NFL
By: Melo Williams
The Wisconsin Badgers opens its 2024-2025 season against the Holy Cross Crusaders tonight at the Kohl Center in Madison, WI, marking the first meeting between the two teams.
The Crusaders look to improve from their 10-23 overall record last season, finishing 6-12 in conference play. The Crusaders are picked to finish second-to-last in the Patriot League conference in the 2024-2025 season.
The Crusaders return 2023-2024 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Caleb Kenney, who led Holy Cross with 6.5 rebounds and two blocks per game. Kenney was also named to the All-Patriot League Second Team and earned 2024-25 preseason Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year honors.
The Badgers finished last season with a 22-14 record overall, 11-9 in conference play with a 14-3 home record, averaging 78.5 points per game. Wisconsin earned another trip to the NCAA tournament but was upset by James Madison, 72-61 at the Barclays Center in the first round.
Wisconsin returns a core of its team from last season, Steven Crowl, Max Klesmit, Kamari McGee, Carter Gilmore, and John Blackwell.
Head Coach Greg Gard will depend on those guys heavily while transfers John Tonje, Xavier Amos, and Camren Hunter continues to learn the system and build chemistry with each other.
John Tonje said “Chemistry comes with time. We’re gonna learn as a team and keep growing together.”
Wisconsin opened the 127th season of men’s basketball and the 10th under head coach Greg Gard with a 78-62 win over division 3 UW-River Falls, improving to 20-0 all-time in exhibition games against the WIAC.
Wisconsin shot 32 3-pointers making 11. In the 2023-2024 season, the Badgers knocked down double-digit 3-pointers 7 times.
Coach Gard said after the game that “we’re gonna shoot 3’s, because that’s where the game is now.” Coach Gard also said Wisconsin have to improve on the defensive end. “We’re nowhere where we want to be.”
With Max Klesmit and John Blackwell being the projected backcourt starters, Wisconsin’s backcourt defense is pretty solid.
Both Klesmit and Blackwell are solid on-ball defenders and have chemistry together which should fare well for Coach Gard’s pressure defense.
John Tonje, Nolan Winter, and Steven Crowl should be able to hold the front court defense down and make it hard for teams to score in the paint. One thing the Badgers does well when in the groove is play hard nosed defense.
Wisconsin has won 25 out of its last 26 season home openers and I expect the Badgers to add another win in the season opener column against the Crusaders.
Projected Starters:
Max Klesmit
John Blackwell
John Tonje
Nolan Winter
Steven Crowl
Kamari McGee, Xavier Amos, Carter Gilmore, Camren Hunter, and Marcus Ilver should expect to get plenty of playing time.
Where to watch and listen:
TV: Big Ten Plus
Radio: Badgers Network
