There are not one, but two major ways Jalen Brown’s commitment to Wisconsin made history.
The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball program hasn’t brought in a recruit ranked this high since the one and only Sam Dekker.
Badgers fans have long followed the career of Dekker, a stellar player who is now set to be an assistant coach at South Carolina.
Regardless, Brown was a massive get for Greg Gard in more ways than one.
Gard, who’s been around for quite some time, has failed time and time again to bring in a scholarship player out of the Milwaukee area. Finally, that 20-year drought is over.
1. First scholarship player out of the Milwaukee area since 2005
Badgers’ Evan Flood posted a wild fact that the four-star guard is the first get for this program out of the greater Milwaukee area since Marcus Landry committed 21 years ago.
Looking at the current roster, Wisconsin natives aren’t commonly found. Gard has found international players on a consistent basis, but the ones closest to home have been where he’s struggled the most.
2. Highest-ranked commit since 2012
Brown’s overall ranking is different on 247Sports and Rivals, but either way, he’s a top-100 recruit, one the Badgers locked down as their first commitment in the class of 2027.
It’s been 14 years since the Badgers have brought in a player of this caliber. Dekker was the last to be ranked this high, according to Flood, and that sets an extremely high bar for when Brown comes to Madison for the 2027-28 season.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Two ways Jalen Brown’s Wisconsin commitment made history
Reporting by Jordon Lawrenz, Badgers Wire / Badgers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jordon Lawrenz, Badgers Wire | USA TODAY Network
