The Badgers have multiple commits playing in the FIBA U19 World Cup this week.
The Wisconsin Badgers have hit the international recruiting trail hard over the last few classes, landing commitments from multiple New Zealand players in the 2025 and 2026 cycles.
First, Wisconsin got a commitment from three-star guard Hayden Jones in the 2025 class. Jones was one of four commits for the Badgers in the cycle, joining four-star guard Zach Kinziger, three-star center Will Garlock, and 19-year-old Lithuanian forward Aleksas Bieliauskas.
Then, the Badgers landed guard Jackson Ball in the 2026 class. He became the second commit in the cycle, joining in-state three-star forward LaTrevion Fenderson.
Both players hail from the NZL in New Zealand and got the chance to team up this week at the FIBA U19 World Cup, where they represented their national team.
Jones was the star of the show on Friday, leading New Zealand past Switzerland in the quarterfinals, putting up 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and four blocks in the win.
That set up a semifinals matchup versus the juggernaut Team USA on Saturday, where New Zealand was expectedly outmatched in a 120-64 loss.
In that contest, Ball was the standout, coming second on the team in points (12), while shooting 4/10 from the field.
Jones struggled a bit, scoring five points, three rebounds, three assists, and five turnovers on 2/9 from the field.
Now, New Zealand will take on Slovenia in the third-place game, where Jones and Ball will put their skills on display once again. After that, Madison is next for Jones, as he’ll join the team for summer workouts. Ball, on the other hand, has one more year before heading to Wisconsin.