Wisconsin is getting a foot in the door early with top class of '28 recruiting target

Recently, the Wisconsin Badgers basketball program hosted its annual advanced camp, inviting top high school players from throughout the area and surrounding states in for one day of hoops. At this camp, under-the-radar talents have a chance to prove themselves in a room filled with nothing but Division I evaluators and media, giving players a spotlight to prove their worth.

One of the better players, and arguably the most impressive player there, was 2028 guard KJ Wilson. The 6-foot guard entered the camp relatively unknown, holding just one offer from Arizona State. He left, however, firmly on the radar of Wisconsin at least, picking up another power-four offer to build off of.

Fast forward to today and the Minnesota native sits firmly in the top-150 composite rankings for the class of 2028, even though he hasn't picked up another offer. Nonetheless, the added attention on the national sphere means the Badgers have to kick recruiting into 10th gear if they hope to land the talented guard – and they are doing just that.

This past weekend, at a summer showcase for his high school, Wilson had three Wisconsin recruiters in house to watch him play. Wilson didn't disappoint either, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds. It wasn't his best shooting night, converting on just five of his 15 shot attempts, but nonetheless was a solid outing for the young up-and-comer.

Early Recruiting Importance

Now, many might be wondering why the Badgers are trying to get in the door with a kid this young so early in the process, which is a valid point to bring up. At this stage, it's hard to know just how much a kid can develop, and for smaller guards, it is especially important to understand how well they handle size and physicality.

With that said, Wisconsin has had a good track record in recent years when it comes to starting the recruiting process early. Jalen Brown and Baboucarr Ann – both Badger commits ranked in the RSCI top 100 – were guys that Wisconsin got its foot in the door with very early on. Brown picked up an offer from the Badgers at the same camp and at the same age that Wilson did, which turned out to be a great gamble for Greg Gard and the rest of the staff.

The Ann recruiting process built a bit slower, but it was clear in the months building up to his commitment that Ann was set on being a Badger. Those circumstances for both men were built through a steady recruiting process fueled by Wisconsin’s talent evaluators identifying talent early on.

Now for Wilson, all he has to do is continue to do the things he has done. Produce at a high level, stand out in any setting he's in and develop at a steady pace. If he can do those things, along with Wisconsin staying steady in the recruiting process like they have, it could end in the Badgers' first big recruiting hit in the class of '28.

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