DE PERE (NBC 26) — Zach Kinziger, one of the top in-state basketball recruits in the class of 2025, made it official on Wednesday.
The De Pere guard and former WIAA state champion signed to play for the Wisconsin Badgers after he graduates next spring.
“It’s a great feeling to just officially become a Badger,” De Pere senior guard Zack Kinziger said. “I’ve always been a Badger, but now to put pen on paper, it’s truly a good feeling.
Kinziger, who is ranked as ESPN’s No. 68 recruit in the nation committed to Wisconsin last year.
“Everything kind of came together," he said. "Being an in-state kid, being a Badger fan my whole life, loving the coach staff, the tradition they have at Wisconsin, it was really hard to beat for me."
Last season as a junior with the Redbirds, Kinziger averaged 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists per game.
He has played at the varsity level since he was freshman and has a career 42% shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
Kinziger said he feels like his style of play will be perfect for when he gets down to Madison.
“They’re picking up the tempo a little bit,” Kinziger said. “Shooting a lot of threes, which I thrive on and I’ve seen past guys like Brevin Pritzl even that came through De Pere (and went to Wisconsin)."
"I can envision myself playing like those guys," he continued. "I think it will be a great fit for me.”
After winning a state title in 2022, Kinziger said he is happy to have all the stress of recruitment behind him. He said now he can focus on his last ride with the Redbirds.
“Now that’s my main goal – is to just go get that gold ball back after falling short last year," Kinziger said. "The rest of my teammates would agree with me on that. That’s the No. 1 job right now and then I can worry about (being a) Wisconsin Badger after."
