Badgers add forward Currie
MADISON - After missing out on several prospects in the last several months, Wisconsin coach Greg Gard and his staff signed a skilled player they believe will be a significant contributor.
Taylor Currie, a 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward from Clarkston (Mich.) High School, signed his national letter of intent Wednesday to join UW in 2018.
Currie originally committed to Michigan.
He announced Sept. 29 he was backing out of that commitment, however, and visited UW on Oct. 21.
He chose UW over Xavier and intends to redshirt his first season.
“Taylor’s recruitment intensified quickly and we could easily see that he fit in well with our culture not only on the court, but off the court and in the classroom as well,” Gard said. “When he visited Wisconsin, he impressed us with his maturity level and understanding of the process of how to have success as a Badger.
“I think he has an excellent chance to really develop and excel in our program. Taylor is a very skilled post player with the ability to stretch defenses with his range to the three-point line.”
UW has one more scholarship available and could sign another player in the spring.
Currie was a Detroit News All-North second-team pick and earned Class A All-State honorable mention in 2017.
He reclassified from the 2019 recruiting class to the 2018 class and bypassed his junior year.
The only underclassman on Clarkston’s roster as a sophomore, Currie started and averaged 9.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. Clarkston won the Oakland Red Conference Crown with an 11-1 record and went on to win the Class A state title, its first in school history, and finished 27-1.
Currie played at Worthington (Ohio) Christian as a freshman before moving and transferring to Clarkston High School.
At Worthington, Currie helped the Warriors to a 20-5 record and a District Finals appearance. Currie played AAU Basketball with All-Ohio Red.
“To show how successful and advanced he is academically, he could have stayed in high school and graduated in the 2019 class,” Gard said, “but decided to accelerate his education with the ability to enter college beginning in the summer of 2018 and start to grow as a student-athlete by competing against the best.”