“I had a chance to go up there and spend multiple-day segments and meet people and get a chance to know the lay of the land and connect with people that were the prominent people,” Gard said. “It was a good starting point, but it has been 20 years of relationship-building that’s allowed it to evolve.”

When Gard and the No. 19 Badgers (16-6, 8-3 Big Ten) take on Minnesota (16-6, 6-5) tonight at Williams Arena, two-fifths of their starting lineup will be made up of Minnesota natives: sophomore guard Brad Davison and sophomore forward Nate Reuvers.

Starting with Ryan’s first full class in 2002, UW has signed 53 full-scholarship players over 18 recruiting cycles. Ten of those players — almost 20 percent — are from Minnesota. The only state with more is, of course, Wisconsin with 16.

That Minnesota total doesn’t include UW walk-ons Joe Hedstrom, who is redshirting this season as a true freshman and will go on scholarship in 2019-20, and Walt McGrory. But it does include Tyler Wahl, a Minnesota product who will arrive in Madison this summer and, as of now, is the only member of UW’s 2019 recruiting class.

Wahl plays at Lakeville North High School, the same school that produced Reuvers. Both players picked the Badgers over scholarship offers from Minnesota, among others.