Wisconsin has two commits playing in a major international game on Sunday.
The Wisconsin Badgers are beginning summer workouts, as they look ahead to the 2025 season.
But, for a few of their commits, much is at stake on Sunday, as the New Zealand U19 team will take on Slovenia in the FIBA U19 World Cup bronze medal game on Sunday.
2025 three-star guard Hayden Jones and 2026 guard Jackson Ball are both starters on the New Zealand U19 team, seeing varying degrees of success during New Zealand’s World Cup run so far.
Jones starred in New Zealand’s 84-70 quarterfinals win on Friday, dropping 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and four blocks in a massive performance.
Then, Ball was one of the lone positives in New Zealand’s blowout loss to powerhouse Team USA on Saturday, finishing with 12 points.
Jones has averaged 13.5 points and 7.8 rebounds so far during the World Cup, while Ball has averaged 11.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.
They’ll both look to help New Zealand win the third-place game against Slovenia on Sunday, with tip-off set for approximately 10:00 a.m. Central. According to FIBA, New Zealand has the 15th world ranking, while Slovenia has the 12th.
Slovenia fell short 84-72 to Germany in the semifinals on Saturday, setting themselves up for the third-place matchup.
After that, Jones will be headed to Madison to join the rest of the 2025 recruiting class for summer workouts. Ball, on the other hand, has one more year in the NZL before joining the Badgers.