Gonzaga makes early move for rising 4-star Joey Kohnen in 2028 recruiting class

The Wisconsin standout played for the same AAU program as 5-star Gonzaga commit Dooney Johnson

Slinger's Joey Kohnen (1) breaks past Whitefish Bay's Matthew Schoenefeldt (5) during the WIAA Division 2 boys state championship basketball game on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Whitefish Bay won the game, 64-58. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The state of Wisconsin has been an active recruiting zone for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs as of late. After securing a commitment from 2027 5-star guard Dooney Johnson - a Milwaukee native - last year, the Zags are now in pursuit of a fellow Wisconsinite in the 2028 class in 6'5 wing Joey Kohnen.

Kohnen reported on Instagram Friday afternoon that he received an offer from Gonzaga, mentioning conversations with coach Brian Michaelson and general manager Kurt Bambauer.

From left to right: Sports analyst Sean Farnham, Gonzaga assistant coaches Kurt Bambauer and Brian Michaelson. | Photo by Erik Smith

Gonzaga joins Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, Butler, and Notre Dame in offering the Slinger high school star, who appeared this summer on Team Herro - the same AAU club as Johnson.

Kohnen is a 3-star recruit ranked No. 116 in the 2028 class at 247Sports, although the site's composite ranking has him as a 4-star and sitting far higher at No. 64. That's because he's up at No. 53 at ESPN and No. 96 at Rivals, with plenty of updates to come with his high school junior season getting underway this winter.

Why Joey Kohnen is rising in the 2028 recruiting class

Kohnen averaged 15.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game as a sophomore at Slinger, but a broken ankle limited him to just a handful of appearances this summer on the AAU circuit. He did return and play five games at Peach Jam with Team Herro's 16U club, averaging 13.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.

Slinger's Joey Kohnen (1) drives in for two against McFarland during their WIAA Division 2 state semifinal basketball game on Friday, March 20, 2026, at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Kohnen's older brother Jack is a prospect in the 2027 class who committed to Iowa State this summer, and the brothers have been dominant for Slinger the past few years in Wisconsin.

Gonzaga is building its 2028 recruiting board

Kohnen becomes the second player in the 2028 class to receive an offer from Gonzaga, joining 6'5 guard Jordan Mize. Mize plays at Sierra Canyon high school in California, and is currently a consensus 5-star recruit who comes in at No. 22 in 247Sports' composite rankings. Kansas, UCLA, Alabama, Tennessee, Washington, Oregon, and Creighton are among the many other programs who have offered the star guard.

Gonzaga is also connected to Seattle-area guard Quentin Mosby and another Wisconsin native, Kinston Knueppel.

Mosby is currently set to play at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, after beginning his high school career in Seattle. He is No. 61 in the composite rankings at 247Sports, and has offers from Washington, Stanford, Georgia Tech, Utah, and Northwestern.

Wisconsin Lutheran's Kinston Knueppel (34) is fouled by Appleton North's Matthew Rosplochowski (2) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Knueppel is the younger brother of Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel and 2027 4-star recruit Kager Knueppel. Kon played at Duke with Cooper Flagg in 2024-25, while Kager is committed to join the Blue Devils in 2027-28.

Kinston doesn't have an offer from Duke as of yet, but is drawing interest from Notre Dame, Marquette, Wake Forest, Butler, and Davidson, among others.

Gonzaga has one recruit set to join them at Kraziness in the Kennel next Saturday, Oct. 3, and that is 2027 4-star wing Gene Roebuck. It remains to be seen if anyone else will join him as the staff looks to capitalize on what is typically a strong recruiting weekend for the program.