NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top 2020 classes prior to spring

DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 23: A detailed view of a Wilson basketball on the sideline of the court during the second half in the second round game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Michigan State Spartans of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 23, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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MADISON, WISCONSIN – FEBRUARY 18: The Wisconsin dance team performs. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

20. Wisconsin Badgers (5 commits)

Average Class Ranking: 22.5

Wisconsin is now fresh off back-to-back extremely strong seasons under head coach Greg Gard and missing the 2018 NCAA Tournament now just looks like a blip on the radar. The Badgers are returning a ton of talent for this coming campaign and are bringing in one of their top-rated recruiting classes of all-time (on paper). This 2020 class consists of five commits and at least one or two of them will likely find a spot in the rotation in Year 1.

Leading the way for this group is 6-foot-9 power forward Ben Carlson out of Minnesota. The Badgers have had extensive success in the past with prospects out of the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” and Carlson could be the next in that line. He is a polished talent ranked at No. 86/99 in the class with the ability to score both inside and out. Carlson can be a matchup nightmare on the perimeter as he can take his man off the dribble as well.

He is also not the lone Minnesotan in Wisconsin’s 2020 class as big man Steven Crowl also comes from the neighboring state. Crowl actually committed fewer than 24 prior to Carlson as the two are excited to play alongside one another. Crowl is a 6-foot-11 big man ranked at No. 211/NR in the class and is quite skilled inside.

This class then includes the Davis Brothers from La Crosse, WI. Johnny (No. 146/126) is significantly higher-rated than Jordan (No. 416/NR) but both could develop into rotation pieces. Johnny Davis is a high-level combo guard at 6-foot-4 that oozes star potential while Jordan Davis can be a 3-and-D threat with his excellent athleticism.

Rounding out this group is point guard Lorne Bowman out of Michigan. Bowman is a well-built 6-foot-2 floor general ranked at No. 156/NR in the class. He can aggressively attack the basket and finish through traffic while also being able to knock down open jumpers. Bowman is more of a scorer than a playmaker at this point but should be an impact guard in Madison.

It might also be worth mentioning that Carter Gilmore is a very solid walk-on.

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