Recruit with in-state ties expects to hear from Wisconsin as 2026 window opens

So the 2026 guard from Indianapolis Pike High School rated three stars and the 124th-ranked recruit in the country by On3 set unofficial visits with several Big Ten programs: Illinois, Michigan State, Indiana and Ohio State. Badgers assistant Sharif Chambliss and the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball staff were also interested. So, in late October, Hall ventured to Madison, too.

And at the meeting in coach Greg Gard’s office, the Badgers showed their interest was real: On Oct. 28, 2023, Hall announced in a post to Twitter that Wisconsin had offered him a scholarship, his third Division-I offer.

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“That was a great experience,” Hall said. “(Gard) just told my family and I about like the campus and what they would expect from me coming in as a freshman, and how I fit into Wisconsin’s play style and school and all those different things. He broke down everything.”

And Hall’s interest in the Badgers is real, too. He was born in Kenosha and spent time in Racine, Chambliss’ hometown, as a baby before moving to Indianapolis. His father, MaShawn Hall, is from the state. But though Hall’s recruitment started early, it’s only just beginning. And he wants to see it through.

At midnight Saturday, 2026 recruits can be contacted directly by college basketball coaches. After more than a year of coaches reaching out through his family and basketball coaches, it marks a big day for Hall, who expects to hear from several programs such as Xavier, Indiana, DePaul, Purdue and others on or near the first day they’re allowed to reach out.

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It’s also a big day for the Badgers, who continue to fill out their 2025 class (now up to two commitments with 2025 Middleton High School center Will Garlock’s commitment Saturday) yet can start putting their full efforts in the one that follows, too. Five players have announced offers from the Badgers in the 2026 class: Hall, Lemont (Illinois) High School guard Gabriel Sularski, Wayzata (Minnesota) High School guard Christian Wiggins, Richmond Heights (Ohio) High School forward T.J. Crumble and Racine The Prairie School guard/forward LaTrevion Fenderson, who was initially offered by Wisconsin as a 2025 recruit but told BadgerExtra he’d be reclassifying to the 2026 class.

The Badgers’ 2025 class has been heavy on the wing and on the interior, and Hall fits the timeline of a program that is set to debut two point guards in junior Central Arkansas transfer Camren Hunter and former four-star Daniel Freitag, a freshman, this season. At 6 foot 3, Hall has the size to play some combo guard, but he sees himself as a point guard at the next level.

“I can score when I need to. I can pass. I can lead a team,” Hall said. “I feel like I can do everything a point guard needs.”

He said he’s adept at getting to the rim, finishing through contact and drawing fouls. Wisconsin told him to continue utilizing his leadership ability, perhaps hinting at their expectation of Hall playing a floor general role with the program. That’s one of the components that Hall is looking to improve, along with his mid-range and outside shooting and his ball-handling against pressure — all things he said he’s been good at throughout his playing career, but he feels he can always improve.

He’s been offered by IUPUI, Illinois, Texas A&M and the Badgers so far, but he expects that list to grow. Perhaps Saturday, with Michigan State, Marquette, Notre Dame and Oklahoma State also circling.

There will be a lot of new schools giving their recruiting pitches soon, something many 2026 recruits of Hall’s status are experiencing in the days leading up to one of the biggest moments of their recruitment so far. He said when he commits somewhere, he doesn’t want to decommit from that school. So he’s being cautious, taking his time. And he might not make a decision until he’s entering his senior year.

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Visits could be set up when he finally gets to talk directly with coaches, and he said he is interested in perhaps utilizing some official visits this summer. But this weekend’s still just the start for the 2026 class.

“I’m gonna take my time, go over with my family and some of my coaches and things like that so we we can figure out what fits me best and what would be the best situation for me,” Hall said. “So I feel like I’d be very patient with the commitment.”