Four-star PG Daniel Freitag chooses Wisconsin
Wisconsin landed its second pledge of the 2024 cycle on Friday, when four-star guard Daniel Freitag announced his intention to sign with the Badgers. Freitag. who recently transferred from Minnesota’s Jefferson Park High School to Southern California Academy, chose Wisconsin over fellow finalists Minnesota, Baylor, Notre Dame and Virginia.
Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy breaks down what the Badgers are getting in the four-star prospect below.
WHAT WISCONSIN IS GETTING:
A hyper-athletic and well-rounded point guard that seems to be trending in the right direction from a polish standpoint, Freitag’s reputation is that of a volume scorer that seems to be improving as a facilitator. The future Badger is a two-sport athlete that shined on the football field in addition to the hardwood at Minnesota’s Jefferson Park High School before deciding to transfer to SoCal Academy to focus on basketball next season. Up to this point, Freitag has shined as a score-first guard that averaged more than 25 PPG as a junior at Jefferson Park. His 6-foot-8 wingspan allows him to play even bigger than his listed height of 6-foot-3 and has helped him become an absolute nuisance as an on-ball defender. He’ll take the next step as he limits turnovers and becomes a better facilitator. He will have the chance to do so at SoCal Prep, where he’ll find himself matchup up with other high-level prospects on a more regular basis. Freitag is a better-than-average shooter and also has a running floater in his bag, which he uses with some regularity. How he responds to a more competitive schedule at his new school will be intriguing.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE BADGERS:
Freitag’s Friday commitment was the finish line of a marathon for the head coach Greg Gard and staff, as the Badgers were the first school to offer Freitag almost two years ago. Wisconsin was relentless in its pursuit of the four-star guard and has felt like the leader for some time now based on the solid and long-standing relationship with Gard and assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft. Landing a top-75 player is reason enough for Badger fans to be excited, but the fact that Freitag projects as a capable replacement for junior guard Chucky Hepburn, who averaged 12 points and nearly three assists per game as a sophomore a season ago is reason for extra enthusiasm.
IN HIS WORDS:
“I like the approach they’re taking, they’re making it not so overwhelming, but they’re making it evident that they want me without being super ‘in my face’. It’s been great how comfortable they’ve made me feel while I’ve been on campus.” – Freitag to Rivals in the fall