The Badgers should enter the season as a Top 25 team. But, where will they be ranked?

 

By Rohan Chakravarthi Jul 2,

The Wisconsin Badgers are full steam ahead for the 2025-26 season after the commitment of Temple transfer forward Elijah Gray on Tuesday.

 

Gray was the final addition to the roster, getting Wisconsin to 15 total players, with 14 on scholarship and Isaac Gard as the lone walk-on for 2025.

 

Now, the Badgers have a good sense of what their rotation and team should look like entering the season, with roles becoming more defined when training camp begins in the fall.

 

With Wisconsin’s roster fully finalized, where should they rank in a way-too-early Top 25 power rankings?

 

ESPN revealed its latest update in its power rankings to account for late additions and subtractions, and the Badgers ended up at No. 20, the same spot as before.

 

Wisconsin ranked as the No. 5 team in the Big Ten in the rankings, with Purdue (No. 1), Michigan (No. 8), UCLA (No. 15), and Illinois (No. 16) all ahead of the Badgers.

 

Each of the five teams was active in the transfer portal, landing a notable starter to help them this season.

 

Purdue went after South Dakota State center Oscar Cluff, who averaged 17.7 points per game last season. Michigan got projected first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg to pair with Elliott Cadeau and Morez Johnson Jr. in the portal. UCLA landed New Mexico star point guard Donovan Dent.

 

Illinois, on the other hand, went the overseas route, landing point guard Mihailo Petrovic to run the show. But, they also made notable additions with Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic and Arkansas transfer Zvonimir .

 

Wisconsin finished the cycle with five transfers. Guard Nick Boyd, wing Andrew Rohde, and forward Austin Rapp all project as starters. Guard Braeden Carrington and forward Elijah Gray should play meaningful roles off the bench.

 

They complement a strong group of returnees headlined by John Blackwell, as well as four freshmen looking to make their mark early on the roster.

 

Wisconsin looks much different than it did in 2024-25. But, they’ve reloaded and are ready to be a top-25 team once again.

 

 

MADISON – Nigel Hayes-Davis has worked his way back to the NBA.

 

The former University of Wisconsin star, who hasn’t played in the league since 2018, has signed a fully guaranteed one-year contract with the Phoenix Suns, ESPN insider Shams Charania reported June 30.

 

The deal should give the 30-year-old his most extensive look in the league. The 6-foot-8 forward was a part of four organizations during his only season, 2017-18. He started the year with New York but was waived before the season. He then had 10-day contracts with the Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings.

 

Between those three teams he played nine games.

 

His career, however, took off in Europe.

 

He has played for four EuroLeague teams since 2018. He has played the past three years for Fenerbahce, competing for the team in the EuroLeague as well as Turkey’s top pro league.

 

In May, he led Fenerbahce to its second EuroLeague championship, claiming Final Four MVP honors after finishing with a game-high 23 points and nine rebounds in an 81-70 victory over AS Monaco in the final.

 

That performance proved to be Hayes-Davis’ springboard back into the NBA.

 

The Badgers finally got the running back they’ve been coveting in the 2026 class.

 

The Wisconsin Badgers have secured a commitment from 2026 four-star running back Amari Latimer, he announced on Instagram Saturday.

 

Latimer, who stands 6’0, 215 pounds, was Wisconsin’s top recruit in the 2026 class, regardless of position. The Badgers beat out a strong offer list for the Georgia native, who had scholarships from the likes of Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Ole Miss, Georgia, Michigan, Penn State, and others.

 

Latimer had taken an official visit to Wisconsin during the last weekend of May, and then returned to Madison for an unofficial visit just one week later. His only other official visit was Georgia Tech, with Georgia and South Carolina rounding out his Final Four.

 

Wisconsin had gone all-in on Latimer, cancelling official visits with other running backs and electing to take just one in the cycle. That’s after the Badgers didn’t take any running backs in the 2025 class, going with the same approach for four-star Byron Louis, who ended up at Florida.

