The Wisconsin Badgers’ 2027 recruiting class just got a little more impressive.
Jack Thelen, the 7’1, 240-pound center from Minnesota, has received a notable rise in the rankings from 247Sports, moving from three-star status to four-star territory. He’s now listed as the No. 2 player in Minnesota, trailing only Baboucarr Ann.
That bump makes Thelen the third blue-chip recruit in Wisconsin’s 2027 group, joining guard Jalen Brown and wing Baboucarr Ann. Brown is the highest-rated of the trio and checks in as the No. 68 recruit in the class and the No. 4 player in Wisconsin. A prolific combo guard at Wauwatosa West, he could end up as either a lead guard or a scoring two-guard for Greg Gard’s team.
Ann, meanwhile, came in as the No. 1 recruit in Minnesota and has already been viewed as a major pickup for the Badgers. 247Sports has him at No. 92 nationally, while Rivals places him at No.
- He’s considered a high-upside developmental prospect whose offense is still coming along, but his defense and ability around the rim already stand out.
Thelen’s rise follows a strong summer on the AAU circuit, and it helps explain why Wisconsin’s class has stayed near the top of the national rankings through August. After Ann’s commitment, the Badgers briefly sat with a top-three class in the country, and that remains the case now.
For Gard, it’s a major recruiting haul and one of the strongest classes he’s put together in his time at Wisconsin.
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Wisconsins 2027 Class Just Added Another Reason For Real Optimism
Wisconsins 2027 recruiting class already had the look of something worth watching, and Jack Thelens recent rise only adds to that sense. The Badgers now have three commits in the group, and Thelens jump to No. 120 nationally along with a four-star rating from 247Sports gives the class a stronger national profile than it had before.
Thelens stock has climbed because of what he has shown during summer play, especially on the defensive end and in the way he has started to lead. For a program that has built plenty of its identity on development, that kind of progress matters, and it gives Wisconsin another promising piece alongside Jalen Brown and Baboucarr Ann as the class continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]