The Wisconsin Badgers have once again found themselves on the wrong side of a high-stakes in-state recruiting battle.

This time, head coach Greg Gard and his staff watched as 6-foot-7 power forward Donovan Davis—a Kaukauna native and one of the state's top prospects—committed to Iowa State. According to Rivals' Joe Tipton, Davis is among the highest-rated recruits to ever join the Cyclones in the modern recruiting era.

Davis had listed the Badgers among his top five schools, but ultimately chose Iowa State over Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and Marquette. It's a tough pill to swallow for a program that prides itself on locking down homegrown talent.

Interestingly, some insiders view this as the "best-case scenario" if Madison wasn't going to be his final destination. The silver lining? The Badgers likely won't face Davis unless the two teams meet in the NCAA Tournament—a matchup that would add instant drama to any bracket.

Despite this miss, Gard's 2027 recruiting class is shaping up nicely. But landing Davis would have been the ultimate cherry on top. He's ranked as a top-10 power forward in his class and is widely considered a top-40 recruit in the nation. For Badgers fans, it's another reminder that keeping elite in-state talent home is never a guarantee—and the competition is only getting tougher.