Four-Star Center Jack Thelen Decommits From Wisconsin, Reopens 2027 Recruitment

Wisconsin lost a significant piece of its 2027 recruiting class Wednesday when four-star center Jack Thelen decommitted from the Badgers and reopened his recruitment. The 7-foot-1 Maple Grove, Minnesota, prospect had been committed since June 13, but his representatives at WME Basketball confirmed the change to ESPN. Thelen is now one of the more intriguing available big men in the 2027 cycle.

Thelen’s stock rose considerably after his original commitment. He averaged 8.5 points and 6.0 rebounds on the adidas 3SSB circuit and finished the summer as ESPN’s No. 14 center. Rivals lists him around the national top 100, while 247Sports rates him as a four-star prospect. His size, touch around the basket and continued physical development made him an important part of a Wisconsin class that had climbed near the top of the national rankings.

The immediate impact is bigger than simply losing one commitment. Wisconsin still has four-star prospects Jalen Brown and Baboucarr Ann in the class, but Thelen was the frontcourt anchor and a high-school and AAU teammate of Ann. His reopening also gives other high-major programs another chance at a rapidly developing 7-footer. No reason for the decommitment has been publicly established, so any claim about why Thelen changed course would be speculation. The next development to watch is which programs move quickly to re-enter his recruitment.