NFL
By: Melo Williams
After a sluggish start, Wisconsin men’s basketball team found their offensive and defensive rhythm taking care of business against Appalachian State improving to 3-0 on the season.
This is the fourth time under head coach Greg Gard the Badgers started the season 3-0.
With ten minutes left in the first half, the Badgers never looked back after tying the game at 17 apiece with 8:23 remaining in the first half enjoying a 24-0 scoring run, the team’s largest run since scoring the first 25 points of the game in a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11/27/20).
During Sunday’s win UW held App State scoreless for a span of 8:22, recording 15 consecutive stops.
During that run, UW forced six turnovers and held the Mountaineers to 0-for-10 from the field. The Badgers held the Mountaineers to 37.5% shooting and just 56 points.
Wisconsin has now won 20 consecutive games when holding opponents to 70 or fewer points.
Appalachian State head coach Dustin Kerns said “Wisconsin is elite at punishing you for your mistakes.”
Wisconsin finished the game with 14 steals, its most since posting 14 vs Rutgers (3/7/24), 8 fast break points, and punished the Mountaineers in the paint, scoring 48 points. The Badgers also won the rebounding battle 43-36.
Wisconsin went 13-for-16 (81%) from the free-throw line, making their final 13 free-throws of the game.
Wisconsin is now shooting an NCAA-leading 92.5% (49-for-53) from the charity stripe on the season. The Badgers has out-scored its first 3 opponents 49-to-20 at the free-throw line.
UW have made (49) more free-throws than their opponents have attempted (30).
Wisconsin is averaging 83.7 points per game on the season, having scored at least 79 points in each of the year’s first three games for the first time since the 2007-08.
The biggest question coming into the season was how can AJ Storr’s point production be replaced. So far its been as a team and against the Mountaineers, Wisconsin had 5 players in double figures for the first time since doing so at Indiana (2/27/24).
However, transfer John Tonje has been making a great case for himself tallying double-digit points for the third time in three games, finishing with 17 points, 7 rebounds, a career high 5 assists, and 2 steals.
Tonje is averaging a team-high 17.7 PPG on the year.
Steven Crowl scored a season-high 17 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals. With 222 career assists, Crowl now owns the most by any Big Ten Player 7-feet tall or bigger.
Max Klesmit continued his hot shooting finishing with 15 points, scoring double figures in back-to-back games for the 66th time in his career.
Max also finished with 4 assists and tied his career high 5 steals, his most since joining Wisconsin.
Nolan Winter tallied 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals. Winter’s 8 rebounds matches his career high, set last game vs Montana State.
Xavier Amos recorded 10 points, his most as a Badger. Amos also added 6 rebounds.
John Blackwell chipped in 8 points and 4 rebounds, and Kamari McGee added 4 points and 3 rebounds.
Next up for Wisconsin will host #9 Arizona on Friday November 15, 2024 at 8 PM CST.
Wisconsin will also welcome back and recognize members of its 2014 and 2015 Final Four teams as part of a 10-year anniversary celebration, including Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Bo Ryan.
At halftime, a special ceremony will recognize Bo Ryan and raise a banner with his name into the rafters of the Kohl Center
