The Wisconsin Badgers are just hours away from tipping off the basketball season against the Holy Cross Crusaders at home.
The Badgers had a solid season last year, but still fell below what some had expected out of the team. Wisconsin aims to play different basketball this season, with a possible emphasis on shooting the long-ball this season as opposed to playing big-man ball. While Wisconsin should easily defeat Holy Cross, the game also serves as a possible experiment delving into the different style of basketball the team aims to display.
Much like the UW-River Falls exhibition, the Wisconsin Badgers will be playing a smaller team, but likely will stick to the game-plan to secure the win.
Wisconsin Badgers Key to Victory #1: Establish a Paint Presence Before Long-Range Shooting
As previously mentioned, the Crusaders do not have a height advantage, and rather has a pretty clear disadvantage. The Crusaders have two 6-foot-8-inch players, but each barely played for the team a season ago as they went with a short lineup. The Crusaders do have one player who is 6-foot-10-inches, but it is unclear how much the freshman Chuck Hare will play for the team.
Outside of those three players, the Crusaders rely on an abundance of players who are between 6-feet-2-inches and 6-feet-6-inches. The Crusaders are a short, fast team and try to utilize their speed and passing ability to breakdown defenses.
For the Wisconsin Badgers, utilizing the height advantage will be a good way to slow down the fast-paced opponent. If the Wisconsin Badgers can beat down the Crusaders on the inside to start, the outside shots should become plentiful with the proper movement of the basketball.
Wisconsin Badgers Key to Victory #2: Stop Caleb Kenney Inside the Perimeter
If there is one person on the Crusaders the Badgers will have to stop it is forward Caleb Kenney, a Holy Cross veteran. Kenney is your traditional, slashing-minded forward who does not like to go to his jump shot unless he has to. Kenney plays inside and will not even attempt an outside shot, shooting just one three-pointer through three collegiate seasons.
Leading scorer Joe Octave transferred to Stony Brook this offseason, leaving Kenney as the top-returning scorer for the team. The forward is going to be the man to watch, as the Crusaders love to feed the basketball inside and then shoot from deep when the look fizzles out. If Kenney is contained, the offense I significantly less effective for the team.
Wisconsin Badgers Key to Victory #3: Take Intelligent Shots Against the Crusaders Defense
The final and perhaps most important key to victory will involve the Wisconsin Badgers taking intelligent shots all game. During the exhibition, the Badgers launched three-point shots that honestly did not make sense at times. The game was rather close at one point for the Badgers, and offered insight into what could happen with the new-look offense that coach Greg Gard is utilizing.
Three-point shots are harder to make than most two-point shots, which inherently makes the shot that much more difficult when a defender is present. The Wisconsin Badgers need to create space, prepare for the shot, and take the shot when the opportunity presents itself rather than forcing the long-ball. Wisconsin looked lost at times against UW-River Falls when the long-ball was not dropping, and that cannot happen against better competition.
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