 

The Badgers now have a young, exciting running back room with Latimer joining rising sophomores Darrion Dupree, Dilin Jones, and Gideon Ituka in 2026.

 

Latimer is Wisconsin’s 15th commit in the 2026 class and the second-blue chip prospect, joining four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit, who committed earlier this week.

 

The Utah Jazz have quite the haul of Badgers heading into the summer.

 

The big news of Thursday night for the Wisconsin Badgers was guard John Tonje getting selected with the No. 53 pick by the Utah Jazz in the 2025 NBA Draft.

 

Tonje was expected to go somewhere in the second round, and his slide finally came to a close when the Jazz continued to bolster their shooting along the wings. However, he wasn’t the only former Badger to join the Jazz on Thursday.

 

Steven Crowl also signed a deal with Utah, joining them on an Exhibit-10 contract, according to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson.

 

Crowl will now participate in training camp and likely the summer league, as the Jazz evaluate whether to hand him a two-way contract. He had worked out with several teams before the draft, and now has a one-year, nonguaranteed minimum salary with the Exhibit-10 contract.

 

Crowl’s shooting and passing ability at the center position will be his top cards, as the center was a career 36.3 percent shooter from three, including 41 percent as a senior.

 

If Tonje and Crowl both remain on the team in some form come the start of the season, they could be joined by another former Badger, Micah Potter, who was on a two-way deal with the Jazz this past season.

 

Wisconsin finally got the top wide receiver recruit they’ve been coveting for some time.

 

The Wisconsin Badgers have secured a commitment from four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit, he announced on Thursday.

 

Petit, a native of Florida, was between Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Missouri, and UNC, with the former two seeming like the top competition at the end.

 

The four-star had officially visited Wisconsin back during the weekend of May 30th, but returned to Wisconsin for an unofficial visit between trips to Missouri and North Carolina with his team.

 

Wisconsin had been in search of a top blue-chip talent in its 2026 class, and Petit is exactly that, coming in as the top recruit in the cycle now for the Badgers.

 

He becomes the third receiver to commit to Wisconsin, joining four-star Zion Legree and three-star Tayshon Bardo. The Badgers had quite a few receiver targets on their board heading into official visits, but several plans changed.

 

Three-star wideout Zachary Washington had been a longtime target and was on campus during the first weekend of official visits, but he ended up going on official visits to Michigan State and West Virginia.

 

Wisconsin was a sneaky contender for Legree, as wide receivers coach Jordan Reid had maintained a strong connection over the years after being the wideout’s first offer back at Western Michigan.

 

The Badgers offered Legree in late May and quickly emerged as a contender after he de-committed from Ole Miss, getting an official visit for the weekend of June 13th. Legree ultimately committed to the program coming out of the weekend, filling Wisconsin up at the position.

 

Wisconsin was expected to take two to three receivers in the 2026 cycle, with the exception being the blue-chipper Petit. If they were able to land him, they’d add a third. If not, they were content with Bardo and Legree, providing speed to the room.

 

Now, Petit is officially on board, and the Badgers have their biggest recruit of the class. It’s been a heck of a first recruiting class for wide receivers coach Jordan Reid, with two four-star talents in the fold now.

 

 

Wisconsin basketball has contacted 5-star 2027 shooting guard Dooney Johnson.

Johnson, from Milwaukee, is ranked No. 27 overall in his class by 247Sports.

Numerous top programs, including Kentucky, Indiana, and Gonzaga, have also contacted Johnson.

Wisconsin basketball is in the mix for one of the top high school prospects in the class of 2027.

 

According to Sam Kayser, the Badgers are part of a large group of programs that have contacted Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shooting guard Dooney Johnson. Other programs on the list are Indiana, Kentucky, Marquette, Washington, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Minnesota, LSU, BYU, Cincinnati, Western Michigan, St. Louis, Southern Utah and Bradley.

