Tag: Appalachian State basketball

Wisconsin transfer forward reaches double figures in Badgers win vs. Appalachian State

Wisconsin transfer forward reaches double figures in win vs Appalachian State

Wisconsin basketball transfer forward Xavier Amos impressed with 10 points in the Badgers’ 87-56 win over Appalachian State on Sunday.

Head coach Greg Gard elected to substitute Amos into the game with 14:08 remaining and the Badgers up by nearly 20 points.

In 12 minutes of play, Amos nailed a pair of three-point jumpers and four free throw attempts. He also snagged six rebounds and a steal in his abbreviated action off the bench.

Amos had appeared in each of Wisconsin’s previous games this season, but today’s contribution was the most impressive of the 2024-25 slate. The Chicago, Illinois, native scored his first basket as a Badger in the season opener against Holy Cross, but he failed to scratch the score sheet in Wisconsin’s second game of the 2024-25 campaign vs. Montana State.

Before he transferred to Wisconsin this spring, Amos enjoyed a breakout season at Northern Illinois in 2023-24. As a sophomore, he started all 25 games and averaged nearly 14 points and six rebounds per game.

As a forward, Amos also shot 49.6 percent from the floor, including 38.5 percent from 3-point range (40-for-104 3FG) a season ago. It’s safe to say he showcased that type of efficiency on Sunday.

Amos’ minutes will be something to monitor as the season progresses. Given his versatility, he could see extended play when UW faces a smaller team and opts to utilize centers Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter in a more limited capacity.

UW is back in action on Nov. 15 against No. 10 Arizona at the Kohl Center.

Badgers coach Greg Gard discusses 31-point win vs. Appalachian State

Badgers coach Greg Gard discusses 31-point win vs. Appalachian State

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.

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.

Wisconsin basketball found its AJ Storr replacement

Wisconsin basketball found its AJ Storr replacement

Through three games of the 2024-25 season, the Wisconsin Badgers have found a star in transfer wing John Tonje.

UW’s offense took a blow with the departure of top scorer AJ Storr this offseason. With questions surrounding Wisconsin’s No. 1 offensive option looming ahead of this season, Tonje has appeared to fill the void.

Against Holy Cross, Montana State and Appalachian State, Tonje has accumulated 53 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists. Those totals average to 17.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per appearance.

Tonje’s knack for reaching the free-throw line has also seemed to unlock an essential part of Wisconsin’s offensive attack. At 6-foot-5, the Nebraska native’s frame allows him to create contact against smaller guards and penetrate the paint.

The former Colorado State transfer can score from all three levels of the floor. He’s shooting 50% from beyond the arc, over 94% from the free throw line and over 53% from the field.

A season ago, Storr averaged nearly 17 points and nearly four rebounds in 36 appearances for the Badgers. After electing to withdraw from the 2024 NBA draft, Storr transferred to Kansas for another collegiate opportunity.

The 6-foot-7 playmaker tallied nearly 500 field goal attempts in 2023-24 and was the unquestioned go-to option in Greg Gard’s offensive system. The good news for Badgers fans is that it appears Tonje can pick up a chunk of that slack.

Louisville suffered a third-straight inexplicable loss by one point on an overturned buzzer beater

Louisville has some serious soul-searching to do.

Something has gone horribly wrong with the Louisville basketball team.

For the third-straight home game, the Cardinals have lost by one point to a team they really should’ve beaten.

After losing to Bellarmine and Wright State by a point, the team lost yet again at home in another “buy” game to Appalachian State, 61-60. The Cardinals had a chance to actually be on the other side a close contest, but the team’s last-second bucket to grab a final lead didn’t get off until after the final buzzer.

The KFC Yum! Center is down bad, and this third-straight loss doesn’t inspire much hope in Louisville returning to prominence this year.

The celebrating and smiles from Louisville surely turning to shocks and frowns is just too much to bear (unless you’re a cackling Kentucky fan).

The Cardinals entered the game -250 on the moneyline, but the public hammered App State at +6.5. Bettors seemed to have a better understanding of how this game might go than the Cardinals, who earned quite a bad beat on the evening.

There are no easy answers for how Louisville gets better from here, but they’re going to have to rethink the whole “buy game” strategy after these three absolute nosedives.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

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