Wisconsin men's basketball in the mix for Croatian forward Ivan Bogdanović

Wisconsin men's basketball is showing interest in Croatian forward Ivan Bogdanović as its international recruiting push overseas continues.

The University of Wisconsin men's basketball program has been rather busy this offseason — because, frankly, they didn’t have much of a choice.

With six seniors departing and four others transferring out, the Badgers have had to rebuild most of their roster in just a few months. And so far, Greg Gard and his coaching staff have done an impressive job re-tooling this team for next season.

If John Blackwell returns, he’ll join Nolan Winter, Riccardo Greppi, Jack Robison, and Jack Janicki as the only players back from last year’s team. So yeah — things are going to look very different in 2025–26.

But despite all that turnover, there’s some quiet optimism in the building. Wisconsin has finished inside the top 20 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency in back-to-back seasons, and the hope is that the new pieces can keep that trend going — and maybe even raise the ceiling.

In response, the Badgers hit the portal hard, landing commitments from San Diego State’s Nick Boyd, Virginia’s Andrew Rohde, Tulsa’s Braeden Carrington, and Portland forward Austin Rapp.

They’ve added to that with a solid incoming 2025 class, headlined by four-star combo guard Zach Kinziger out of De Pere, along with three-star guard Hayden Jones from New Zealand, in-state center Will Garlock out of Middleton, and they dipped into the international pool to land Lithuanian big man Aleksas Bieliauskas.

But the Badgers coaching staff might not be done adding to the roster.

Jake Lieberman reported that Wisconsin is one of a few high-major college basketball programs showing interest in 20-year-old Croatian forward Ivan Bogdanović—and if that name sounds new, you’re not alone.

However, it fits a pattern of identifying and recruiting players from overseas.

Bogdanović is coming off an impressive year with SC Derby, a club that competes in the ABA League and Montenegro’s Erste Liga. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while flashing some positional versatility and shot-making upside on the perimeter.

His skill set could fit right in for a Wisconsin team transitioning to a new-look roster and evolving offensive philosophy under Gard and Kirk Penney.

What stands out about Bogdanović is his motor and ability to play through contact. He’s not just a wing who hangs out on the perimeter. He’s physical. While he’s not the most fluid athlete, there’s deceptive strength in his game — and when he commits to getting downhill, he uses a sharp jab step to create space and finish at the rim. He can also guard multiple spots.

Bogdanović gives you a little bit of everything—just enough to imagine him carving out a role on a Big Ten roster if all goes according to plan.

Now, let’s zoom out for a second.

International recruiting isn’t a new thing for Wisconsin. It’s just becoming a much more important piece of the puzzle.

Why, you ask? It’s not like high school recruiting, where you have to scout and build a relationship over several years. International recruiting tends to be more transactional — the process moves a lot quicker, requires fewer long-term resources, and, in many cases, you’re getting an older, more experienced basketball player who’s already been competing and coached at a high level.

"If there's an agent involved with the European player, which there is a lot of times. It's very professional," Penney said. "They're used to having players that are older. Here's my player, here's the team, there is a conversation, here's a contract. Let's go. It is quite transactional."

A source shared that Wisconsin doesn’t have the kind of high-end money it takes to negotiate with the top international prospects—but they’re still considered externally competitive in that space and have done a nice job networking.

And with some scholarship flexibility still on the table, the Badgers are keeping its options open. Blackwell is still testing the NBA Draft waters but has made it clear that if he returns, it’ll be to Wisconsin.

If Blackwell stays in, the staff wants to add one more piece from the portal or overseas. Janicki began his career as a walk-on—so, in theory, he could be NIL'd, which would give the program enough room to bring in another scholarship player — aligning with the staff’s plan to carry 13 scholarship players and two walk-ons if everything falls into place.

And that’s where someone like Bogdanović could fit — potentially contributing right away but at the very least offering long-term upside as a developmental forward with experience, versatility, and the kind of international profile that’s becoming more common on Wisconsin’s roster.

This isn’t some headline-grabbing offseason pursuit or a move that’s meant to redefine Wisconsin’s expectations overnight. But it could quietly turn into something — especially given Bogdanović’s size, ability to run the floor out in transition, stretch a defense with his 3-point shooting, and put the ball on the deck when the opportunity presents itself.

Bogdanović was born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and played for Croatia in the FIBA U20 European Championships Division B, where he ranked third in scoring. There is no doubt about it: Bogdanović would be an intriguing prospect to round out the roster.

Is Wisconsin seriously in the mix here? Time will tell. But if the Badgers want to continue building out their international pipeline, this is exactly the type of prospect you take a swing on if there is enough mutual interest to move forward.

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