It’s hard to believe, but Wisconsin basketball returns tonight! The Badgers have an exhibition game tonight against UW- River Falls at the Kohl Center. The regular season opens up Monday as they take on Holy Cross. The last time we saw this team, they fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to 12 seed James Madison, who was under-seeded at 31-3. Wisconsin basketball lost Tyler Wahl to graduation as well as A.J. Storr (Kansas) and Chucky Hepburn (Louisville) to the transfer portal. There are seven new faces to the program. Here is what you need to know about this Wisconsin basketball season.
Wisconsin Basketball New Faces
There are four new faces we should see play big minutes for Wisconsin basketball this season. Three of these faces are transfers Wisconsin basketball had to get to replace Wahl, Storr, and Hepburn.
Cameron Hunter (Central Arkansas), John Tonje (Missouri), and Xavier Amos (Northern Illinois) are the established veterans. Amos and Hunter have two years of eligibility left while Tonje is in his final year. They should all play a factor in the rotation. I think there is a good chance either Amos and/or Tonje start right away. Hunter is working from an injury and should contribute at some point.
True Freshman Daniel Freitag has a ton of hype surrounding him and rightfully so. He is such an athletic guard that can create his own shot. I don’t think Freitag starts this year, but he will be a starter in 2025 and moving forward for this Wisconsin basketball program.
Who Takes the Leadership Reigns?
Senior Max Klesmit seems like the obvious choice here. Klesmit has been a vocal leader in the summer and the fall practices. Senior Steven Crowl has also, according to Greg Gard, a more silent approach but is leading by example. These to have a ton of college basketball experience under their belts.
I am not sure how this Wisconsin basketball team does this year, but there are a lot of seniors on this team (6) who have been in this program for at least three or more years outside of Tonje. They are true Badgers and know what this Wisconsin basketball coaching staff wants and needs over the course of a season.
Who Starts in place of Wahl, Hepburn, and Storr?
There are three guaranteed starters coming into this year. That will be Max Klesmit, John Blackwell, and Steven Crowl. In fact, Blackwell is drawing NBA comparisons to Jrue Holiday. Not a bad pro to be compared to. This sophomore year looks to be a big one for Blackwell.
The other two spots are up for grabs. Hunter and Kamari McGee are the true point guards on this team. It has been McGee, according to Gard, that has been the leader in at position. There is a legitimate chance McGee begins the years as the starting point guard.
I think Nolan Winter, Amos, and Tonje are battling for another spot too. It all depends how Gard wants to play. If Gard goes small, Amos could play the four at 6’7. If it is a bigger lineup, you could see Winter line up next to Crowl and Tonje playing the three.
I like the versatility this Wisconsin basketball team has. I think McGee, Hunter, Freitag, Klesmit, Blackwell, Amos, Tonje, Winter, and Crowl is the rotation for the majority of the season. I could also see Carter Gilmore getting some backup center minutes too to protect Crowl and Winter. Klesmit and Blackwell are both capable of running the point as well.
Wisconsin Basketball Season Prediction
I think this team is right in the middle of the Big Ten. They do get tested against Arizona, Butler, and Marquette in the non-conference season. Part of me also think this team is being slept on. Indiana, Purdue, and Oregon are getting a majority of the attention. That last time this group was slept on, they won the Big Ten in 2022. I’m not saying that happens, but I think this is potentially a top five Big Ten team.
For More Great Basketball Content
Follow me on Twitter @DylanBuboltz and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here! Also, check out our merch store for some amazing WSH merchandise!
