Baboucarr Ann's Wisconsin Commitment Feels All Too Familiar for Gophers Basketball

Another prep star from Minnesota is heading across the border to play for the Badgers.

Dec 29, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Niko Medved looks on during the first half against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Maple Grove High School star Baboucarr Ann verbally committed to Wisconsin on Thursday. Stop me if you've heard this one before, Gophers fans, but another local prep star is heading across the border to play college basketball for the Badgers.

"Belief. Trust. Development. Family. That's why I'm a Badgers," he posted on X on Thursday."

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

— Baboucarr Ann (@Babouann) June 25, 2026

Niko Medved and the Gophers coaching staff quickly identified Ann as a target in the 2027 high school recruiting class when he was hired in the spring of 2025. He was on the University of Minnesota campus for an unofficial visit last June, he came back for another one last September, and he was on campus one last time this week. He's now committed to the Gophers' top rival.

The Badgers offered him a scholarship last October after his first two unofficial visits to Minnesota. It would be naive to ignore former Maple Grove and Badgers star Brad Davison's place on Wisconsin's staff. It's fair to assume he played a large role in Ann's recruitment to Madison. Ann's recruitment emphasized the challenges Medved faces in keeping any of the state's top high school talent in Minnesota. There are years of relationships that he has to overcome.

Ann is an uber-talented 6-foot-5 wing, and he's the consensus No. 1 recruit in the state after Hopkins star Ahmed Nur announced that he will play his senior season for an Arizona prep school. The latest 247Sports Composite rates Ann as a four-star prospect and the 63rd-best player in the country.

The sky is not falling in Dinkytown. Medved signed a solid class in the 2026 cycle with Nolen Anderson from Wayzata and Cedric Tomes from East Ridge, but it's fair to admit they lost Ann's recruiting battle to Wisconsin. He was a consensus top-70 player who was on campus multiple times, and he'll now play for the Badgers. His Maple Grove teammate, Jack Thelen, also committed to Wisconsin earlier this month.

There's plenty of reason why Ann's commitment to Wisconsin isn't the end of the world for Minnesota, but their 2027 recruiting outlook now looks a little shaky. Nur was on campus for a visit, but he's already checked out Purdue, and it's fair to assume many more are coming. The Gophers will likely look across the country for other targets, but their top one is now off the board.

The NCAA's five-for-five ruling could significantly benefit the Gophers' future roster construction. Medved and his staff could just punt on the 2027 class, as played like Kyan Evans, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Bobby Durkin have all earned an extra year with the new eligibility rules.

Ultimately, Ann's commitment to Wisconsin is par for the course. It has become the norm in Midwest basketball. Both programs will move on, as very little has changed.