Wisconsin basketball HC Greg Gard must fix recent recruiting woes

While the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team has three incoming freshmen, losing out on Zavier Zens is going to sting for quite some time.

Not only did the Badgers miss out on Zens, but a few days ago, one of the players Zens beat out to win Mr. Basketball, Amare Hereford, committed to Milwaukee over Wisconsin. Hereford had made the trip to Madison earlier in the week but chose the Panthers instead, which is incredibly alarming.

Only one of Greg Gard's three recruits is a Wisconsin native, which is a bit alarming when it's compared to what Luke Fickell has done with his football Class of 2027.

Basketball recruiting classes are nowhere near as large as they are in football, but in-state recruiting can help take teams to the next level. Relying on the transfer portal isn't the most reliable thing in the world, but that's exactly what Gard has to do this season after a few major players either graduated or transferred.

All things considered, Gard has a really solid class of 2026 set to join the team next season. Guards Owen Foxwell and Jackson Ball should add some great depth to this team, while LaTrevion Fenderson gives them some flexibility at the wing/small forward position.

That said, Zens would've been a day one difference maker. Foxwell is already projected to start, but there's no excuse for Wisconsin's 2026 Mr. Basketball committing to Illinois. Gard has been able to find some gems in the past, but most of the time, he misses the biggest names that he should have no difficulty bringing to Madison.

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