The Wisconsin basketball team has grown once again after adding an international guard to the roster from a familiar country.
Jackson Ball, a 6-foot-4-inch guard from New Zealand, announced his commitment to the Wisconsin Badgers just days before his 17th birthday. The talented guard has been a rotational player in both the NBL with the Hawke’s Bay Hawks and the senior New Zealand international team for the past year. Previously, Ball starred on the U17 and Junior National teams for New Zealand alongside a very familiar name in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Basketball Adds to 2026 Class With Talented International Guard Jackson Ball
Ball started one game for the Hawks and appeared in 14 games for the team this past season, averaging 11.6 minutes per game and scoring 3.4 points per game while doing the majority of his work beyond the arc.
Ball is still a very raw player with limited high level experience in New Zealand, but the guard is also someone with a do-it-all nature that could really benefit his future collegiate career. The guard has a great offensive sense for scoring the basketball, but also has an excellent eye for finding the open pass lanes that will lead to assists.
Ball is also a guard that loves to utilize his frame both as a rebounder and also as a scorer in the paint given his crafty shot-taking nature. The guard will also arrive in Madison with some raw skills that still need development, as well as a lack of on-court experience over the past few seasons in comparison to other recruits.
How Could Ball Slide Into the Wisconsin Badgers Team Moving Forward?
However, Ball will also arrive with deep roots within the Wisconsin basketball program, which will start with fellow commitment and New Zealand native Hayden Jones.
Both Ball and Jones played together for the New Zealand U17 World Cup team and battled against some of the top incoming talent in the NCAA, with both being instrumental players towards the success of the team. Ball also has another connection in Madison with Wisconsin basketball staff member Kirk Penney who is a New Zealand basketball legend in his own right as the leading international scorer.
Penney was an instrumental player in the recruitment and eventual commitment of both Ball and Jones, with Ball being a player that the Wisconsin basketball team could slot into the lineup quickly. Another player that Penney has become close with in Madison is Guard Kamari McGee, who offers the Wisconsin Badgers high energy, speedy play off the bench while also managing to shoot the basketball in an effective manner.
Ball is a very similar player and could become a taller version of McGee in the Badgers lineup moving forward, especially with his ability to push the pace in transition with or without the ball in his hands. The guard also fills the role of “floor general” that McGee slides into as Ball has an excellent playmaking eye and great court vision on the offensive side of play. The big difference in play between the two comes down to the high pick-and-roll ability that Ball possesses which makes for a deadly scorer both inside and out.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter (X) @JarrettGuerrera, and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on all things Wisconsin sports, click here
