A week after news broke that two of rival Marquette’s leading players were leaving the team, Wisconsin has officially secured a spot as one of the top suitors for the Hauser brothers.
Junior forward Sam Hauser and freshman Joey Hauser were second and third in scoring for the Golden Eagles last season at 14.9 and 9.7 points per game respectively, but last Monday brought the shocking announcement that the Stevens Point, Wisconsin, natives were electing to leave the program.
Tuesday’s announcement ended a week of speculation amongst Badger fans about whether or not the brothers could potentially find their way to the school that recruited Joey heavily in high school. The younger Hauser brother told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein that they will visit Wisconsin, along with Big Ten rivals Iowa and Michigan State and defending national champions Virginia.
Barring an unexpected waiver, the brothers will not be able to play immediately for Wisconsin if they commit to the Badgers, and will sit out a year before being eligible for the 2020-’21 season.
After losing out in Joey’s recruitment largely because of his desire to play with his brother, Wisconsin now has multiple personal connections to the two players that could play a role in their second commitment. Badger guard Trevor Anderson played with the Hausers in high school, while Sam’s girlfriend M.E. Dodge will be a senior on the Wisconsin volleyball team in the fall.
With only junior guard Brevin Pritzl set to graduate next year, the potential addition of the Hauser brothers could give the Badgers a deep and experienced roster in two years' time.
