1. Zach Kinziger (De Pere/Team Herro)
Might be seen as controversial. I’m not sure there’s another move right now. Kinziger has gone up and played with or against all the top talent in this state and is now passing these tests with flying colors. When it’s close, I’m always going to ride with the player who earned it on the floor versus a long term projection and you’re not going to be able to convince me otherwise with Kinziger. The Wisconsin commit is having a huge/spring summer. Might not check the ideal high major boxes in terms of size or athleticism for his position, but the kid can play, competes as hard as anyone, is arguably the best shooter in the state, and does everything you want on the floor and it doesn’t need to be coached out of him. He’s going to find ways to get on the floor for the Badgers and improve that program.
2. Jamarion Batemon (Milwaukee Academy of Science/Power 5)
A lethal shooter and two-way player, Batemon is the best prospect in this class now in terms of what he could be at the next level. At 6-foot-3, Batemon has a flamethrower and has developed into a bonafide three-level scoring threat. That term gets thrown out too much these days, but Batemon actually exemplies it. What people don’t talk about is his defense. Batemon is a junkyard dog on that end of the floor. He’ll take on point guards, athletic wings, and even power forwards with a mindset of shutting people down. Batemon recently committed to Iowa State.
3. Xzavion Mitchell (Oshkosh North/Team Herro)
If Mitchell can develop a steady outside shot, the No. 1 spot might be his for the taking. Mitchell does look a lot better shooting the ball, giving opponents something else to worry about. A prospect with a high floor, Mitchell is a triple-double threat everytime he steps on the court. The high motor, plus-length forward kills opponents on the glass, goes hard around the rim, and has quite a bit of point-forward potential. Given all the things he can do and his elite rebounding skills, Mitchell is a safe bet for Iowa State.
4. Chris Davis Jr. (Sun Prarie West/Team Herro)
I’m starting to really believe in Davis and I’m shocked mid-major programs aren’t crawling all over this kid. He’s an elite shooter and scorer and I don’t think the other parts of his game are as far behind as schools want to believe. At the very least, Davis has the ability to keep you in any game — hence is 41 ppg scoring average as a junior. There’s a bias out there with those types of numbers, but if you actually watched Sun Prairie West, Davis was not a cancer nor out there playing “me ball.” Yeah, he’s taking shots, but his teammates were eating too and the Wolvers put up huge offensive numbers as a team. I’ve seen Davis play on the Under Armour and Nike circuits where he’s not “the guy” and has been just fine. In fact, he defends, looks for his teammates, and finds other ways to impact the game beyond scoring.
5. Will Garlock (Middleton/Team Herro)
Haven’t gotten to see Garlock since his junior year, but this could be a nice value pickup for Wisconsin. Garlock is one of the best interior defenders in the Midwest. He’s a legit 6-foot-11, mobile, has wide shoulders, and knows how to wall up around the rim and not foul. Offensive development was probably set back with Garlock’s injury, but he’s shown flashes of being able to step out and shoot the basketball and even take opposing forwards off the dribble.
6. Aaron Womack (Dominican/Wisconsin Playground Club)
Womack is getting really good in a hurry. He’s sprouted to about 6-foot-6 and added some muscle, which helped bring out some demon in him. Womack is a pure shot maker who’s also developing his ability to attack the rack, get easy buckets, and generate free throw attempts. At his size, Womack can get a jumper pretty much whenever he wants, using a lightning quick release. If he wants to and puts in the work, Womack can be a very versatile defender with lockdown ability at the next level. The combination of length and lateral quickness gives him the ability to defend four positions.
7. Gavin Gores (Cumberland/Wisconsin Playmakers)
Arguably nobody on this list has a bigger upside than Gores. An explosive athlete with various parts to his game, the ceiling for the Cumberland standout is that of a mismatch nightmare. Gores has a high major body, shoots it from 3-point range, runs the floor exceptionally well, and has a budding back to the basket game. There’s a handful of mid-major programs in on Gores. He’s a prime candidate to make the jump to the high major level after a few years in college given that he’s still just scratching the surface and possesses a lot of things you can’t teach.
8. Trevor Polite (Homestead/Chapman Basketball Academy)
Polite might be the hardest prospect to read on this list. A two-way player and versatile wing, Polite might not be elite in any one particular area, but he does almost everything well. At 6-foot-5, Polite dabbles as a point-wing, a slasher, a stopper defensively, and floor spacer. He’s smooth off the bounce, but don’t let that fool you. Polite has some explosive leaping ability and can effortlessly take off. A prospect who doesn’t take plays off and is always engaged on the floor, the Homestead product impacts the game whether he’s scoring big numbers or not.
9. Myles Herro (Whitnall/Team Herro)
You always get a great feel for a point guard with how well they handle the pressure and intensity of the Nike EYBL. That’s just never been a question with Herro. Yeah, he might not score a ton of points, but that’s not who he is. Herro is going to get guys the basketball in positions where they can succeed and run his team’s sets to a ‘T.’ A floor general with an advanced feel for the game, Herro can see things before they happen and make passes that 99 percent of this class in Wisconsin cannot.
10. Keegan Van Kauwenberg (Kaukauna/Wisconsin Crusaders)
I don’t think a Division 1 offer is off the table for Van Kauwenberg. After a monster weekend at the WBCA June Jam, Van Kauwenberg is taking the state by storm. The 6-foot-3 combo guard is one of the deadliest shooters in the state. Using a high release, Van Kauwenberg is very hard to take out of a rhythm as a defender. He came up as more of a 3-point specialist, but has figured out how to use his length and develop an in-between game. While he’s a lanky prospect, Van Kauwenberg definitely has a chip to him and is playing with a lot more physicality as well. The outside shooting gets him headlines, but Van Kauwenberg is also a very underrated distributor and defender as well.
Also in the running: Brooks Hinson (Marshfield), A.J. Bender (Lake Mills), Cooper Jesperson (Eau Claire Memorial)