Wisconsin’s Secret Pursuit: Which Five-Star In-State Guard Could Change Everything?

There’s a buzz swirling around Wisconsin basketball that’s got me intrigued — and it’s all about a young talent named Dooney Johnson. This Milwaukee shooting guard isn’t just any prospect; he’s a five-star recruit, already ranked 27th nationally in the class of 2027 by 247Sports. Now, what really grabs my attention is the growing list of heavyweight programs knocking on his door — from Kentucky and Indiana to Gonzaga. It’s like a bidding war waiting to happen, and the Badgers are right in the thick of it. And here’s the kicker: Johnson isn’t just another recruit, he’s Wisconsin’s top hope to bring NBA-caliber firepower back home, possibly elevating the program’s ceiling to new heights. Trust me, this one’s gonna be a saga worth watching as the recruitment season heats up. LEARN MORE

AI-assisted summary
• Wisconsin basketball has contacted 5-star 2027 shooting guard Dooney Johnson.
• Johnson, from Milwaukee, is ranked No. 27 overall in his class by 247Sports.
• Numerous top programs, including Kentucky, Indiana, and Gonzaga, have also contacted Johnson.

According to Sam Kayser, the Badgers are part of a large group of programs that have contacted Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shooting guard Dooney Johnson. Other programs on the list are Indiana, Kentucky, Marquette, Washington, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Minnesota, LSU, BYU, Cincinnati, Western Michigan, St. Louis, Southern Utah and Bradley.Of course, Wisconsin has experienced as much success as the listed programs over the last half-decade, except for Duke. But there remains a question of how much the program’s ceiling would be elevated by landing top-tier, NBA-caliber talent. Johnson looks like the next in-state player who could make that a reality.Johnson’s recruitment should be a major storyline as the 2027 cycle picks up steam. Several top-ranked in-state recruits have committed elsewhere over the last half-decade. That includes top-100 class of 2025 prospects Jamarion Batemon (Iowa State) and Xzavion Mitchell (Iowa State), Knueppel (Duke), class of 2023 standout Milan Momcilovic (Iowa State), 2022 point guard Seth Trimble (North Carolina) and 2021 point guard Tyrese Hunter (Iowa State).

247Sports lists Johnson as a five-star recruit at this stage of the 2027 cycle. He’s specifically ranked as the No. 27 overall player in the class, the No. 3 shooting guard and the No. 1 player from the state of Wisconsin. The in-state Badgers and Marquette Golden Eagles are the clear top programs on his offer sheet as of June 17, though numerous blue-blood programs, including Kentucky, Indiana and Gonzaga, appear to be entering the mix.

Wisconsin basketball is in the mix for one of the top high school prospects in the class of 2027.

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The Milwaukee Juneau High School standout also sits at No. 30 in the ESPN60. He has a real chance to surpass class of 2024 five-star recruit Kon Knueppel, who finished the cycle ranked No. 19 in the nation, as one of the state’s top players in recent memory.