Holy Cross Crusaders vs. Wisconsin Badgers Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 4th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Following the departure of two key starters through the transfer portal, the University of Wisconsin will showcase their revamped lineup in their season opener against Holy Cross on Monday night.

Last season, the Badgers finished with a record of 22-14, including an 11-9 record in the Big Ten. However, this year, expectations for the team are not as high as they were in the past.

In the preseason poll for the expanded 18-team conference, Wisconsin was predicted to finish tied for 12th place. This is a significant drop from their previous standing, and the team will need to fill several gaps in their lineup.

One of the biggest losses for the Badgers was three-year starting guard Chucky Hepburn, who transferred to Louisville. Additionally, guard AJ Storr, who led the team with an average of 16.8 points per game, left for Kansas. The team also said goodbye to forward Tyler Wahl, who graduated after playing in 162 games, including 121 starts.

The spotlight will now be on 7-foot senior Steven Crowl, who had an impressive average of 11.2 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game last season. In a preseason interview with NBC Sports, Wisconsin coach Greg Gard praised Crowl's skills and potential, stating that he has the ability to be one of the best bigs in the league if he can develop a dominant mindset.

The only other returning starter for the Badgers is senior guard Max Klesmit, who led the team with 66 3-pointers last season. Guard John Blackwell, guard Kamari McGee, and 6-foot-11 Nolan Winter are expected to take on larger roles this year.

To fill the gaps in their lineup, Wisconsin turned to the transfer portal and added guard Camren Hunter from Central Arkansas and forward Xavier Amos from Northern Illinois. They also picked up combo guard John Tonje, who only played in eight games at Missouri last season due to injuries but had an average of 14.6 points per game the previous year at Colorado State. Highly regarded recruit Daniel Freitag, a guard from Minnesota, is also expected to make an impact in his freshman year.

On the other side of the court, Holy Cross (10-23, 6-12 in the Patriot League last season) has also made some changes through the transfer portal. They added 6-foot-8 forward Jaiden Feroah, who averaged 18 points per game at a community college in Washington state, and 6-foot-6 transfer Gabe Warren from Rice, who only played six minutes per game as a freshman last season.

However, the Crusaders did lose their leading scorer from last season, Joe Octave, who transferred to Stony Brook. Their top returning players are forward Caleb Kenney and guards Joe Nugent and Will Batchelder.

According to Batchelder, the team has made significant improvements on the defensive end since last season and has also improved their team camaraderie and ball movement in practice.

PREDICTION

Holy Cross Crusaders

Wisconsin Badgers

Holy Cross Crusaders vs. Wisconsin Badgers Recap NOV 4TH 2024

Gabe Warren and Holy Cross were more than up to the challenge of a road opener at Wisconsin, but the Badgers broke out of a first-half slumber to survive a shaky showing and start the season with an 85-61 victory on Monday night in Madison, Wis.

John Tonje scored 11 of his 23 points in the second half and went 8 for 8 from the free-throw line for the Badgers, who made all 16 of their foul shots. John Blackwell had 16 points and Nolan Winter added 15, all in the second half.

Warren poured in a team-high 23 and put the Badgers on their heels with a barrage of 3-pointers as the Crusaders jumped out to a 21-5 lead to open the game. Holy Cross made 9 of its first 11 shots from the field, including 3 of 4 from long range.

Wisconsin shot 56.7 percent after the half, building the lead to 30 points by extending its defense to challenge Holy Cross at the 3-point line. Warren had four 3-pointers in the first half, but the Crusaders shot 33.3 percent from the field and made only 3 of 11 from long range while the Badgers heated up with an inside-out game.

In response to a line change substitution by coach Greg Gard, Wisconsin used an 18-2 run to rally in the first half. The Badgers seized control with a pair of treys from Tonje. But Warren made a 3-pointer to finish the first half with 16 points and push Holy Cross back in front, 36-35.