Basketball hit the hardwood to open the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball season for the 125th time Monday as the Badgers took on the South Dakota University Coyotes.
Coming in 22-1 all-time in openers at the Kohl Center, there was little surprise when the Badgers took the 26-point win. Ultimately, the weight of the game was more in what could be learned.
Wisconsin came into Monday’s game and lost some weight in the scoring column as Brad Davison and Johnny Davis made up around 44% of their scoring. Even with this loss of scoring depth, it would be underestimating coach Greg Gard if he and his staff did not bring on new talent. This is precisely what they did, picking up 3-point scoring threats in transfer Max Klesmit and freshman Connor Essegian.
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Following a game where he notched two threes, Gard spoke on Essegian’s impact.
“He has more to his game than just being a shooter, and as while I have been around him for the last four, five, six months, he had shown me he has more than what I thought when we recruited him,” Gard said.
Both newcomers were vital in keeping the Badgers ahead through the first half as the team hit nine threes as opposed to just 13 two-point field goals. The guards had to adapt to shooting more after last year’s heavy reliance on Davis to get a bucket.
The story of the first half was of the squad not only walling up defensively and forcing tough two-point shots, but offensively working the ball into the post to hit open looks from deep. Even with the solid 3-point performance, if the team is going to have success, it has to start with getting in the paint, a sentiment that Gard echoed.
While scoring was a central question coming into Monday’s game, some eyes were on a hole created by another graduate. Chris Vogt left a role unfilled in the front court, leaving behind the need for a versatile defender and rebounder to supplement Wahl and Crowl. Gard’s answer to this question was splitting minutes between Markus Ilver and Carter Gilmore as either Wahl or Crowl took air.
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“I think Markus, much like Connor, is growing defensively through experience, and obviously he shoots the ball well, so we are going to take advantage of that but knowing the other end is always important as well,” Gard said. “But [with Gilmore] — good things happen when he is on the floor.”
The Badgers ended the game just three rebounds ahead of the undersized Coyotes with seven-footer Crowl only earning two rebounds in garbage time. While not an immediate issue, this lack of rebounding could be a factor in a Big Ten session.
With this issue transparent, Gilmore and Ilver complement each other in what they bring as a secondary big Markus, adding length and scoring while Carter brings an effervescent fight to the floor.
Gard has hinted at the fact that the two may be battling for minutes all season, a narrative that will play out in the coming weeks. A more immediate question lies in whether Crowl can run the swing from the high post with either Ilver or Gilmore on the floor. A natural scorer in the paint, Crowl’s pacing and playmaking will be an essential part of his future success.
With the first game out of the way, Gard will take his team to a neutral venue matchup against Stanford in Milwaukee this coming Friday for a game that will definitely shine more light on this new Wisconsin team.
