MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) – The Wisconsin Badgers have bolstered its men’s basketball program after keeping one of the state’s top high school basketball players.

As announced on his Twitter page, 2025 four-star recruit Zach Kinziger from De Pere plans to play for the Badgers. The 6’3″ shooting guard reportedly received offers from Cal Poly, Illinois State, and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay but ultimately went with Wisconsin.

Kinziger spoke with Local 5 Sports in an exclusive interview on Friday and shared that he picked Greg Gard’s squad because of the way the Badgers made him feel.

“The feeling of being and playing for your home state, with all the fans supporting you, that’s the legacy I want to carry on through high school and now into my college career,” Kinziger said.

“It’s always been a dream of mine. I mean I’ve been watching (the Badgers) since I was a little kid. The coaches were a really big part of it. They really wanted me and were really genuine about it. It all kind of came together and was a no-brainer for me.”

As a sophomore, Kinziger averaged 15 points and three assists per game for the Red Birds, who went 30-0 and won the Division I State Championship.

Iowa, Iowa State, Marquette, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Utah, and others had expressed interest in Kinziger this summer. He’s coming off a phenomenal spring and summer on the travel circuit with Team Herro, one of Wisconsin’s top AAU teams.