Wisconsin basketball lands 7-foot-1 Minnesota center in 2027 class
Wisconsin landed a verbal commitment from Maple Grove (Minn.) center Jack Thelen, adding a frontcourt piece to its 2027 recruiting class.
The Wisconsin men’s basketball program has its second commitment in the 2027 recruiting class.
And this one came together quickly.
Maple Grove (Minn.) center Jack Thelen announced his verbal commitment to Greg Gard and the Badgers, giving Wisconsin another intriguing developmental piece and pairing him with four-star in-state guard Jalen Brown as the foundation of the program’s 2027 class.
“1000% Committed!!” Thelen wrote.
For Wisconsin, the commitment represents a bet on Thelen’s size and untapped potential. Back in May, Thelen was on campus for an unofficial visit. Shortly thereafter, Gard and his staff extended a scholarship offer, and it didn’t take long for the Minnesota big man to decide that Madison was where he wanted to continue his playing career after high school.
Players with his combination of height, coordination, and overall skill set don’t grow on trees. Listed at roughly 7-foot-1 and 235 pounds, Thelen possesses the type of physical tools that are difficult to teach and even harder to find, making him an intriguing wait-and-see piece for the future.
That’s a large part of what made him such an attractive target.
Thelen’s recruitment gained momentum over the past year as college programs began seeing more than just a towering frame. Wisconsin’s staff evaluated a prospect who had become increasingly comfortable moving in space, protecting the rim, rebounding, and making plays as a passer.
The appeal is rooted in what Thelen could become over time.
During his junior season at Maple Grove High School, Thelen averaged 13.5 points and nine rebounds per game while helping lead one of Minnesota’s better programs. While those numbers are solid, they only scratch the surface of what evaluators seem to like about his game.
For a player his size, Thelen displays a good feel for the game.
He runs the floor decently well for his size, shows touch around the basket, rebounds at a high level, and has developed into a capable passer out of the low post. There is still room to add strength, improve the footwork, and continue refining his game, but the combination of size and skill gives him a ceiling that the Badgers staff wants to take a chance on.
Wisconsin wasn’t alone in recognizing that potential.
Before committing to the Badgers, Thelen held scholarship offers from Miami (OH), Murray State, and Montana. More importantly, Wisconsin made it clear that he fit the type of frontcourt player the coaching staff wanted to invest in and continue developing within its program.
In an era when big men command a premium in the transfer portal, identifying, developing, and retaining players remains the most sustainable roster-building strategy available to programs like Wisconsin.
There is another connection worth noting.
Thelen attends Maple Grove High School and plays AAU basketball alongside fellow Wisconsin target Baboucarr Ann, one of the top remaining prospects on the Badgers’ 2027 board. Landing Thelen won’t automatically influence that recruitment, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have an established relationship already inside the class.
The connection runs even deeper, as Wisconsin assistant Brad Davison is a Maple Grove alumnus who has been actively recruiting his former high school.
Wisconsin’s staff also has a compelling track record when it comes to developing players from Minnesota. From Jon Leuer and Mike Bruesewitz to more recent standouts such as Tyler Wahl, Steven Crowl, and Nolan Winter, the Badgers have repeatedly identified, developed, and maximized talent from the neighboring state. When the Badgers staff sits down with prospects like Thelen, there are plenty of examples they can point to when discussing what growth within the program can look like.
Together with Brown, Thelen gives Wisconsin a strong starting point in the 2027 cycle. Brown brings athleticism, shot creation, and versatility to the backcourt. Thelen provides size, likely some rim protection, rebounding, and the long-term potential to develop into the type of back-to-the-basket presence that has traditionally thrived in the Big Ten.
Thelen may not be a finished product today, but that’s not what Wisconsin is buying into. The Badgers are betting that with time, added strength, and continued growth, they may have found another frontcourt piece capable of carving out a meaningful role after paying his dues.
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