An unfortunate reality of college basketball these days, especially for programs like the Wisconsin Badgers, is that high school recruiting has taken somewhat of a backseat in roster building. Greg Gard and the Badgers have turned their focus more to the transfer portal because you know more or less what you are getting in a player who has real experience at the Division 1 level.
Another unfortunate reality for Wisconsin is that T. J. Otzelberger and the Iowa State Cyclones are becoming a major problem for Gard and the Badgers for in-state players. Otzelberger did it again, going into Wisconsin and grabbing 4-star forward Donovan Davis, the No. 41 player in the country and the second-ranked player in the state. Another Wisconsin product will be heading southwest across the Iowa-Wisconsin border to play for the Cyclones.
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The Badgers were viewed as contenders for Davis, finding themselves in his final five programs along with Iowa State, Nebraska, Marquette, and Iowa before he ultimately chose the Cyclones.
Otzelberger, a Milwaukee native, has been a steady presence in Wisconsin, landing many of the top recruits out of the state during his time in Ames, including players like Tyrese Hunter (Racine), Milan Momcilovic (Pewaukee), Jamarion Batemon (Milwaukee), Xzavion Mitchell (Oshkosh), and Yusef Gray (West Allis), who have all committed to Iowa State since 2021.
Now, you can add Davis to that list as well. He committed to the Cyclones in the Freedom High School gym on Wednesday night, ending the Badgers’ pursuit of one of their top targets.
In today’s reality of paying for players, could the Badgers have landed Davis if they had offered more money? Possibly. But again, the Badgers don’t have the funds that many other major programs have. So, throwing money at unproven high school kids who may or may not be able to produce immediately, the way transfer additions can, could be viewed as a misappropriation of funds.
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So now, Gard and his staff will continue to evaluate options for players that fit the Wisconsin basketball culture, style of play, and, let’s be honest, won’t break the bank.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/wisconsin as The Ames Pipeline Strikes Again: 4-Star Wisconsin Prospect Picks Cyclones Over Badgers.
