
These are the two major databases, and ESPN does not do team rankings until the class is typically completed. So, for now, you get to choose between these two rankings. It's either a top-2 ranking or a top-15. Either way, it's incredibly impressive.
Greg Gard was starting to get a lot of doubters when it came to recruiting, especially with how impressive the 2027 recruiting class was for the state of Wisconsin. There's a bunch of talent in the state, and it started super flat for the Badgers, losing multiple recruits to Iowa State. However, Gard bounced back perfectly with 4-star in-state Jalen Brown and then followed it up with 3-star Jack Thelen and ended with 4-star Baboucarr Ann.
While it may be done now, and the final rankings won't be as high as other programs that grab more recruits in the class, it's a major success for the Badgers. Bringing in two players who will challenge for a starting spot next season and elevate the program naturally from their freshman year.
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