Wisconsin Basketball hosts Appalachian State on Sunday coming off a strong performance against Montana State.
The Wisconsin Badgers get ready to face Appalachian State following an excellent second half against Montana State that propelled the Badgers to a 79-67 win. Wisconsin looks to take care of business against Appalachian State with 10th ranked Arizona looming on Friday. The Mountaineers come into this game at 1-1, having lost their season opener at home against Miami of Ohio.
General Information
Teams: Wisconsin (2-0) and Appalachian State (1-1)
Tip Time: 11 a.m. CST (12 p.m. EST)
Watch: B1G+
Listen: Badger Radio Network
What to know about Appalachian State
Appalachian State is coming off a disappointing finish to an impressive 2023-24 season in which they posted a record of 27-7. Following a loss to Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, the Mountaineers fell in the first round of the NIT Tournament to top seeded Wake Forest.
After falling to Miami of Ohio 77-63, the Mountaineers responded with a 108-54 beating over St. Andrews. The scoring has been well distributed for Appalachian state, who have four players (Michael Marcus Jr., CJ Huntley, Myles Tate, and Ben Ezeagu) averaging 12 or more points over the two games. They have shot the three early and often, going 19-for-57 on three point attempts over their first two games. One area of struggle early has been at the free throw line, where the Mountaineers have shot under 62% as a team.
Latest on Wisconsin Basketball
Wisconsin was hot from three point land against Montana State, going 11-for-22 from deep. Max Klesmit seemed to have found his stroke, as he matched a career-high 26 points on 6-of-11 shooting from downtown. Nolan Winter has continued to show his improvement, leading the team with eight rebounds against the Bobcats to go along with six points. One point of interest for Wisconsin is to see how Winter plays as a forward with Steven Crowl on the floor versus how he plays as a center without Crowl on the floor. If Winter’s play continues, there is a chance we see him take over the “5” from Steven Crowl.
John Tonje has continued to get to the free throw line, as he was 8-for-9 at the line on Thursday. Look for Wisconsin to try and continue to score efficiently. As Head Coach Greg Gard put it, scoring efficiency is “at the rim 2s, threes, and free throws.” That was how the Badgers scored 75 of their 79 points against the Bobcats. What helps? Wisconsin has knocked down 36 of 37 free throws over their first two games.