Badgers sign Dekker on first available day

MADISON, Wis. -- The lone oral scholarship commitment to Wisconsin's men's basketball 2012 recruiting class didn't waste any time in making his pledge to the Badgers official. Sam Dekker, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward from Sheboygan Lutheran High School, signed his National Letter of Intent to play at Wisconsin on Wednesday, the first day of the November early signing period. Dekker, a 2012 McDonald's All-American nominee, averaged 28.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists last season as a junior. He earned the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division 5 Player of the Year honor and was a first-team All-Central Lakeshore Conference pick. The Associated Press selected him as a second-team all-state member. "We're obviously very excited to have Sam join our program," Badgers coach Bo Ryan said in a press release. "He brings the entire package to Wisconsin. Sam possesses all of the first-class intangibles that you want in someone representing your program on the court, in the classroom and in the community." During his sophomore season, Dekker earned first-team all-conference honors and was an AP all-state honorable mention pick after averaging 26.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. "From a basketball perspective, his length and skill set will allow him to play different positions and as he develops and adds strength to his frame, he will be a great fit within our system," Ryan said. "He's got a great knowledge base of the game. He can handle the ball like a guard with excellent court vision and passing ability and a perimeter shooting game that has rapidly improved." Dekker received a scholarship offer to Wisconsin in June of 2010 and committed to the Badgers just 24 hours later. He is ranked the No. 6 small forward in the country by Scout.com and likely would have been offered more scholarships had he not committed before his junior season. Dekker's other offers at the time were from Bradley, Milwaukee, Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa. "Given the fact that he could have gone just about anywhere he wanted, but decided that he wanted to pursue his dream of being a Wisconsin Badger, is extremely special and a testament to what the players here before him have accomplished," Ryan said. "His decision also speaks volumes to how this program, along with the success and development of the players within it, is now viewed from a national perspective." The Badgers will lose two players to graduation when Dekker joins the team for the 2012-13 season in senior All-American point guard Jordan Taylor and guard Rob Wilson. Wisconsin had another scholarship to give for the 2012 recruiting class but is instead saving it for the class of 2013. Follow Jesse Temple on Twitter.