The Wisconsin Badgers will have their first major test of the 2023-2024 college basketball season on Friday night when they host the ninth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee is going to be one of the best teams in the country this season and Wisconsin is going to have to earn their stripes in this one.
The Badgers have a brutal out-of-conference schedule and in order to make the NCAA Tournament this season, they are going to have to stack up some big-time wins. They are both 1-0 on the year.
Players to Watch For on the Wisconsin Badgers Against the Tennessee Volunteers
The Badgers defeated Arkansas State on Monday 105-76. Wisconsin’s offense will have to be humming once again on Friday night in order to pull off the upset against the Tennessee Volunteers. Three starters on Monday scored in double figures and one player off the bench also scored in double figures.
Chucky Hepburn scored 20 points on Monday and he led the Badgers in scoring in the first game of the season. He also grabbed one rebound and recorded six assists for Greg Gard’s squad. Transfer player AJ Storr scored 15 points, Max Klesmit scored 14 points, and John Blackwell scored 12 points off the bench as well.
The offense will face a much stingier defense in this contest.
The Tennessee Volunteers Had Three Guys in Double Figures on Monday and the Defense Could Pose Problems to the Wisconsin Badgers
The Volunteers defense only gave up 42 points on Monday against Tennessee Tech and they did score 80 against them. Three players scored in double figures for Tennessee. Dalton Knecht scored 17 points for the Tennessee Volunteers and also grabbed three rebounds. He was the leading scorer for Rick Barnes’s squad.
Josiah-Jordan James also scored 15 points for the Volunteers on Monday and Jordan Gainey scored 11 points off the bench. They are a very athletic squad. If Wisconsin struggles shooting from the field against Tennessee on Friday night and it can very well happen, it will be a long night for the Badgers against the Volunteers.
