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The Wisconsin Badgers play in the NCAA tournament tonight, looking to extend what is probably the greatest season any of us reading this web blog have ever seen (and honestly probably the greatest season in school history, 1941 national title be damned!). However, that doesn't mean we can't look to the future and see when the next "greatest season in school history" is going to happen.
The Badgers have been quietly assembling one of the finest recruiting classes in the conference, and even the nation, for 2015. Ranked 35th in the country by 247Sports, UW's 2015 class already includes star shooting guard Brevin Pritzl from De Pere, Wis., two big bodies at power forward -- Charlie Thomas, who is more of a banger/rebounder, and Alex Illikainen, who more fits the roll of stretch four that Bo Ryan covets -- and a fast-rising small forward out of Ohio, the triple-double machine Khalil Iverson.
That's all well and good, and in any other year, would be cause for a parade down State Street for the coaching staff. But this year, there is some legit top-end talent in state. Wisconsin already missed on national top-10 power forward Henry Ellenson, who chose Marquette over UW, but the Badgers are still very much in the mix for national top-10 center Diamond Stone. Stone has been recruited by the Badgers since he was three years old (it seems like) and he's closing in on a decision. The finalists are Wisconsin, Maryland and UConn, and it has been hard to get a read on which direction he's leaning.
Here's a roundup of some of the latest rumors and reports on the player that would be the... wait for it... crown jewel of Wisconsin's 2015 recruiting class.
Sources close to the situation believe Diamond Stone is close to a decision. Perhaps later this month. Maryland and Wisconsin in the lead.
— Mark Miller (@WisBBYearbook) March 18, 2015
.@GoodmanESPN says the #Badgers are the best fit for 5-star center Diamond Stone http://t.co/7MDXgr6iwg (FREE) #bolts
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) March 16, 2015
Just got the email! Rice Lake's Henry Ellenson is named Gatorade's State Player of the year over Dominican's Diamond Stone. #wisbb
— Rob Hernandez (@RobHernandezWSJ) March 20, 2015
And lastly, the date we've all been waiting for:
Hearing that #Badgers target Diamond Stone could announce decision at McDonald's All-American game on April 1.
— Jon McNamara (@McNamaraRivals) March 20, 2015