College basketball is back! The Wisconsin Badgers begin their Big Ten Championship defense tomorrow night. First up for Wisconsin is South Dakota Basketball out of the Summit League. There is a ton of minutes and points up for grabs. Tip-off is 7:30 on BTN.
How Many Players Does Greg Gard Play vs. South Dakota Basketball?
Greg Gard mentioned recently that there are up to 12 players that are competing for spots in the rotation. Gard also mentioned he knows the rotation will have to shorten up as the year goes along. I think there’s a chance we see some Wisconsin players not in the rotation vs. South Dakota Basketball that play a huge role Friday against Stanford.
I do think Jahcobi Neath, Kamari McGee, Connor Essegian, and Carter Gilmore will be in the rotation tomorrow for Wisconsin vs. South Dakota Basketball. Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges could see some minutes too. That would also leave Isaac Lindsey, who was just awarded a scholarship. It’s only the first game, but Wisconsin will want to see who works together before Big Ten play begins.
Who Makes An Immediate Impact in Wisconsin vs. South Dakota Basketball?
The Badgers have a core three with Tyler Wahl, Chucky Hepburn, and Steven Crowl. After that, there is a ton of question marks. I really like what Max Klesmit did in the Red-White scrimmage and the exhibition game. Klesmit has the ability to be a good shooter behind the arc and has toughness to him too.
I’ve also been a huge fan of Kamari McGee from day one. I liked him at UW-Green Bay and I think he can run the point with Chucky Hepburn on the court, He has a good motor and can play well on the defensive side too for Wisconsin vs. South Dakota Basketball.
The player I think to watch in Wiscosnin-South Dakota Basketball is Carter Gilmore. Gilmore was in the rotation and got minutes in the beginning of last year. As the season went along, he lost his spot and didn’t play much. He’s looked more confident in his play and the coaching staff has raved about the improvements he made. He has the ability to play forward off the bench, which takes pressure off of Chris Hodges.
Growing Pains Is OK
Just like last season, we don’t know what to expect right away with this team. Every team has growing pains early on, especially after losing a five-year starter and a top-10 NBA draft pick. A lot of these players were not asked to make significant contributions last season. This year, that changes, beginning with Wisconsin facing South Dakota Basketball.
Tomorrow will have frustrating moments, but also moments of optimism. College Basketball is a long season and the Badgers will only get better as the season goes along
Wisconsin vs. South Dakota Prediction
This is not a cakewalk by any stretch. The Coyotes return their top three scorers from last season which is over 40 points a game. As a team, South Dakota Basketball averaged 75 points a game last season. They can score and they have good guard play. Expect Hepburn and Klesmit to have their work cut out early for them.
The first game of the season is always tough especially for the team that’s expected to win. South Dakota will play with nothing to lose. On the other hand, Wisconsin knows they need to start off on a good note.
At the end of the day, I don’t see South Dakota Basketball being able to stop Tyler Wahl. I think he has a good game to start the season as does Steven Crowl. The Badgers are too good inside and outside. I like the balance of this team and think they pull away early in the second half.
Wisconsin Basketball 75 – South Dakota Basketball 64
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