Twitter Question: What Was Your Recruitment Like? Why Wisconsin?

I’ll start with this: My recruitment was COMPLETELY different than the recruiting shenanigans you see today. 

Honestly, mine was about as simple as you could get. 

I won’t go into my entire high school career so I’ll keep this to one weekend in particular. The weekend where I made the best decision of my young life (at the time). Of course, my best decision since then is marrying Olivia!

Ritchie Davis, head coach of my AAU Team “The Wisconsin Playground Warriors”, called me on a Tuesday afternoon in June of 2010. This was the Tuesday right after the initial “Spring session” of the AAU Season had finished. 

“Sam, I’m sending you to the Wisconsin Elite Camp this weekend. You can’t say no. I told Greg Gard about you and I want them to see you play for a full weekend.”

“Uhhh.. okay cool? They know who I am?”

“Of course. Just play your butt off. Have fun. Call me when you’re there.” 

I was still pretty naive to the whole recruiting process. I was 16, lanky, and enjoying high school like a normal kid. I just finished a 5-inch growth spurt and was playing some good basketball and picked up some interest and even a couple offers from some mid-majors. 

To be honest, I didn’t see myself as a prized recruit. There wasn’t much buzz around my name. Bradley, Northern Illinois, UW-Milwaukee, and Northern Iowa were my only offers. These offers alone were awesome to me because it meant I actually had a chance to play college hoops. There was not one “blip” on my radar thinking I was going to play high major ball, and that was okay I’m my eyes. Heck, a few months before this Marquette told me I “lacked the athleticism for Big East basketball”. 

With a duffle bag and some beat-up Nike Hyperdunks, my dad and I made our way to Madison for camp. Neither of us expected much, just another opportunity to bond with my dad over the sport we love. 

Pops dropped me off at Sellery Residence Hall, right across the street from the Kohl Center. I checked in, got my jersey, and walked with the campers (mainly my AAU buddy/teammate Bronson Koenig and Matt Thomas, future Iowa State Cyclone) over to the Nicholas Johnson Pavilion. 

Minutes later, we split into teams and started playing some games in the Badger’s practice facility. 

During the first camp game, I noticed a bunch of murmuring around the gym. Everyone was looking towards the back corner of the facility. Coach Bo Ryan had walked in. Still a clueless kid, I had no idea he was watching me...

I played my usual game. Hit a few shots, made some nice passes, and had a couple of dunks that I thought were pretty cool. After the game, I tried to find my dad and I noticed him talking...to Bo? What the hell is my dad doing with him? 

He motioned for me to come over and introduce myself. I shake the legendary coach’s hand and say “Nice to meet you, coach. Thanks for having us here!”

“Sam, it would be great to have a player like you here at Wisconsin.” 

My dad and I both chuckled. 

My Pops says “Yeah, that would be pretty cool. We’re just gonna keep working.”

“No, Todd. You’re not hearing me. I’m offering Sam a scholarship.”

I had no idea what to say. I thought he was joking. I basically went numb and just started stuttering, which was probably the worst example of a recruit handling his composure. 

“Are you...wait you’re serious?? Oh wow. Coach. What??! Thank you. For real? Thank you!”

I’ll never forget the look on my Dad’s face. He was equal parts shocked, proud, and confused. Same probably goes, no, DEFINITELY goes for me. What in the world just happened? I had no idea I was even on their radar and now I have an offer after 10 minutes of being here?! 

“You did a few things that showed me you’re a ballplayer. I saw what I had to see.” 

Coach Ryan left us, telling me he’s around all weekend if I want to talk. 

The first person to call: Mom. (She tells us she’s driving to Madison in the morning because I don’t think she believed us.)

Next person: Ritchie Davis. Ritchie works unbelievably hard for all of his players. The reason I was even at this camp was because of him. To this day, I owe so much of my story to him. He told me he was proud of me and to do whatever feels right. 

“What do you mean?” I asked. I hadn’t even really realized I had an offer yet and Ritchie basically explained to me that I could actually commit if I wanted. 

That’s when the wheels in my head started to turn. I could become a Badger right then and there. My home state. My favorite team. It’s almost too good to be true. 

That night at the dorms I kept all my thoughts to myself and didn’t talk to anyone. I mulled it over and made my decision within just a few hours. 

“Hey, Mom. Can you and Dad come to camp tomorrow? I want to commit.”

I couldn’t believe I was saying that. I was about to fulfill a dream I didn’t even know I had a chance at. My parents were fully supportive; which was amazing. So many young players are steered and influenced by their parents wishes more than their own. My folks just wanted me happy. They reiterated to me that I have all their support in whatever I wanted to do. 

The next morning we find Assistant Coach Gary Close and ask if we can chat with Coach Ryan. He led us up to Bo’s decorated office and sat across from us behind his “Motion W” monogrammed lounge chair. 

“So, what’s up Sam? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, Coach. Everything’s great. Uhhh...”

I once again forgot how to form sentences. So Coach helped me out. 

“What do ya want Sammy?”

“I wanna be a Badger.” 

And just like that, it was over. I was a Badger right then and there. 

My Mom and Dad jumped up, both in tears, and hugged me and then Coach Ryan. Greg Gard and Gary Close come in to join the mini-celebration. 

“Welcome to the family” - is a sentence I’ll never forget. 

So, in a nutshell, my entire “serious” recruitment was over and done with within 36 hours. Easy, simple, no stress. I know that‘s much different than what we see with big recruits today but I love that it went the way it did. 

There was no second-thought to be had. I was a 16-year-old, pretty unknown kid from a city of 50,000. What else could I want? Home State. Great fans. Winning culture. Incredible campus. Sign me up. 

In all the madness and hoopla, I couldn’t tell which way was up or down. But before we left the basketball offices to go back down to camp, Coach Ryan grabbed me before we walked out. 

“Sammy, you think can you help me get to a Final Four?”

Maybe it was ignorance or maybe it’s just who I am; but before I could think I said... 

“I promise you we’ll get to a Final Four.”

We got 2. 

The most important part:

(Thank you Frank, Josh, Ben, Nigel, Trae, Bronson, Duje, Dan, Z-Bo, Showy, Riley, Jordan, Berg, Vitto, Jordan Hill, Evan, Mike, Ryan, JD, George, Moesch, Ferry, TJ, Gardo, LP, Coach Close, Coach Ryan, Joe Krabbenhoft, DOBO, Kat, Marc, Otto, Patrick Herb, Gary, all our managers and EVERYONE else that contributed to our success. You guys gave me memories of a lifetime)