Wisconsin basketball may be forced to rely on some youngsters off the bench in its backcourt for the 2026-27 campaign.
For many programs across the country, that could be cause for concern. For the Badgers, a particular freshman can't carve out a role soon enough.
Jackson Ball, a 6-5 freshman guard from New Zealand, is one of the more revered international prospects in the sport. This summer, he and fellow incoming Badger Owen Foxwell both made Hoops HQ's top five incoming international players ahead of the 2026-27 season, with the outlet describing him as "possessing a scoring ability that can't be taught" and as a "score-first guard with plus size and innate instincts."
While the Big Ten is certainly a whole different arena in which Ball must prove himself, he's done nothing but back up all of the hype he carries. This summer, at the FIBA U-18 Asia Cup, Ball led New Zealand to a Bronze Medal. He averaged 20.8 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals as the third-best scorer in the tournament.
Ball's 29 points in the Third-Place Game helped the Junior Tall Blacks overcome Korea. His performance earned him All-Star Five honors in the tournament; this is a highly encouraging performance on the international stage ahead of Ball's first season in Madison.
The Badgers' coaching staff has been very public about their excitement for what Ball can bring to the table, even as a true freshman.
"Jackson Ball's got a really bright future. The expectations for him to come in and impact us early are warranted," associate head coach Joe Krabbenhoft said .
"When he came to visit us 16, 18 months ago, we were blown away at his size as a 16 to-be 17 year old...Really good guard skill, high IQ, tremendous shooter, but physically ready to go...His future is extremely bright going forward."
It remains to be seen how Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard will use his young bench guards. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Krabbenhoft's comment about Ball being physically read to go is key; that's often one of the main things that holds even the most talented, gifted scorers back early in their careers. The Big Ten is a physical league, but Ball already looks ready to withstand it.
He almost certainly won't start, but it's not hard to envision Ball as the top backup at the two guard spot . Jack Janicki remains a factor, but Ball's tantalizing scoring ability should help him surpass the fourth-year guard.
Ball appears to be mainly competing for reps with Janicki and Hayden Jones. Both players are more experienced, as the fellow New Zealander Jones saw solid action as a true freshman. But Ball looks to have the higher ceiling; I expect him to carve out a decent role sooner rather than later.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/wisconsin as Badgers' Star Incoming International Freshman Dominates in Summer FIBA Play .
