Two-sport standout Luke Haertle will stay home and play for the Badgers
One of the better two-sport athletes in the state will play for head coach Greg Gard at the University of Wisconsin next season.
Luke Haertle, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior, announced on Monday that he had accepted a preferred walk-on offer from the Badgers. The standout from Lake Country Lutheran had multiple options as both a quarterback and shooting guard at the next level.
“I was talking to a lot of schools,” Haertle told BadgerBlitz.com. “Being good at both sports was really a blessing from God, but in a way, it was a big challenge because a lot of coaches were hesitant to offer me because I couldn't fully close the door on either sport. So that was difficult to get through, but it all worked all in the end.”
As a junior, Haertle, who played on the AAU circuit with the Wisconsin Playground Club (Under Armour), averaged over 24 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game. He will be a four-year varsity performer on the hardwood this upcoming season.
“I went to Wisconsin's advanced camp this summer and I talked a little bit with the coaches about the opportunity to walk on if I were interested,” Haertle said. “They told me hang on and that they would definitely be in touch.
“So I stayed in contact with Wisconsin and I made it up there for a game-day visit. That's when they offered, so I took a few days to talk to my parents. I grew up in Wisconsin and it’s home for me. My dad went there, my sister graduated from there and my brother goes right now. I've been up there a lot and I know it well. It felt like home, so I decided to commit.”
On Wisconsin’s current roster, both Brad Davison and Jonathan Davis were prep quarterbacks at their respective high schools. Haertle’s success and leadership in that sport should translate well to Gard’s program.
“Obviously they saw me as a good basketball player, but they also took a liking to my character and how I carry myself,” said Haertle, who was recently named the WFCA small school offensive player of the year. “They like the person I am, how hard I work and my desire to win in both sports.
“I never really imagined this offer from Wisconsin coming and it's always been a dream of mine to be a Badger. I was thinking for a long time about what sport to pick and what I had a brighter future in, and then the offer came along. When that came, I felt it was in my best interest to commit to Wisconsin to play basketball.”
Haertle joins a 2022 class for the Badgers that all includes three-star shooting guard Connor Essegian.
“The recruiting process was so fun and it was great to get to talk to so many coaches,” he said. “Getting that first text was such a great feeling, but it was also so stressful at times. I'm glad that it's over and I'm happy that I found a home.”
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