Wisconsin throws hat into the recruiting ring for Port Washington's Gasser
posted by Mark Miller at 8/18/2009
By Mark Miller
Wishoops.net Editor It’s official … the University of Wisconsin has entered the sweepstakes for Port Washington senior Josh Gasser.
Gasser and his parents, Pat and Joan, met with Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan late last week. A scholarship offer was extended, though at this point it is a four-for-five deal, meaning Gasser would walkon as a freshman and then be on scholarship the next four years.
Wisconsin has two scholarships to award for next year and one of those is accounted for in 6-foot-11 center Evan Anderson of Eau Claire North. Anderson gave a verbal commitment to play for the Badgers over a year ago.
The other scholarship has been offered to Vander Blue of Madison Memorial. Blue, the dynamic 6-foot-3 guard ranked among the top 50 players in the nation by most scouting services, had verbally committed to Wisconsin in the spring of 2008, but re-opened his recruiting last spring and is now considering other schools.
Should Blue ultimately decide to turn down Wisconsin, there is a strong possibility Gasser would earn the second scholarship.
“We were a little hesitant at first because we didn’t know their scholarship situation,” Pat Gasser said of the meeting in Madison last Friday. “We are glad we went. It was good to talk with Bo Ryan and hear from him how they felt about Josh.”
Currently ranked No. 3 among state prospects in the class of 2010 by Wishoops.net, Gasser is a versatile 6-4 combination guard who turned in a terrific spring and summer while competing for the Wisconsin Swing-Selk grassroots program.
Gasser is outstanding at going to the basket and either finishing or getting to the foul line, and he has greatly improved his perimeter jump shot. He also has added weight and strength to his frame and is now competing at 195 pounds.
“The Badgers called and invited Josh and his parents over for a visit and then offered the four-for-five deal,” Port Washington coach John Bunyan said. “They are hoping he walks on the first year and then he’ll get a scholarship the last four years. They had a good visit with the Badgers.”
Whether Gasser would accept the four-for-five deal over full scholarship offers from the likes of Arizona State, Maryland, Northwestern, Northern Iowa, UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee remains a question.
Gasser is also receiving strong recruiting interest from both Oklahoma State and Virginia.
“Walking on the first year … I don’t know if that is what Josh would want to do,” Pat Gasser said. “I’m not sure on that. But Wisconsin is our state school and it’s a school we have followed for a long time. It’s exciting.”
Quick Hitters … Former Southern Door guard Derik Hawkey has transferred from Minnesota-Crookston to Willison Junior College … Milwaukee Destiny guard Brian Brooks will attend Kennedy-King Junior College in Chicago … Milwaukee King graduate Ed Reed plans to compete for Harcum College in Pennsylvania in the fall … Former Wauwatosa West forward Rico Combs will play at NCAA Division II Central Missouri next year. He spent the past two years at Sauk Valley Community College … Northern Iowa and UW-Milwaukee have extended scholarships to Merrill junior Paul Jesperson … North Dakota State has extended a scholarship offer to De Pere junior Chris Kading … Ball State, Boise State, Campbell, Hawaii and Montana are the latest schools to offer a scholarship to Arrowhead senior Ben Mills.
Comments 6
On
8/18/2009 2:32:40 PM
pistol pete wrote:
If Blue doesnt commit to the Badgers then Gasser doesnt have to walk on. Ed Reed is a D1 talent-hopefully he takes care of business and m,akes grades so in two years he can play at the D1 level.
On
8/18/2009 5:09:01 PM
sportsfan wrote:
IMO, I would take the walk-on for a year IF Wisco is really where he wants to be. One year of tuition would be worth it, IMO.
But it is hard to pass up a free ride!
Any choice will be a good one for him!
On
8/18/2009 6:23:40 PM
The CrackerJack wrote:
Personally, I would love to have Gasser join the Badgers in this situation. However, if I were Gasser, it would seem like a slap in the face to me. His home state school, which I am sure he is probably a fan of, has barely recruited him and now they are offering him a preferred walk-on roll when could go somewhere else, and somewhere good, on a full ride. Wisconsin is basically saying come here and walk on a year because we want the other guy more even though Gasser is a player that has earned many scholarship offers and does not deserve to walk on. As a player, he has earned a free ride because of play.
With that said, I would love to see Blue recommit and then have Gasser want to stay home and come to Madison. It would be ideal, but I have a funny feeling Wisconsin will get neither...
On
8/18/2009 8:44:25 PM
sportsfan wrote:
Why is it a slap in the face? Players mature at different rates.
On
8/23/2009 8:33:21 PM
The CrackerJack wrote:
Its a slap in the face because he has proved to be a high major d1 prospect and they are saying you can come if you want to walk on. As far as maturing, Gasser is in UW's backyard. You think they would be aware of his growth as a player sooner than schools such as Maryland and Arizona State. Gasser has been continually growing over the last few years as a player and he has been dominating games in Wisconsin. Now he does it on a national level and teams from around the county and his offer total is piling up. Still, Wisconsin says you can come here if you walk on...Just seems like a slap in the face to me.
On
8/23/2009 10:58:14 PM
travis wrote:
Apparently you forget that UW had offered and had accepted the only two scholarships they had in the 2010 class for over a year before Vander de-committed. With Vander still an option for them, they can't give that schollie away until they get an answer from him. I don't think it's a slap in the face to Gasser at all, as for over a year they didn't even have a scholarship to offer to him, and now they are waiting to hear from a National Top 25 recruit. As Mark mentions, there's a good chance that if Vander does decide to go elsewhere that Gasser's offer would be a full schollie.
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