The Wisconsin Badgers basketball team secured a big win on opening night despite trailing 23-9 at one point against Holy Cross.
The Crusaders entered the game as 23-point underdogs, but held a big 23-9 lead over the Badgers early in the first-half of play. The Badgers did not have any answers to the Crusaders on offense, and were losing the inside battle early in the game. However, the Badgers quickly got hot, and made sure the game stayed in their favor.
Transfer guard John Tonje led the Wisconsin Badgers in scoring and was a big reason as to why the Badgers were able to comeback from the deficit. The guard dropped 23-points with three big triples for the offense that helped shift the momentum. Tonje also recorded five rebounds and eight free-throws for the team in his first game for the Badgers.
Guard John Blackwell was another tremendous player for Wisconsin against Holy Cross due to his play in the point role. The Wisconsin Badgers do not have a true point guard on the team this season, but Blackwell has stepped into the role in the starting lineup. Blackwell looked good in his first start in the role, scoring 16-points and nailing two three-point shots for the team.
Perhaps the best offensive performance was actually from forward Nolan Winter, who was perfect from the field. Winter scored 15-points, nailing two three-pointers, six total field goals, and also four rebounds for the Badgers. Winter also displayed impressive play in the paint for Wisconsin, which is something the team can really use this season moving forward.
What Went Right, What Went Wrong For the Wisconsin Badgers Against the Holy Cross Crusaders
While the Wisconsin Badgers looked great in the second-half of play and pulled off the win, the team also looked severely different in the first-half.
Starting with what went right for the Wisconsin Badgers, the long-ball really appears to be a possible option for the team. Between Winter, Blackwell, Klesmit, and Tonje, the starting lineup can easily make a dozen three-pointers a game. Crowl, Amos, and McGee are all also solid shooters from deep, and if the Wisconsin Badgers can take better shots, the team could be dangerous.
Leading into what went wrong for the team, the shot IQ of the team needs to be looked after moving forward. Wisconsin has plenty of shooters on this team, but also some players who are known to be more volume players than anything. Both Klesmit and Amos combined for 1-for-10 from three-point range against Holy Cross and will likely be big time shooters for the team moving forward.
When Wisconsin could not get the deep shots to drop, the team looked a bit lost and that could be an issue with the volume shooting nature of Amos and Klesmit. If Wisconsin begins to miss shots, the team will have to figure out who the person is that the offense can rely on.
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