Wisconsin Basketball: Top 2019 recruiting targets for the Badgers

BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 18: Head coach Greg Gard of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 18, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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MADISON, WI – DECEMBER 03: The Kohl Center is shown before a game. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images) /

Zeke Nnaji – Hopkins, MN

Forward | 6-foot-10 | 215 lbs | No. 28 overall – OFFERED

The most highly-rated target in this class for Wisconsin, Zeke Nnaji plays for the same AAU team as Tyler Wahl. While it is impossible to say how much this will help the Badgers in recruiting Nnaji, it certainly should not hurt. What makes Nnaji so valuable of a recruit is his versatility. At 6-foot-10 with a smooth shooting stroke out to 3-point range, it is no wonder that schools across the country are lining up to recruit this young man. In addition, he is a solid rebounder and finishes well around the rim well thanks to his above-average athleticism. With his ability to run the floor, shoot the three, and impact an offense in many different ways, Nnaji is one of the most promising players in the 2019 recruiting class.

In case fans wanted some positivity to end this piece, Wisconsin currently holds all three crystal ball predictions in Nnaji’s recruitment. Wisconsin basketball has had tremendous success over the years with stretch bigs (Frank Kaminsky, Brian Butch, Jon Leuer, etc) and Nnaji could be the next player in that line. However, it is still very early in the recruitment period for Nnaji, so keep the excitement in check for now. Several other top programs are also interested in adding Nnaji as he would be an impact forward from the moment he steps on any campus.

What really caused Nnaji’s recruitment to take off was his play on the EYBL circuit this spring and summer. He was coming off of a superb high school junior season and backed up that play on the prep circuit. While playing for D1 Minnesota, Nnaji averaged 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in nine contests. He also posted these numbers to the tune of 62.8% shooting from the field, including 8-for-17 (47.1%) from beyond the 3-point arc.

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While Wisconsin does have three remaining scholarships (after Wahl’s commitment) for the 2019 class, they do not all need to be used. In fact, with several highly-touted players on the radar from the 2020 class (Jalen Johnson included), it is possible that the Badgers leave one or two scholarships available to carry over to that class. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how Coach Gard’s 2019 recruiting class shapes up.

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