Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers Basketball are in a great spot for the 2024 recruiting class. It started with the commitment from Lakeville, Minn. native Jack Robinson. Seven months later, Wisconsin got their point guard Daniel Freitag, also a Minnesota native, committed to the Badgers.
With Robinson being a 3-star recruit and Freitag being a 4-star, this class is already in a great spot. If these are the only two players that end up on campus next season, this program adds exciting players at the forward and guard positions.
As exciting as that is, there are still two major pieces on the recruiting board, 5-star forward Kon Knueppel and 3-star Jackson McAndrew. They each have different skill sets but would bring more size and skill to the forward position than we have seen at Wisconsin in recent years.
I want to go through where each is at in their recruiting process, how they would fit in with the Wisconsin Basketball team, and how confident I am that they ay end up in Madison next year.
Wisconsin Badgers Basketball: 2024 Recruiting Class Update
Kon Knueppel (Small Forward)
Kon Knueppel is a 5-star small forward out of Milwaukee. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound scoring machine has been skyrocketing up the rankings for the 2024 class. Knueppel has been tearing up the EBYL circuit this summer to the tune of 22.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. That’s while shooting 50% from the field overall and just shy of 47% from beyond the arc.
From an athletic standpoint, Knueppel won’t blow you away as he doesn’t play above the rim like many of the highly-rated recruits. He plays a cerebral game that is pretty to watch. He makes great decisions with the ball, has a good handle, can shoot lights out, has good body control, and has the size to play through contact. Knueppel himself has admitted he has an “old man” game.
His recruitment was already tough, but it has gotten even more difficult as Duke recently got involved. Knueppal has taken official visits to Louisville, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford, and Virginia, with plenty of unofficial visits to Marquette and Wisconsin.
What are his top priorities in a program? Knueppal is looking for a place where he can get better. Player development is huge for him, along with a program with a history of winning. He wants to be a big part of not only the future but immediate success, as he also wants to play early on.
The favorites to land him now are Virginia and Wisconsin, as Knueppal’s game seems to fit seamlessly into either system. The opportunity to be a hometown hero is definitely on his mind, as well. It sounds like he is hearing plenty about how he would fit perfectly into how Wisconsin plays.
How Does Knueppal Fit At Wisconsin?
Wisconsin Badgers Basketball has had some extremely successful teams in recent memory. Those teams had impressive individual skills but, more importantly, had players that could do multiple things well. Those teams had players that could shoot, defend, create, and pass. Even though the teams weren’t loaded with first-round draft picks didn’t mean they weren’t more impressive on the collegiate court.
Knueppal can do everything mentioned and then some. The Wisconsin Badgers basketball program has been reloading on talent recently, and bringing in a player at a key position that can truly do it all would be huge. The major issue with last season’s team was the inability to create. Although the team had and has talent, the ability to create open looks individually wasn’t there.
A player like Knueppal, with the length to shoot over people while creating space with his frame, has a high basketball IQ, and has a pure stroke, would open up the offense in ways we haven’t seen in years. Greg Gard allows his players to play freely within a high-floor system. The concepts are straightforward but require players to buy in the be successful. Knueppal has the skill set and mentality to truly show us what it is capable of.
Where Does Knueppal End Up?
It’s difficult to get too much from the quotes he’s had regarding his visits up to this point. Knueppal has visited some great schools with impressive basketball programs, and Wisconsin is firmly in the mix. The fact Wisconsin Badgers Basketball and Greg Gard have been forced to play younger players early on may help them with Knueppal.
He has made it clear he wants to play early in his collegiate career, and Wisconsin has given that opportunity to deserving players. Between that, the ability to develop players, and the potential to be a hometown hero, I think there’s a good chance he lands at Wisconsin. If he commits somewhere else, it’ll likely be Virginia. Knueppal was impressed with head coach Tony Bennett and appreciates their playstyle, which luckily, is similar to Wisconsin’s.
Jackson McAndrew (Power Forward)
Jackson McAndrew is a power forward out of Minneapolis, Minn. The 6-foot-9, 190-pound Minnesota native has seen his recruitment take off in a big way after his junior season. Although there was always a lot of potential there for him, McAndrew matured physically between his sophomore and junior seasons. With that maturity came a more well-rounded game to complement his already high-end shooting ability.
McAndrew was in Madison two weeks ago to join his current teammate and Wisconsin Badgers basketball commit Daniel Freitag on a visit. The friendship with Freitag could be a major factor in the recruitment process as the playstyle fit is very much so there.
As a junior, McAndrew averaged 16.7 points and eight rebounds per game. Those numbers have led to offers from schools such as Creighton, Notre Dame, Illinois, and Stanford, among others. He has taken official visits to Creighton, Xavier, and Wisconsin Badgers Basketball.
How Does McAndrew Fit At Wisconsin?
The Wisconsin Badgers Basketball program has a lot of experience in developing stretch 4s. The program has also consistently brought in and developed big men from the state of Minnesota. The pipeline has been wide open over the years, and McAndrew fits the program perfectly.
McAndrew does a lot well, but it’s his ability to stretch the floor that makes him a great fit for Wisconsin. Gard wants to take advantage of matchups on the floor, and having a power forward that can take his defender to the perimeter makes life easier for everyone. McAndrew has a smooth, repeatable stroke that he utilizes behind the arc or fading away around the paint.
He isn’t overly powerful in the post, but Wisconsin has consistently taken players that are tweeners and improved their footwork. McAndrew may never be a dominant inside presence, but having the ability to take advantage of mismatches inside to complement his shooting would be huge.
He also handles the ball well for his size. He’s not going to be handling the ball a lot in college, but being able to take his defender off the dribble just adds to his offensive arsenal. The biggest change in his junior season was improved rebounding and rim protection. As McAndrew continues to grow physically, the ability to use his size for more than just offense will also grow. You can check out his highlights here.
Where Does McAndrew End Up?
Wisconsin Badgers Basketball has a lot of factors in their favor in the recruitment of McAndrew. There are a lot of examples of big men from Minnesota coming to Madison and developing into high-end collegiate producers. On top of that, his relationship with Daniel Freitag may end up being the icing on the cake. Playing in college with a point guard he knows and has a friendship with can make all of the difference.
I feel very good about McAndrew ending up at Wisconsin, but if it doesn’t go in our favor, Creighton makes a lot of sense.
Wisconsin Badgers Basketball is in a great spot moving forward. The 2023 recruiting class has a ton of potential, and the players already locked in for 2024 are huge additions. Adding Knueppal and McAndrew could put this program in a position to make some major noise in the coming years.
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