4-Star Class of 2027 Wing Picks Wisconsin Over Iowa State

A Class of 2027 four-star wing has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers over the Iowa State Cyclones.

Sep 16, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; The Wisconsin logo is flown on a flag prior to the game between the Georgia Southern Eagles and Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have done a wonderful job when it comes to recruiting for the Class of 2027 in men’s basketball.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger and his staff had some obstacles to overcome, such as assistant coaches JR Blount and Kyle Green leaving for head coaching jobs with the San Diego Toreros and Northern Iowa Panthers, respectively.

Their departures didn’t slow down the recruiting efforts despite Blount being the lead for Donovan Davis, a four-star player from Freedom High School in Wisconsin, who committed earlier this year.

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard and Marquette Golden Eagles head coach Shaka Smart have to be tired of Otzelberger snagging so much talent from their state. But the Badgers and Gard have finally gotten one over on the Cyclones.

Baboucarr Ann commits to Wisconsin over Iowa State

(EDITORS NOTE: CAPTION CORRECTION - corrected team name)Mar 15, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, United States; South Dakota State Jackrabbits head coach T.J. Otzelberger is interviewed by the media at Vivint Smart Home Arena. | Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images

Four-star shooting guard Baboucarr Ann has announced that he is committing to Wisconsin. He was someone Iowa State was heavily connected to on the recruiting trail, as he made four visits to Ames.

Alas, it wasn’t enough to sway his decision, as he will be heading to the Badgers after his career with the Maple Grove Crimson comes to an end. He selected Wisconsin out of the eight offers he had.

Seven of the eight came from Power Conference programs, including some of the Cyclones’ rivals in the Big 12 with the West Virginia Mountaineers, Oklahoma State Cowboys and Arizona State Sun Devils.

Ultimately, he decided Big Ten country was the best fit for him, and he will be part of the Badgers’ Class of 2027, which currently ranks No. 12 in the country. He is the third player to commit to Wisconsin in the class, joining fellow four-star Jalen Brown and his high school teammate, Jack Thelen, a three-star player.

Belief. Trust. Development. Family.
That’s why I’m a Badger. 🦡❤️#OnWisconsin #Alhamdulia #Committed pic.twitter.com/5gtLLiq8lj

— Baboucarr Ann (@Babouann) June 25, 2026

While it certainly would have been great to add another four-star player to their own Class of 2027, this isn’t too big a blow to the Cyclones. Otzelberger has already secured commitments from three four-star players, including Josiah Harrington, who is a shooting guard like Ann.

Harrington, Davis and Jack Kohnen are all ranked ahead of Carr, per Rivals, after they recently updated their player rankings. Iowa State has the No. 3-ranked class in the nation currently and is No. 1 in the Big 12.

With those three players coming abroad in the future, and the Class of 2026 including two guards in Yusef Gray Jr. and Christian Wiggins, the backcourt is in great shape for the Cyclones for years to come.