Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard praised the Badgers’ versatility following their 87-56 win over Appalachian State on Sunday.
In the rout, Wisconsin shot over 47% from the field and 81% from the charity stripe. The Badgers also recorded 14 steals and forced 18 total Mountaineers turnovers in the winning effort.
“This is a group that, because of its depth and versatility, can have a type of impact defensively,” Gard said after the game. “If we can continue to grow our identity, offensively we can be pretty potent.”
Potent might be an understatement. John Tonje, Steven Crowl and Max Klesmit each notched at least 15 points in the blowout. As a team, Wisconsin scored 48 points in the paint.
Highlights from today's win!
Tonje: 17 PTS | 7 REB | 5 AST | 2 STL
Crowl: 17 PTS (7-12 FG) | 4 AST | 2 STL
Klesmit: 15 PTS | 4 AST | 5 STL
Amos: 10 PTS (2-4 3FG) | 6 REB pic.twitter.com/4HHh1Sfkid— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) November 10, 2024
After trailing by eight early in the first half, UW mustered a 23-0 spurt to pull ahead by 16 at the half. Despite winning comfortably vs. Holy Cross and Montana State, Wisconsin looked much more consistent and dominant on Sunday.
Gard also addressed that concept after the win:
“I’m proud of our guys for how we’ve gotten better,” Gard said after the game. “On the defensive end, we’ve finally started to click and put some possessions together. The stretch in the first half with 15 straight possessions with stops, I think it’s just guys gaining confidence it. I think we’ve become more physical and more aggressive.
Wisconsin will be back on the hardwood on Nov. 15 vs. No. 10 Arizona at the Kohl Center.