Wisconsin basketball’s 2018 recruiting class might not be the highest ranked in the country but the trio of incoming players could develop well in Madison.
There are only a few programs who can be classified in the “elite tier” of recruiting. Duke and Kentucky are the clear leaders in this category when it comes to securing one-and-done talent and there are very few programs who can consistently secure top-10 recruiting classes. This is why player development is so important for those programs who are not at this elite recruiting level. And when it comes to player development, there are not many programs in the country better than Wisconsin basketball.
Over the years, the Badgers have secured their fair share of top-150 recruits but they have emerged as an elite college basketball program thanks to underrated players reaching their full potential while donning the cardinal and white. Just in recent memory, players like Frank Kaminsky and Zak Showalter have not only emerged as solid college athletes but full-time starters on high-quality teams.
This is why fans should not yet be discouraged with the incoming 2018 recruiting class for Wisconsin. Even though this class is ranked at 73rd in the country and 13th in the Big Ten, each of these players could be the next breakout star for the Badgers. While these recruiting rankings obviously do not paint a pretty picture, it is never fair to count a player out simply because of their star ratings. This is especially true when you think that two of these three recruits are likely to redshirt.
With this being said, let’s dive in and analyze the incoming 2018 recruits for the Badgers. What might they bring to the table right away and how can they develop while in Madison?