Wisconsin Basketball Adds Two Talented Recruits

By Owen Ayite-Atayi, age 16

The Wisconsin Badgers basketball program added several important assets to their roster during the offseason. Losing key players like AJ Storr, Connor Essegian, and Chucky Hepburn, the Badgers responded and recruited several talented players through the transfer portal. Now, they have picked up another 6'11 player Andrija Vukovic from Serbia.

Badger basketball coach Greg Gard made the following statement about Andrija Vukovic: “We are excited to announce the addition of Andrija to our program. We were fortunate to find such a tremendous player and person that will fit in perfectly with our program.”

Vukovic is a 6 '11 center who recently played basketball for KK Vršac in Serbia. He averaged 6.1 points per game, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists while playing about 13 minutes a game. Overall, he shot 66% from the field. Vukovic provides skills the Badgers need in terms of roster depth at the inside positions.

The Badgers are expanding their recruitment globally showing signs of a new approach to acquiring players. They recently hired Lance Randall as an assistant coach and Kirk Penny, a former Badgers player. Both coaches have strong ties overseas. The addition of Vukovic gives Wisconsin options.

Vukovic and promising sophomore Nolan Winter are two frontcourt options who can come off the bench or start next to veteran center Steven Crowl. Winter is a highly-regarded young player recognized for his athleticism, scoring ability, and defensive prowess. Vukovic provides another player with size, able to play down low in the Big-10, while Winter and Crowl can be effective from three-point range.

Gard recently talked with reporters to explain how the Badgers will expand their approach to recruiting. As he has in the past, coach Gard said that as college basketball changes so will the Badgers.

“As the landscape of college basketball continues to change, we are constantly looking to evolve and grow. This addition will not only help our current team, but it will also help us continue to establish our program as a great fit for players across the entire globe,” Gard said.

Overall, players like Vukovic are just the beginning of Wisconsin’s global approach to recruiting. The team recently signed 6-5 combo guard Hayden Jones from New Zealand who will join the 2025 recruiting class.

[Sources: SB Nation/Buckys5thquarter; Wisconsin State Journal]