MEQUON - After spending five days at Homestead (WI) High School for the NY2LA Sports Summer Jam, BadgerBlitz.com provides some thoughts and observsations from that event, as well as the second live evaluation period, which is now in the books.
1. Young talent from inside the state is as good as it gets
Wisconsin's in-state senior class, which may only produce one high-major recruit, doesn't feature a prospect within the Rivals150. But the two cycles below have three of the top players in the entire country: Sophomore Jalen Johnson (Sun Prairie) and freshmen Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Sussex Hamilton) and Michael Foster (Milwaukee Washington). The trio was on display from Wednesday to Sunday at the NY2LA Sports Summer Jam.
Much has been written about Johnson, a five-star recruit and No. 9 prospect in the 2020 class. Wisconsin has been tracking him relentlessly since last summer and head coach Greg Gard was in attendance for the majority of his contests during the second live period.
But while Johnson was already a household name of sorts, the other two - specially Baldwin Jr. - jumped onto the national stage. Rivals.com recruiting analyst Eric Bossi felt the 6-foot-8 wing could be the No. 1 player in the 2021 class; Wisconsin is expected to offer at some point in the near future.
"Actually, the 6-foot-8 shooter may be more than just the best prospect at one event, he may be the best player nationally in class. It may not even be much of a discussion given Baldwin's combination of size, skill, humility, savvy and upside. Especially now that he's settling in and learning to play against older and talented competition when he takes the floor with Milwaukee-based Phenom University."
Foster, who recently backed away from his early pledge to Arizona State, is as physically advanced as anyone in the 2021 class. When Foster is dialed in, he can take over games at both ends of the floor. Wisconsin kept tabs on the 6-foot-8 forward this week, but it would be surprising to see the Badgers factor much into his recruitment moving forward.
2. Duke comes calling
Duke is a pretty good measuring stick for elite talent across the country, and the Blue Devils came in with scholarships to both Johnson and Baldwin Jr. this past week. According to the Rivals.com database, Johnson is one of two prospects Duke has offered in the 2020 class, while Baldwin Jr. was the first in 2021.
Johnson will have to follow the current NBA draft stipulations, which would put him at college for at least one year after graduation. But Baldwin Jr. could have a decision to make if the "one and done" rule is done away with.
