MATTHEW MORS SHINES IN HIS RETURN TO MADISON
Last year at this time, Matthew Mors cemented himself as a legit scholarship target for the Badgers after a strong performance at Wisconsin’s advanced camp.
Saturday evening at UW’s team camp, Mors, who walked into the Kohl Center with a Wisconsin t-shirt on, carried himself and performed like the top overall target for head coach Greg Gard in the 2021 recruiting class.
A 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward from Yankton High School in South Dakota, Mors led his team to a 2-0 record on the first night of camp. The big man drained a 3 at the end of regulation to send the first contest - arguably the better of his two showings - to overtime, and was solid from start to finish in the second game.
Gard and assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft, along with a handful of current players, watched Mors’ first game, with assistant Dean Oliver overseeing his second. Fans from other courts also took notice as word got around about the kid from South Dakota.
Mors, who also has offers from Iowa, Nebraska, Creighton, TCU, South Dakota and South Dakota State, showed much of his skillset Saturday. In game No. 1, he was on fire from deep and handled the ball in the mold of a “point forward.” In his second contest, Mors played closer to the basket and displayed a good set of post skills. He's physical around the basketball but also has soft hands and good footwork.
His ability to play inside and outside is probably what makes Mors so intriguing for the Badgers at the next level. What I also liked Saturday was the toughness he displayed when teams tried to get physical with him. Mors embraced that challenge and seemed to elevate his game in pressure situations.
Right now you have to really like where the Badgers sit in his recruitment. Mors’ relationship with Krabbenhoft, a fellow South Dakota native, is extremely strong. His parents were also in Madison this weekend for the second year in a row and both were decked out in Wisconsin gear. With the early groundwork in place, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gard win this battle at some point in the next 12 months.
DAVIS BROTHERS MAKE GARD’S DAY
Gard was down-right giddy at about 8:45 PM. He was in the space between the Kohl Center and the Nicholas Johnson Pavilion as he started towards Mors, who had just helped his team to a win at 8:00 PM. With a huge smile on his face, Gard began to interact with Mors. But you could tell something big had just happened.
That was certainly the case, as the Davis brothers, Jordan and Jonathan, committed to Wisconsin in between their 7 PM and 9 PM games. The La Crosse Central standout were commits No. 2 and No. 3 for the Badgers in the 2020 class, along with point guard Lorne Bowman.
Jonathan Davis performed well in his first game and got to the rim with ease against Howard Pulley. He’s a slasher with the ball in his hands and a lock-down defender on the other end. The Michael Flowers comparison has been floated out quite a bit and I wouldn’t argue much with that.
Jordan Davs is a great athlete who, like his brother, can get it done on the defensive end. His shot needs work, but the mechanics are in place. I think he can carve out a nice niche on this team and have a successful career in Madison.
Both need more consistency as shooters, but the energy and effort is there every time they walk on the court. That has never been questioned.
Ultimately, this is a big win for Gard and his staff. Some may argue that UW gave in too much with a full ride for Jordan, but this is a guy who can help you win basketball games. Jonathan Davis is a Rivals150 member and arguably the top wing on Wisconsin’s board for the last 18 months. The Badgers didn’t sacrifice their standing with any other top targets by offering both, and there is plenty of room left in the 2020 and 2021 classes to address the remaining needs on their roster. All in all, a bit of good news for Gard after a rough start to the summer.
CARTER GILMORE CONTINUES TO PERFORM
In-state forward Carter Gilmore (Arrowhead) followed up a strong performance at UW’s advanced camp with a solid showing Saturday night. With Gard and Krabbenhoft watching his 8PM game, Gilmore continued to raise his recruiting stock.
It will be interesting to see if Gard finds a way to get Gilmore, 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, onto the 2020 commit list. The Badgers certainly have room, even after the addition of both Davis brothers. Right now, there are two (projected) scholarships available, with Jalen Johnson and Ben Carlson atop UW’s recruiting board. Johnson has the Badgers in his top four, but the feeling is that Duke and Kentucky lead for his services. Carlson is also high on Stanford, Xavier and Northwestern.
Gilmore and Illinois power forward Seryee Lewis are two players to watch down the stretch. Johnson is expected to announce this summer, which will give UW plenty of time to form a plan for the rest of their board. At this point, a four-for-five deal (plenty of room is open in the 2021 class) would be a realistic starting point for Gilmore, who is solid in just about every facet of the game. Gilmore competes with Johnson on Phenom University’s EYBL team, so the staff will certainly be watching both next month.
