MADISON – Wisconsin men’s basketball has added some homegrown talent to its backcourt.
Mount Horeb standout Josh Manchester has committed to the Badgers, he announced on April 22 via social media.
Manchester, a 6-foot-4 guard, chose Wisconsin over reported scholarship offers from Siena, UW-Green Bay, East Tennessee State and Northern Illinois. He also unofficially visited Marquette, Virginia and Minnesota, among other schools.
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Manchester averaged 30.1 points per game as a senior and became the Vikings’ all-time leading scorer back in the 2024-25 season. He finished his high school career with 2,534 points, which are the 10th-most in state history. He was a finalist for the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association’s Mr. Basketball award.
He joins a backcourt that already includes Owen Foxwell, Trey Autry, Eian Elmer, Jack Janicki, Zach Kinziger, Hayden Jones, LaTrevion Fenderson and Jackson Ball.
“As we continue to intentionally build out our roster, it’s vital to have players in a variety of roles,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Josh appreciates and understands the work and development that his role will require.”
Gard also said that Manchester has “competitor’s mindset paired with a knack for scoring.” Gard has plenty of familiarity with Manchester’s family, as he recruited his father to UW-Platteville in 1995.
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“He comes from an excellently coached high school program and a basketball family,” Gard said in the release.
The 2026 recruit’s commitment to Wisconsin leaves the Badgers with two remaining scholarships to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season. The transfer portal closed on April 21, but there is no firm deadline for when players already in the portal need to commit to a new school.
Wisconsin special assistant to the head coach Brad Davison, center is shown during the first half of their game against UCLA Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. At left is head coach Greg Gard.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin basketball gets commitment from 2026 recruit Josh Manchester
