LaTrevion Fenderson commits to Wisconsin men’s basketball team

The 6-foot-5 wing from Racine, who was originally offered by the Badgers as a 2025 recruit, watched the current Badgers push the pace in summer workouts, a style of play he hoped to see because he believes it best fits his own. Iowa State, UW-Milwaukee and Southern Utah also had offers, but among Division I schools, Wisconsin was the first to offer him in the summer of 2023.

Since then, Badgers assistant coach Sharif Chambliss has texted Fenderson weekly (if not daily, according to Fenderson) while the staff has followed and attended his games. Whether it was in the 2025 or 2026 class, he always felt like a priority.

“They’ve been very consistent in their conversations with me, they’ve had me come to school a lot,” Fenderson said Sunday of the Badgers. “They’ve communicated with me, that’s the biggest thing.”

So in an office with Wisconsin coach Greg Gard on Sunday, Fenderson became the first verbal commitment from the Badgers’ 2026 recruiting class, returning to campus Friday to take photos before announcing his commitment on social media later in the day. Fenderson said he’s felt like things were trending in that direction recently and has focused his energy on learning more about Wisconsin before making a final decision.

A cousin of current Badgers guard Kamari McGee, Fenderson told BadgerExtra last season that he was willing to take things slowly with his recruitment after giving himself more time to work following his reclassification, but on Sunday, he was ready.

“This is where my home is,” Fenderson said of Wisconsin.

In its previous class, Wisconsin earned commitments from De Pere guard Zach Kinziger, Middleton center Will Garlock and 6-foot-1 guard Hayden Jones from New Zealand. Fenderson acknowledged the Badgers wanted him as a member of their 2025 class, but added they were “very attentive” to his desire to play another year as he tries to make up for lost time after an ACL injury and nine months of recovery forced him to miss his freshman season.

Wisconsin could use Fenderson because its forward group will be forced to reshuffle before Fenderson can join the Madison campus. Only forward Jack Robison and guards Daniel Freitag, Jack Janicki and John Blackwell will be eligible as potential forwards on the current roster by the time Fenderson reaches the college ranks.

Sophomore forward Nolan Winter and Italian freshman forward Riccardo Greppi could also still be with the Badgers. Andrija Vukovic, a 2024 forward who Wisconsin announced was signing earlier this summer before incomplete paperwork led the Badgers to sign Greppi, signed with Oklahoma State on Sunday, according to DraftExpress.

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Fenderson said his main growth over the past season has come on defense and as a leader on the field, but his recent transfer to St. John’s Northwestern Academies in Delafield provides an opportunity to further test himself. He wants to improve in all areas. And he said the transfer is about playing against a higher level of competition, which he hopes will pay off in his overall improvement heading into college.

But the move and growth could also give him more exposure, which could help the recruiting momentum Fenderson has built since receiving his offer from Wisconsin. An early commitment to the Badgers means he can’t sign his national letter of intent for a year or more. He hasn’t really thought about that, though. Because so far, that recruiting rush hasn’t happened.

“If it happens, it happens,” Fenderson said, “but if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.”

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But at some point in the process, it became clear to him: “Yes, I want to go to Wisconsin.”

The Badgers made him feel like they wanted him on their team, regardless of class. During the visit, Gard sat Fenderson and his father in an office, showed him a video and explained where Fenderson fit into the Badgers’ future plans. It was a fit.

Ultimately, the Badgers’ earlier-than-expected investment in the 2026 class paid off with a commitment.