Signing Day Primer: Wisconsin set to sign three players in the 2021 class
Wednesday, Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard is set to officially add three scholarship players to his future roster during college basketball's early singing period.
The Badgers' 2021 recruiting class, which currently ranks No. 38 in the country, includes point guard Chucky Hepburn, forward Matthew Mors and center Chris Hodges.
Following is a rundown of all three prospects before Gard is able to officially comment on each player during his expected media availability Wednesday afternoon.
POINT GUARD CHUCKY HEPBURN
COMMITMENT DATE: Sept. 29, 2019
OTHER OFFERS: Creighton, Loyola (IL), Minnesota, Nebraska and Valparaiso
RANKING: No. 129
STORY: Three-star point guard Chucky Hepburn picked up an offer from Wisconsin after a strong performance at UW's advanced camp in the summer of 2019. Later that fall, the standout from Bellevue West High School in Nebraska committed to the Badgers shortly after an official visit.
As a junior, Hepburn averaged 17.3 points, 6.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game. He was named Nebraska’s Gatorade player of the year after he led West to a Class A state championship.
QUOTE: “(I committed to Wisconsin because) the authenticity of every single coach,” Hepburn told BadgerBlitz.com. “They showed love to everybody and I loved to see that. I am very comfortable speaking with every coach. They have made me feel like family instead of just a player.
“The future is really bright for the program. Every commit from the 2020 and 2021 classes are coming from winning teams, whether it was AAU or high school. So we all know how to compete and win. The goal is to win a few championships, but we know it won’t be easy.”
FOWARD MATTHEW MORS
COMMITMENT DATE: Sept. 29, 2019
OTHER OFFERS: Colorado, Creighton, Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, South Dakota, South Dakota State and TCU
RANKING: No. 127
STORY: Matthew Mors turned heads at Wisconsin's advanced camp in July of 2018. The three-star prospect returned the following summer for the Badgers' team camp with an offer in hand. A few months later, Mors committed to UW shortly after an official visit to Madison.
As a junior, Mors averaged 19.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 steals in 21 games. Those efforts earned him Gatorade South Dakota Boys Basketball Player of the Year for a second consecutive season. The Class AA all-time scoring leader in South Dakota did not compete on the AAU circuit this past summer.
QUOTE: “I think just the early relationship that I built with Coach Gard and Coach (Joe) Krabbenhoft, that's what really stood out,” Mors told BadgerBlitz.com. “And I didn’t have that anywhere else or at any other school. What really put it all together is when I made my official visit. I got to be around the guys and we went out to Coach Gard’s house for a team meal. Being around them, it just made me realize how much I resemble those guys.
"I could see myself being a Wisconsin Badger right then and there. I didn’t waste any time. The next day on the way home, I told my parents that's where I am going. There is no doubt in my mind and there has not been since.”
CENTER CHRIS HODGES
COMMITMENT DATE: Aug. 15, 2019
RANKING: No. 137
OTHER OFFERS: DePaul, Loyola (IL), Miami (OH) and Rutgers
STORY: A member of the Illinois Wolves, the same AAU program that produced former Wisconsin All-American Frank Kaminsky, Chris Hodges earned an offer from UW during its advanced camp in June of 2019. The three-star prospect didn't let his recruitment drag out too much longer, as he committed to the Badgers in August of the same year.
A second-team Class 4A all-state selection, Hodges averaged 15.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as a junior for Schaumburg High School in Illinois.
QUOTE: "Wisconsin felt like home, that was a big thing," Hodges told BadgerBlitz.com. "And on top of that, the coaching staff, the offense and the play type. They are really going to give me the opportunity to excel in my game.
“My relationship with the coaching staff is pretty strong. We talk pretty frequently. They definitely showed a lot of interest - that is one of the reasons why I committed so early. I knew I was a top priority with them.”