Should Wisconsin MBB Consider Hiring an Ace Recruiting Specialist?
Greg Gard has had plenty of success as the head coach of the Wisconsin basketball team, but is it time to add an ace recruiter to his staff?
Head coach Greg Gard has been at the helm of the Wisconsin basketball program since 2015, taking over for legendary coach Bo Ryan midway through the season.
Coach Gard has had a successful tenure thus far, leading the Badgers to six NCAA Tournament appearances in his first eight seasons, winning two Big Ten regular season titles and two league Coach of the Year awards.
However, one issue that has plagued Gard and his staff nationally is their inability to bring in high-end talent consistently.
While Gard is considered an elite talent evaluator, as evidenced by the success of players he recruited and played a hand in developing, like Jordan Taylor, Ethan Happ, Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker, and Johnny Davis, he has struggled to close the deal on some of the top recruits in the country despite the programs early involvement.
It's on Gard to ultimately close the deal with recruits, and he could certainly stand to be more aggressive, but it's worth acknowledging that Wisconsin basketball could benefit from making a change on his coaching staff if the athletic department is willing to fork over the money.
Why Greg Gard Should Consider Making a Change on His Staff
First things first, I'm not suggesting any Wisconsin coach get fired because we're privy to a select tidbit of information. We're not present behind closed doors to know the coaches' relationships with players or their role in developing some of the young talents.
That said, we have access to a small amount of Wisconsin basketball recruiting information from 247Sports that I found interesting + worth discussing.
Assistant coach Dean Oliver, who has been on staff since 2017, has secured a verbal commitment from four players (Taylor Currie, Lorne Bowman, Connor Essegian, and John Blackwell) that he served as the lead recruiter.
For comparison, associate head coach Joe Krabenhoft has landed 14 commits during that same time frame. And Sharif Chambliss, who is entering his third season on staff, has yet to secure a verbal commitment, although he's made strong inroads in the Milwaukee metro area, which has tremendous value--especially in the 2025 in-state cycle.
Adding Context to the Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting Situation
Now, the context in this situation is important because coach Oliver isn't acting as the lead for players in traditional strongholds like Wisconsin and Minnesota. Instead, he's communicating with players who often know very little about the program and would have to travel much further than Krabbenhoft's targets to visit campus.
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