Wisconsin men’s basketball added another major piece to its international pipeline, officially signing New Zealand guard Jackson Ball as the second member of the Badgers’ 2026 recruiting class.
And if you’re sensing a theme, you’re right. Wisconsin didn’t just add another talented international prospect — they capitalized on a very real connection that most college programs simply don’t have. Unlike many overseas recruitments that require navigating agents and multiple layers of representation, the Badgers staff was in a far more direct lane here.
Because of a longstanding relationship that former special assistant to the head coach Kirk Penney had with Ball’s father in New Zealand, Greg Gard and his staff entered this recruitment with a level of trust and access that you almost never get when recruiting international prospects.