MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin’s 2025 recruiting class is a nod to the past and potentially a sign of the future of Badgers recruiting.
Head coach Greg Gard officially announced his three-member signing class on Wednesday night. He added a pair of talented in-state prospects: De Pere guard Zach Kinziger, Middleton center Will Garlock, and New Zealand guard Hayden Jones.
Two of the six players from the state to sign with Power Four schools, Kinziger and Garlock are the first in-state players to sign with Wisconsin since Jordan and Johnny Davis in 2019. Both add layers to the way Wisconsin has built its offense over the last two seasons – surround a talented post presence with plenty of shooters.
Kinziger – listed at 6-3 – called Wisconsin “his dream school” and sees his future role with the program similar to former standouts Bronson Koenig, Brad Davison, and Brevin Pritzl. Leading his team to a state title as a sophomore and the sectional finals last season, Kinziger averaged 19.9 points (49.9 percent FG, 42.5 percent 3FG), 5.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game as a junior.
“While evaluating him, it did not take long for my staff and I to identify Zach for his shooting, competitive drive, basketball IQ, and the effort that he competes with on the defensive end,” Gard said. “Zach has been one of the best shooters in all of high school basketball, which will remind Wisconsin fans of many former Badgers that have helped our program sustain a high level of success. As the son of a coach, Zach plays the game the right way, and he has earned everything that has come his way.”
Limited this past offseason with an injury, Garlock’s summer commitment to the program adds a hard-to-miss presence in the middle. The first 7-footer to commit to the program since 2008, Garlock averaged a team-leading 16.9 points per game, shooting an impressive 66.5 percent from the floor, including 31.2 percent from beyond the arc. He also led the Cardinals in rebounding (8.5), averaged 2.4 assists per game, and blocked 19 shots.
“He has a lot of potential and we see him fitting into our long line of successful big men here at Wisconsin,” Gard said. “Will has the size and the athleticism to compete at a high level, and he will fit right in with our style of play and with how the college game has evolved in recent years. Coming off an injury last season, we are excited to watch Will continue to keep trending towards his immense potential.”
With how the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness payments have drastically altered the college basketball and recruiting landscape, Gard tasked special assistant Kirk Penney to lead the program’s international recruiting efforts.
Penney’s work led him to his native New Zealand and an old teammate in Hayden’s father, Phil. The two played together on New Zealand’s senior national team. The younger Jones already has extensive experience on the national and semi-professional circuit and gives UW an imposing presence on the wing at 6-7.
In February, at 17 years old, Jones debuted for the New Zealand men’s national team, becoming the fourth-youngest player to do so. He helped lead New Zealand to a fourth-place finish in the FIBA Under-17 World Cup, averaging 11.6 points and 2.7 assists per game, marking the highest finish by a New Zealand national team at a FIBA tournament since 2002.
“He is very versatile,” Gard said. “Hayden has developed himself into a player that can play point guard, plus the two and three positions. Defensively, he’s long and does an excellent job of guarding players and disrupting shots at the rim with his natural size and ability. He’s also a great rebounder at his position. He has 20-plus rebound games at the guard position, which is really hard to do and shows that he has a nose for the ball.”
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