 

247Sports lists Johnson as a five-star recruit at this stage of the 2027 cycle. He’s specifically ranked as the No. 27 overall player in the class, the No. 3 shooting guard and the No. 1 player from the state of Wisconsin. The in-state Badgers and Marquette Golden Eagles are the clear top programs on his offer sheet as of June 17, though numerous blue-blood programs, including Kentucky, Indiana and Gonzaga, appear to be entering the mix.

 

The Milwaukee Juneau High School standout also sits at No. 30 in the ESPN60. He has a real chance to surpass class of 2024 five-star recruit Kon Knueppel, who finished the cycle ranked No. 19 in the nation, as one of the state’s top players in recent memory.

 

Johnson’s recruitment should be a major storyline as the 2027 cycle picks up steam. Several top-ranked in-state recruits have committed elsewhere over the last half-decade. That includes top-100 class of 2025 prospects Jamarion Batemon (Iowa State) and Xzavion Mitchell (Iowa State), Knueppel (Duke), class of 2023 standout Milan Momcilovic (Iowa State), 2022 point guard Seth Trimble (North Carolina) and 2021 point guard Tyrese Hunter (Iowa State).

 

Of course, Wisconsin has experienced as much success as the listed programs over the last half-decade, except for Duke. But there remains a question of how much the program’s ceiling would be elevated by landing top-tier, NBA-caliber talent. Johnson looks like the next in-state player who could make that a reality.

 

The Badgers are turning a page next season with a number of new faces.

 

The 2025–26 Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team is set to look very different from last season, especially when it comes to who will be carrying the scoring load. With leading scorer John Tonje heading to the NBA, a significant number of offensive opportunities are now up for grabs.

 

While junior guard John Blackwell is expected to take another step forward from his already impressive 15.8 points per game, his improvement will not be the most impactful on the team. Instead, expect sophomore forward Nolan Winter to be poised to have the biggest breakout season for the Badgers.

 

Winter already showed promise during the 2024–25 campaign, averaging 9.4 points and leading the team with 5.8 rebounds per game. What’s especially encouraging is that he achieved those numbers despite splitting nearly equal minutes with veteran forward Carter Gilmore.

 

Winter played just over 21 minutes per game this season. But, with Gilmore now gone, Winter will likely see a significant increase in playing time, potentially closer to 30 minutes per game. More minutes will naturally lead to more opportunities to contribute on both ends of the floor.

 

Efficiency was one of Winter’s strengths as a freshman. He shot 56.4 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc, showcasing a rare ability to stretch the floor as a big man. That versatility is exactly what Wisconsin’s evolving offensive system needs.

 

Head coach Greg Gard and assistant coach Kirk Penney made a noticeable shift in the team’s offensive strategy last season, emphasizing perimeter shooting and offensive spacing. The result? A record-breaking year in terms of points scored and offensive efficiency for the program.

 

Winter fits this new system perfectly. As a seven-footer who can shoot from deep, he forces defenses to guard him on the perimeter, which opens up lanes for others and helps keep the offense flowing.

 

Wisconsin’s offensive identity is becoming more dynamic and guard-driven, and the additions of transfer point guard Nick Boyd and forward Andrew Rohde only add to that vision. Both players are strong ball-handlers and capable scorers who can drive into the paint and kick the ball out to open shooters.

 

With three interchangeable guards who can penetrate and create, Winter will benefit from a steady stream of catch-and-shoot opportunities from beyond the arc. One of his weaknesses has been his weight and post scoring, but Winter has continually gotten bigger and stronger each season and will get opportunities in the post as well, giving him even more chances to score.

 

Winter’s ability to hit outside shots, finish inside, rebound, and defend multiple positions gives him the tools to be one of the most improved players in the Big Ten. If he continues to build on the confidence and momentum from his freshman and sophomore years, Nolan Winter won’t just be a reliable starter—he’ll be a focal point of Wisconsin’s offense in 2025–26.

