Greg Gard is being publicly criticized online for failing to recruit 4-star Donovan Davis, one of Wisconsin’s top players. Davis, like many other in-state players, opted to go to Iowa State to play for TJ Otzelberger. It’s another blow for Gard, and the internet is pulling up the receipts.
The difficult part for Gard is that it is something Luke Fickell was mocked for a season ago. Fickell also had trouble retaining in-state talent. He then turned the tables in the 2026 recruiting cycle, constructing a physical barrier around the state that kept practically every top football prospect at home. So, now, Gard, who is widely more respected than Fickell, is being outperformed by his colleague in retaining top in-state talent.
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reg Gard has to figure out how to fix the in-state recruiting pipeline.
The truth is, Gard misses on in-state youngsters every year, which has become a habit. However, because Gard manages to win without selecting them up, he receives a pass (for the most part). It also helps that not every in-state athlete becomes a good college player. Some of these Iowa State acquisitions are buried and then transferred elsewhere.
As a result, Gard receives a pass because the damage was largely contained. Despite this, Wisconsin continues to generate great basketball players year after year. Each recruiting class contains numerous top-100 players, and the following several years should see one of the deepest pools of basketball talent in the country.
Gard has to figure out how to entice a couple of them home. Keep them in the state and be proud to be a Badger. Something has to change to improve in-state recruiting, whether it is budgetary or perception. If Fickell can fix it, so will Gard.
We also need to be a little nuanced. Gard has gained one of the top players in the previous two classes from Wisconsin, LaTrevion Fenderson (2026) and Zach Kinziger (2025), but the sensation feels like reality, particularly with top-100 candidates.
This does not mean that Gard must sign every top player; basketball does not function like football. You only have a limited number of options, but being continually locked in a locker by Otzelberger is not the way to go.
