Mr. Basketball of Wisconsin was scheduled to join Northern Iowa Panther until Utah State hired away the head coach, Ben Jacobson. That prompted Zavier Zens to search for a new home. Greg Gard missed his opportunity the first time around, but he has now resolved to avoid it happening again and has lately made an offer to Zens, as well as planned a visit.
This is a significant move since Gard had already secured his 2026 recruiting class and had not included Zens in the strategy. However, with Zens gaining traction and Gard continuing to look ahead and lock up the finest prospects in the state, Zens’ recruiting has now become a Wisconsin priority.
Zavier Zens has a visit scheduled, as well as offers from Wisconsin and Greg Gard.
Zens is rated as a three-star prospect and the state’s third-best player by 24/7 Sports. He is the driving force behind Yusef Gray Jr. , a point guard set for Iowa State, and LaTrevion Fenderson, a small forward who has committed to the Badgers. However, the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association board has named him the state’s finest player, granting him the Mr. Basketball title.
Zens received little high-major interest and even fewer high-major offers. The majority of his recruitment came in the form of mid-major colleges. However, after Greg Gard requested his release from Northern Iowa, he decided to intervene. Zens may take a year or two to develop, but he has a really high ceiling. Similar to how Gard recruited Zach Kinziger in the most recent recruiting class.
Now that Zens has an official offer from Wisconsin, he has planned a visit in roughly a week and a half. That might be the moment when Gard completes the transaction and brings home the finest in-state player.
