The Wisconsin Basketball Team defeated the UW-River Falls Falcons 78-62 in an exhibition matchup.
UW-River Falls, a Division III school that plays in the WIAC, came ready to play against the Wisconsin Badgers. Despite Wisconsin jumping out to a 21-9 lead just 10 minutes into the game, UW-River Falls battled back with some tough defense and clutch shots. With 12:55 remaining in the second half, the Falcons had cut the deficit down to just two points before the Badgers pulled away.
Here are 3 Takeaways from the exhibition:
Takeaway #1: John Tonje’s experience has allowed him to adjust quickly to Wisconsin
John Tonje, the graduate transfer from Missouri, led the scoring for the Badgers with 15 points. Tonje was just 3-of-11 from the field, but managed to get to the free throw line frequently where he was 8-for-9.
Tonje, over his time at Colorado State and Missouri, has played in 130 career games entering this season. In the 2022-23 season as a senior at Colorado State, he averaged 14.6 points per game. This is what has led to John Tonje making an immediate impact in this offense upon transferring to Wisconsin.
Takeaway #2: Wisconsin’s returning players are seeing increased playing time
Seven out of the 17 players on the Wisconsin basketball roster are either incoming freshmen or transfers. With A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn departing via the transfer portal this past offseason, there were a lot of question marks about who would step up.
Steven Crowl, Nolan Winter, Kamari Mcgee, John Blackwell, and Max Klesmit were all on the court for over 20 minutes, despite the fact that both Winter and McGee averaged under 10 minutes per game last year. Blackwell has transitioned from a bench role last season to the starting point guard.
These five players had varying performances in the exhibition. Steven Crowl impressed with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. However, Max Klesmit failed to score and John Blackwell posted just five points, despite taking nine shots.
The performance of these core returning players will be crucial as the season moves forward.
Takeaway #3: Wisconsin struggled to keep UW-River Falls from getting to the rim
Wisconsin was outscored in the paint (36-32) despite significantly outsizing UW-River Falls. The Falcons tallest player clocks in at 6-8, while Nolan Winter and Steven Crowl stand at 6-11 and 7-0, respectively.
Zac Johnson, who had 23 points for UW-River Falls, frequently got to the rack. This is going to be a point of emphasis for Wisconsin as they begin the regular season.
Regular season play tips off at 7 p.m. CST at the Kohl Center on Monday, Nov. 4, as Wisconsin opens up the season against Holy Cross.