The Badgers got some good news regarding their top receiver target in the 2026 class.

 

The Wisconsin Badgers got a big boost to their 2026 recruiting class on Sunday, when four-star wide receiver Zion Legree committed to the program.

 

Now, they could be looking to cap off the room with another major addition, as four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit is headed to campus once again, this time for an unofficial visit.

 

Petit was in Madison during the weekend of June 6th for his official visit, and he’ll stop by for a midweek unofficial visit on Monday and Tuesday, according to 247Sports’s Nick Osen.

 

It’s big news for the Badgers, who have been looking for three receivers in their 2026 class. Petit may be the biggest of them all. The four-star is getting significant interest elsewhere, as Oklahoma got an official visit during the last weekend of May, while North Carolina had theirs this week, and Missouri is up next weekend.

 

But, Wisconsin has clearly made its mark on the Florida native, as the 6’4, 195-pound wideout would be a great fit on the outside for the Badgers. Petit could be Wisconsin’s biggest receiver recruit over the past few years, ranking just outside the top-200 in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports.

 

Wisconsin also has three-star wide receiver Tayshon Bardo in their 2026 class, so Petit would be the third addition alongside Zion Legree.

 

If the Badgers can wrap things up this week, that would be a big boost to their growing 2026 recruiting class. But, regardless, they seem to be in a good spot for the Florida native heading into the latter half of June.

 

Wisconsin offensive line coach AJ Blazek works with J.P. Benzschawel during the team’s 10th spring practice, which was held on a practice field north of Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday April 20, 2024.

A top 2027 in-state recruit has been on the radar of the Wisconsin football staff, and now picks up a third star.

 

Ethan McIntosh, a 2027 offensive lineman, is a native of Verona, Wisconsin and has been on the recruiting circuit for quite some time.

McIntosh has finally been entered into the systems, however, and is now considered to be a three-star recruit within the class. The recruit has a rather interesting connection to the program as McIntosh is the son of Chris, the current Wisconsin athletic director.

 

The 6-foot-7-inch, 235-pound offensive lineman brings serious agility and athleticism to the line with a frame that could still fit more mass over time. McIntosh is also an accomplished wrestler and fit the wrestling-offensive/defensive line hybrid the Wisconsin football staff often hunts for.

 

Wisconsin offensive line coach AJ Blazek works with guard Joe Brunner during the team’s final spring practice, which was held on the field north of Camp Randall Stadium on Thursday May 2, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin.

 

Currently, McIntosh is ranked as the sixth-overall recruit in the state of Wisconsin in the 2027 recruiting class. The offensive lineman pulls in the 42nd ranking in the class at his position, with still plenty of room to grow moving forward for the athletic recruit. McIntosh holds offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Northwestern, North Dakota, and Washington State.

 

 

Wisconsin Football Expressing Major Interest in In-State Product Ethan McIntosh

 

Wisconsin offensive line coach AJ Blazek is shown during football practice Wednesday, August 14, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin.

While McIntosh does not have an offer in hand yet from the Wisconsin football staff, the talented offensive lineman is someone the staff is keeping an eye on moving forward.

 

Wisconsin has made a habit of watching players over the course of a season before extending an offer, which is a common practice.

 

The Badgers have liked what they have seen from McIntosh thus far, and could become a serious player moving forward as the recruiting process continues to grow for the offensive lineman. Offers have only just begun rolling in for McIntosh who has been busy as of late attending camps.

 

Speaking of attending camps, McIntosh is set to visit Wisconsin this weekend to attend the annual Wisconsin football event Bucky’s BBQ. The event is set to be a major recruiting networking moment for Wisconsin, but especially for McIntosh who is just starting to build relationships with coaches.

 

While McIntosh has a great connection to Wisconsin, the staff will have to extend an offer before the recruit begins to serious consider playing for the program.

 

 

Wisconsin football

Wisconsin offensive line coach AJ Blazek is shown during spring football practice Thursday, April 3, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel