Wisconsin basketball has lost out on top in-state recruits Dooney Johnson and Donovan Davis, who committed to Gonzaga and Iowa State, respectively. These misses highlight ongoing challenges for the Badgers in local recruiting.
Key points
Wisconsin missed out on top recruits Dooney Johnson and Donovan Davis
Johnson committed to Gonzaga, Davis to Iowa State
Both players were ranked in the top 41 nationally
Iowa State has recruited Wisconsin better in recent years
Last top-100 in-state player for Wisconsin was Brevin Pritzl in 2015
Mentioned in this story
GonzagaIowa State
Wisconsin BadgersDooney JohnsonDonovan Davis
MADISON â The Wisconsin Badgers have missed out on two of the highest-rated 2027 menâs basketball recruits in the state.
Milwaukee Juneauâs Dooney Johnson committed to Gonzaga in October. Most recently, Freedomâs Donovan Davis committed to Iowa State on May 6. Both players â ranked No. 38 and No. 41 nationally by 247 Sports, respectively â held offers from the Badgers before choosing to play elsewhere.
The recruiting misses may sting for the Badgers. Johnson and Davis were ranked as high as they were for a reason. If they reach their high ceilings at Gonzaga and Iowa State, they could be two what-could-have-been cases for UW fans to ponder.
Davisâ choice of Iowa State â a program that has recruited the state of Wisconsin better than the Badgers in recent years â may sting even more. Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger, a St. Thomas More High School alum, has lured West Allis Centralâs Yusef Gray Jr., Milwaukee Academy of Scienceâs Jamarion Batemon and Pewaukeeâs Milan Momcilovic, among others, to Ames in recent years.
The last top-100 in-state player, as ranked by 247 Sports, who chose the Badgers was De Pereâs Brevin Pritzl in the 2015 recruiting class. Some of those classes did not have any in-state prospects in the top 100, but there were 15 consecutive players who went elsewhere before Johnson and Davisâ decisions.
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: Wisconsin Badgers Spirit Squad perform before the game against the High Point Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
Q&A
Why did Dooney Johnson choose Gonzaga over Wisconsin?
Dooney Johnson committed to Gonzaga, likely due to the program's strong reputation and potential for development.
What impact do the recruiting misses have on Wisconsin basketball?
The losses of Johnson and Davis may hinder Wisconsin's competitive edge in recruiting top local talent and raise concerns among fans.
How does Iowa State's recruiting success affect Wisconsin?
Iowa State's ability to attract top Wisconsin players like Donovan Davis suggests a growing challenge for Wisconsin basketball in retaining local talent.
When was the last time Wisconsin signed a top-100 in-state player?
The last top-100 in-state player to sign with Wisconsin was Brevin Pritzl in the 2015 recruiting class.
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PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: Wisconsin Badgers Spirit Squad perform before the game against the High Point Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: Head coach Greg Gard of the Wisconsin Badgers walks on court before the game against the High Point Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers band performs prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: High Point Panthers fans are seen before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers cheerleadrs perform prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; High Point Panthers fans in the stands prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: The Wisconsin Badgers warm up before taking on the High Point Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: The High Point Panthers Athletic Band perform before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: The Wisconsin Badgers Marching Band performs before the game against the High Point Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; High Point Panthers fans cheer prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: Wisconsin Badgers Spirit Squad perform before the game against the High Point Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: Wisconsin Badgers Spirit Squad perform before the game against the High Point Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: Wisconsin Badgers Spirit Squad perform before the game against the High Point Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: Head coach Greg Gard of the Wisconsin Badgers walks on court before the game against the High Point Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers band performs prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: High Point Panthers fans are seen before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers cheerleadrs perform prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; High Point Panthers fans in the stands prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: The Wisconsin Badgers warm up before taking on the High Point Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: The High Point Panthers Athletic Band perform before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: The Wisconsin Badgers Marching Band performs before the game against the High Point Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
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Wisconsin vs High Point in March Madness 2026, first round highlights
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; High Point Panthers fans cheer prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
But as much as Wisconsin has come up short in recruiting the top talent in the state, the two most recent out-of-state commitments do not necessarily spell doom or gloom for the Badgersâ 2027 class, especially in a year with plenty of in-state talent. Five in-state prospects are ranked in the top 125 of 247 Sportsâ national rankings.
Wauwatosa Westâs Jalen Brown, Slingerâs Jack Kohnen, Wisconsin Lutheranâs Kager Knueppel and Nicoletâs Deuce McDuffie all have reported scholarship offers from the Badgers.
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard, of course, cannot comment on specific recruits before they officially sign with a school. But the longtime UW coach did speak about the rich talent pool in the state for the 2027 recruiting class before the 2025-26 season â and made another key point several months before Davisâ April official visit and May decision.
âItâs as deep as itâs been in a while,â Gard said at the Big Tenâs preseason media days. âWe wonât be able to take all of them if they would all want to come. I canât take them all because it creates an imbalance. If you get too young, youâre going to find yourself at the bottom of the ladder looking up really fast.â
Wisconsinâs use of international recruiting and the transfer portal to maintain an experienced roster leaves only so many spots for high school players. UW has added two high school players in each of the last two recruiting classes along with a varying number of international players and transfer portal players.
In 2026, it was DME Academyâs LaTrevion Fenderson and Mount Horebâs John Manchester. In 2025, it was Middletonâs Will Garlock and De Pereâs Zach Kinziger. The 2024 class had Minneapolis-area prospects Daniel Freitag and Jack Robison along with walk-on Aidan Konop from Sussex Hamilton in the last year before roster limits.
So missing out on Davis and Johnson before that does not preclude the Badgers from adding two quality high school recruits (or however many ultimately fit UWâs roster needs in 2027-28 and beyond).
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard is shown after their semifinal game in the Big Ten tournament Saturday, March 14, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Michigan beat Wisconsin 68-65.
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard is shown after their semifinal game in the Big Ten tournament Saturday, March 14, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Michigan beat Wisconsin 68-65.
UWâs high school recruiting efforts have not been exclusive to the stateâs boundaries, either. Baboucarr Ann is a four-star prospect to watch in the Minneapolis area â a high school recruiting pipeline where Nolan Winter is the most recent of many success stories for the Badgers.
Of course, Gardâs staff has plenty of recruiting competition from other high-major teams â including Otzelbergerâs Cyclones â to land Ann or any of the aforementioned in-state prospects who have not yet committed to a school. Duke recently offered Knueppel.
But the path is there for the Badgers to still assemble a formidable 2027 recruiting class, even after one of their top targets became the latest Wisconsin native to take his talents elsewhere.
