The Badgers had a major transfer on Monday.
The Wisconsin Badgers got some major news on Monday, as point guard Daniel Freitag entered the transfer portal after just one season with the program.
Freitag was one of the most-hyped recruits to join the Badgers in recent memory, as head coach Greg Gard and his staff spent three years recruiting the coveted point guard, finally landing him in the summer of 2023.
A four-star recruit out of Bloomington, Minnesota, the freshman was seen as the point guard of the future, especially when Chucky Hepburn unexpectedly entered the transfer portal.
He was expected to compete with Central Arkansas transfer Camren Hunter for the open role last offseason. However, by the time the season started, neither was in the rotation, as the Badgers elected not to start a traditional point guard, while Kamari McGee was the team’s sixth man.
Fast-forward one offseason, and both Freitag and Hunter are in the transfer portal during a crucial rebuilding time for the Badgers.
Why did Freitag ultimately move on from the Badgers?
Breaking down the move in greater depth yesterday, I highlighted how the Badgers are expected to go after several targets in the transfer portal, looking to add 1-2 guards, a wing, and a center to replace their significant losses.
Ultimately with Freitag, it seems Wisconsin believed that players they’d get in the portal would be more ready to compete and help the team win games in 2025. After all, college basketball has turned into a year-after-year battle with the amount of turnover that occurs every single year.
That led the point guard to transfer, ending an era that seemed to be next up for the Badgers and putting a cap on one of the more heralded recruitments in recent memory for the Badgers.
That leads us to the bigger question: does the Freitag transfer signal the end of high school recruiting for Greg Gard and the Badgers?
Yes and no.
With the way college basketball has changed, I do believe that Gard and his staff have shifted their approach when it comes to roster building. Gard hasn’t been shy about sharing the need for experience in this new age of college basketball.
When it comes to high school recruiting, the worry nowadays is players jumping for bigger opportunities, be it on a bigger stage or for more playing time, after one or two years, taking away all the work (and money) that was put into that recruitment.
So, the Badgers have elected to put more focus on the transfer portal, where they can focus on getting experienced players with accomplished resumes that fit the program. That does lead to constant change year after year, but that has become the norm in college basketball.
Look at the top teams in the country right now. Auburn’s star player, Johni Broome, was added via the transfer portal. Key starters Chad Baker-Mazara, Denver Jones, and Miles Kelly all started their careers elsewhere.
Duke is the anomaly, bringing in six freshmen in one of the best classes in recent memory. They did also add Sion James, Maliq Brown, and Mason Gillis from the transfer portal, however, who fill out the rest of their rotation.
Florida has a lot of homegrown talent, but star Walter Clayton Jr. initially came from Iona. Alijah Martin came from FAU this offseason. And Will Richard played at Belmont during his freshman season before the last three with the Gators.
And Houston brought in star guard L.J. Cryer from Baylor and Milos Uzan from Oklahoma. So, it’s not just happening at Wisconsin, it’s happening everywhere.
As a result, with NIL playing such a factor in college basketball nowadays, the energy spent chasing after top-tier high school recruits isn’t as useful as it once was. Hence the shift in focus from high school to the transfer portal for replacements for Wisconsin.
But, high school recruiting isn’t just gone altogether for the Badgers. They’re looking to dip into the international pool more and more, while also still finding the correct fits for the program. Take Zach Kinziger: a touted four-star recruit, but someone who’s from the state of Wisconsin and will be a great fit for the program.
Behind him, the Badgers also took Wisconsin native Will Garlock in their 2025 class. In the 2026 class, the Badgers focused early on forward La’Trevion Fenderson, a Racine native. Then, they also looked to the international pool once again.
The Badgers aren’t abandoning high school recruiting. They’ll still look to develop players who can stick with Wisconsin for 4-5 years. But, the type of players they take now absolutely have to be culture fits to override the likelihood of an early transfer.
That’s where the disconnect was with Freitag and the Badgers. They’re seeming to prioritize players who they believe are more ready-now, while Freitag wants an opportunity to play after waiting his turn and expecting a chance when coming to Wisconsin. So, he’s moving on after just one season, and the Badgers are focusing on the transfer portal as they rebuild for the 2025-26 season.