Zavier Zens recaps Wisconsin, Utah State and Illinois visits
After visits with Wisconsin, Utah State and Illinois, Wisconsin Lutheran's Zavier Zens provided updates on his recruitment.
Wisconsin Lutheran senior Zavier Zens has become one of the surprising late additions to the 2026 college basketball recruiting class after requesting his release from an NLI with Northern Iowa on March 30. The 6-foot-7 senior had visits with Utah State, Illinois and Wisconsin over the past weekend, which he recapped with the Journal Sentinel on April 14. The first of those visits came with Utah State on April 10, whose new head coach Ben Jacobson's departure from Northern Iowa spurred Zens' request for a release from his NLI .
"It's a really special place, and basketball's really special out there to them and all the fans. It was really great to be there and see all the mountains. They sell out every game.
It's just a super cool program that is also a good program, going in the Pac-12," Zens said. Former Northern Iowa sophomore and De Pere native Will Hornseth entered the transfer portal and ultimately signed with Utah State on April 10 to join Jacobson for his junior season. Hornseth and Zens did cross paths during the latter's visit.
The familiarity with Hornseth, as well as fellow Class of 2026 recruit Jordan Boyd, makes Utah State a "more tempting" option, according to Zens. Boyd is a Missouri native who originally signed with Jacobson at Northern Iowa before flipping this week to Utah State as well. "Will is a great guy along with Jordan ...