4-star center Gus Yalden commits to Wisconsin

Four-star center Gus Yalden of Asheville (N.C.) School has committed to Wisconsin, he told On3.

“I picked Wisconsin because it offers a style of play that fits me,” Yalden said to On3. “It was one of the first schools that started recruiting me and they also never stopped recruiting me despite my injury. I grew up a Wisconsin fan and actually cried when they lost the National championship in 2015. Being a Badger was a dream of my mine for as long as I could remember and I’m really excited that it’s becoming a reality. It also offers a great business school which is what I want to major in.”

The 6-foot-8 center chose the home-state Badgers over offers from Nebraska, Rutgers, College of Charleston, and others.

Yalden is the No. 93 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also ranks as the nation’s No. 11 center.

Nicknamed Baby Jokic or Gus Bus, Yalden played last season at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy but transferred to Asheville School this season after missing eight months with a foot injury. This past season, Yalden averaged 17.4 points and almost 7.0 rebounds a game.

Scouting Report on Yalden

“Gus Yalden has a strong frame and an excellent skill base. You immediately notice his footwork; he has an array of moves from 15-feet and in with upfakes and up-and-unders. He is a skilled ball-handler in the open floor and can knock down a three-pointer off the catch. The athleticism will be the ultimate question; where does he defend? However, he consistently gives great effort. Yalden is a matchup problem and has consistently given production at a high level.” — Jamie Shaw, On3 National Recruiting Analyst

Yalden also gave his own personal take on his game.

“I’m a versatile big man who can do a lot of things,” Yalden told On3’s Jamie Shaw. “I can play physical, knock down jump shots, put it on the floor, and get to the rim. A lot of people have compared me to Nikola Jokic and Kevin Love, and I understand that. I would say for me, growing up, my favorite basketball player was Kevin Durant. Every big man’s dream is to play like a guard, so I watched a lot of his games and tried to model what I do after him.”