Wisconsin basketball strikes again, landing second commit in the '27 class

After what could only be described as a recruiting dry spell, it seems as if the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team has finally followed in its football counterpart's footsteps, picking up momentum. Just last week Wisconsin landed its biggest recruiting hit since Sam Dekker with guard Jalen Brown committing to the program. And now this week, the Badgers strike once again in the class of ’27, landing 7-foot-1 center Jack Thelen.

The big man from Minnesota didn't have the sexiest offer list, as Wisconsin was the only other Power Four program to offer a scholarship. However, given Greg Gard's history of recruiting and developing 7-foot-tall big men, particularly from the state of Minnesota, this move seems like a low-risk, high-reward deal. Thelen seemed to be on the same page with that notion, committing to Wisconsin just three days after receiving an offer.

What He Brings to the Table

Unlike the other star Badger big men of recent memory, Thelen works in the more traditional sense, with his game working inside out. Despite being a true 7-footer, Thelen is both filled out physically and relatively mobile, making him a threat on the interior. Give him the ball on the block and he can exploit smaller defenders, or allow him to use his wide frame to set hard screens and create easy looks at the rim.

He is a bit unpolished in regard to the more nuanced basketball skills, as things like shot touch, ball skills and playmaking are more of a work in progress. However, at worst, Thelen has shown good feel around the basket and the ability to finish with either hand, creating the belief that with the right work he may be able to add on to his game.

Defensively, he does the traditional big-man stuff. Most of his production will come out of weakside rim protection or drop coverage, two things that Wisconsin clearly values in its bigs. He won't necessarily provide the positional versatility of a guy like Nolan Winter, but he will be able to hold his own guarding on the inside.

Because of his simple yet unpolished game, odds are Thelen won't see the floor much for the Badgers early on. Greg Gard will likely want to round out his skill set a fair amount before he can trust him with a heavy minute share, making the probability of a redshirt more than likely.

Nonetheless, Thelen could prove to be a great long-term swing for Wisconsin, especially if it means landing his teammate and top-100 recruit, Baboucarr Ann, to whom the Badgers have been heavily connected.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow