Summer evaluation preview: Shooting guards
The summer evaluation period begins Wednesday with big AAU tournaments across the country. Greg Gard's staff, coming off a difficult 2017-18 season, will be busy on the recruiting front as they look to add pieces to their future recruiting classes.
Live Period No. 1: July 11 (5 p.m.) – 15 (5 p.m.)
Live Period No. 2: July 18 (5 p.m.) – 22 (5 p.m.)
Live Period No. 3: July 25 (5 p.m.) – 29 (5 p.m.)
The following are shooting guards Wisconsin will likely make it a point to see next week and beyond.
Note: The "top target" listed does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Wisconsin coaching staff.
Quick Overview
A handful of shooting guards are on Wisconsin's radar in the 2019 class, but it would be surprising to see the staff hand an offer at this point. Instead, Gard has made in-state guard Jonathan Davis a top priority in the 2020 cycle. The standout from La Crosse, who most recently attended the Badgers' advanced camp last month, already has a scholarship from UW. At this point, Wisconsin is considered the favorite in his recruitment.
In the 2021 class, Wisconsin's first and only offer (so far) went out last month to Max Christie, a standout from Illinois. The freshman from Rolling Meadows High School plays for the Illinois Wolves, an AAU program the Badgers have had a strong relationship with.
Top Target
Offers: Green Bay, Milwaukee, UNLV and Wisconsin
AAU Team: Wisconsin Playground Warriors | Event: Under Armour Bracketbuster Invitational (Emerson, GA)
Expect the Badgers to keep the foot on the gas in their pursuit of Davis, who plays for the Wisconsin Playground Warriors on the AAU circuit. That program has sent a number of players to Madison over the last 10-plus years, a list that includes Sam Dekker, Bronson Koenig and Kobe King, among many others.
A 6-foot-5, 180-pound guard, Davis, who averaged 22.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest as a sophomore, picked up an offer from the Badgers this past winter. He's from the same high school (La Crosse Central) as King.
"He's (King) like a brother to me," Davis told BadgerBlitz.com in April. "Sometimes when he comes back home, we'll get in the gym to shoot and just hang out. We're pretty close and he's someone who has helped me a lot.
"It was great to get that offer [from Wisconsin].Obviously it's a program that I had really high on my list to begin with. Being the in-state school and close to home, it would be great to stay close to my family at Wisconsin. The coaches said they really like my passion and the competitiveness that I bring to the game. They want me to work on my outside shot, but coach Gard said I'm a big target for them. Coach Gard is a really great coach and I feel comfortable with that coaching staff."
Outside of UW, Virginia, Iowa State, Marquette, Nebraska and Iowa are also showing interest in Davis.