WILL RYAN BACK IN MADISON
It’s not appropriate to speculate about the future of Wisconsin assistant coach Howard Moore, who is recovering from a traumatic event in late May. But it is worth reporting that Will Ryan, who was most recently on Ohio’s staff, was at UW’s team camp Saturday night. He was also at the Badgers’ advanced camp earlier this month.
Again, Wisconsin has not made any official statement in regards to Moore’s future with the program. Should his absence continue into the July evaluation period, assistant director of basketball operations Kyle Blackbourn would likely take Moore’s place at AAU events. I believe he served in that capacity at some point last summer.
Continue to send thoughts and prayers to Moore and his family during this incredibly difficult time.
ODDS AND ENDS
*The 42 teams in attendance came from seven different states: Wisconsin, Illinois, South Dakota, Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota and Nebraska.
*Krabbehoft and Oliver also talked a bit with 2021 small forward Micahel Duax from Hempstead High School in Iowa. Northern Iowa and Iowa have also shown early interest.
*Mineral Point guard Isaac Lindsey played well in his team’s first game at camp. With the addition of the Davis brothers, though, Lindsey likely isn’t a scholarship option for the Badgers.
*Trejuan Halloman, a 2022 prospect who already holds an offer from the Badgers, was pretty quiet in Howard Pulley’s first game. Probably because he was defended by Jonathan Davis. Both Gard and Krabbenhoft spent some time talking to Howard Pulley staff and family Saturday.
*2021 center Treyton Thompson was someone I was excited to see, but he did very little Saturday to separate himself. He looked a step slow and traveled a few times. Thompson, who was recently offered by Minnesota, is really skinny right now needs to add strength, but there is certainly a long way to go. I’d be surprised if Wisconsin offered this weekend, which seemed like a possibility earlier this week.
*Brad Davison (former Howard Pulley player), Brevin Pritzl (former De Pere High School standout/dad coached Saturday night at camp), Aleem Ford and D’Mitrick Trice were all watching camp competition.
Last year at this time, Matthew Mors cemented himself as a legit scholarship target for the Badgers after a strong performance at Wisconsin’s advanced camp.
Saturday evening at UW’s team camp, Mors, who walked into the Kohl Center with a Wisconsin t-shirt on, carried himself and performed like the top overall target for head coach Greg Gard in the 2021 recruiting class.
A 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward from Yankton High School in South Dakota, Mors led his team to a 2-0 record on the first night of camp. The big man drained a 3 at the end of regulation to send the first contest - arguably the better of his two showings - to overtime, and was solid from start to finish in the second game.
Gard and assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft, along with a handful of current players, watched Mors’ first game, with assistant Dean Oliver overseeing his second. Fans from other courts also took notice as word got around about the kid from South Dakota.
Mors, who also has offers from Iowa, Nebraska, Creighton, TCU, South Dakota and South Dakota State, showed much of his skillset Saturday. In game No. 1, he was on fire from deep and handled the ball in the mold of a “point forward.” In his second contest, Mors played closer to the basket and displayed a good set of post skills. He's physical around the basketball but also has soft hands and good footwork.
His ability to play inside and outside is probably what makes Mors so intriguing for the Badgers at the next level. What I also liked Saturday was the toughness he displayed when teams tried to get physical with him. Mors embraced that challenge and seemed to elevate his game in pressure situations.
Right now you have to really like where the Badgers sit in his recruitment. Mors’ relationship with Krabbenhoft, a fellow South Dakota native, is extremely strong. His parents were also in Madison this weekend for the second year in a row and both were decked out in Wisconsin gear. With the early groundwork in place, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gard win this battle at some point in the next 12 months.
DAVIS BROTHERS MAKE GARD’S DAY
Gard was down-right giddy at about 8:45 PM. He was in the space between the Kohl Center and the Nicholas Johnson Pavilion as he started towards Mors, who had just helped his team to a win at 8:00 PM. With a huge smile on his face, Gard began to interact with Mors. But you could tell something big had just happened.
That was certainly the case, as the Davis brothers, Jordan and Jonathan, committed to Wisconsin in between their 7 PM and 9 PM games. The La Crosse Central standout were commits No. 2 and No. 3 for the Badgers in the 2020 class, along with point guard Lorne Bowman.
Jonathan Davis performed well in his first game and got to the rim with ease against Howard Pulley. He’s a slasher with the ball in his hands and a lock-down defender on the other end. The Michael Flowers comparison has been floated out quite a bit and I wouldn’t argue much with that.
Jordan Davs is a great athlete who, like his brother, can get it done on the defensive end. His shot needs work, but the mechanics are in place. I think he can carve out a nice niche on this team and have a successful career in Madison.
Both need more consistency as shooters, but the energy and effort is there every time they walk on the court. That has never been questioned.
Ultimately, this is a big win for Gard and his staff. Some may argue that UW gave in too much with a full ride for Jordan, but this is a guy who can help you win basketball games. Jonathan Davis is a Rivals150 member and arguably the top wing on Wisconsin’s board for the last 18 months. The Badgers didn’t sacrifice their standing with any other top targets by offering both, and there is plenty of room left in the 2020 and 2021 classes to address the remaining needs on their roster. All in all, a bit of good news for Gard after a rough start to the summer.
CARTER GILMORE CONTINUES TO PERFORM
In-state forward Carter Gilmore (Arrowhead) followed up a strong performance at UW’s advanced camp with a solid showing Saturday night. With Gard and Krabbenhoft watching his 8PM game, Gilmore continued to raise his recruiting stock.
It will be interesting to see if Gard finds a way to get Gilmore, 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, onto the 2020 commit list. The Badgers certainly have room, even after the addition of both Davis brothers. Right now, there are two (projected) scholarships available, with Jalen Johnson and Ben Carlson atop UW’s recruiting board. Johnson has the Badgers in his top four, but the feeling is that Duke and Kentucky lead for his services. Carlson is also high on Stanford, Xavier and Northwestern.
Gilmore and Illinois power forward Seryee Lewis are two players to watch down the stretch. Johnson is expected to announce this summer, which will give UW plenty of time to form a plan for the rest of their board. At this point, a four-for-five deal (plenty of room is open in the 2021 class) would be a realistic starting point for Gilmore, who is solid in just about every facet of the game. Gilmore competes with Johnson on Phenom University’s EYBL team, so the staff will certainly be watching both next month.
WILL RYAN BACK IN MADISON
It’s not appropriate to speculate about the future of Wisconsin assistant coach Howard Moore, who is recovering from a traumatic event in late May. But it is worth reporting that Will Ryan, who was most recently on Ohio’s staff, was at UW’s team camp Saturday night. He was also at the Badgers’ advanced camp earlier this month.
Again, Wisconsin has not made any official statement in regards to Moore’s future with the program. Should his absence continue into the July evaluation period, assistant director of basketball operations Kyle Blackbourn would likely take Moore’s place at AAU events. I believe he served in that capacity at some point last summer.
Continue to send thoughts and prayers to Moore and his family during this incredibly difficult time.
ODDS AND ENDS
*The 42 teams in attendance came from seven different states: Wisconsin, Illinois, South Dakota, Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota and Nebraska.
*Krabbehoft and Oliver also talked a bit with 2021 small forward Micahel Duax from Hempstead High School in Iowa. Northern Iowa and Iowa have also shown early interest.
*Mineral Point guard Isaac Lindsey played well in his team’s first game at camp. With the addition of the Davis brothers, though, Lindsey likely isn’t a scholarship option for the Badgers.
*Trejuan Halloman, a 2022 prospect who already holds an offer from the Badgers, was pretty quiet in Howard Pulley’s first game. Probably because he was defended by Jonathan Davis. Both Gard and Krabbenhoft spent some time talking to Howard Pulley staff and family Saturday.
*2021 center Treyton Thompson was someone I was excited to see, but he did very little Saturday to separate himself. He looked a step slow and traveled a few times. Thompson, who was recently offered by Minnesota, is really skinny right now needs to add strength, but there is certainly a long way to go. I’d be surprised if Wisconsin offered this weekend, which seemed like a possibility earlier this week.
*Brad Davison (former Howard Pulley player), Brevin Pritzl (former De Pere High School standout/dad coached Saturday night at camp), Aleem Ford and D’Mitrick Trice were all watching camp competition.
