Tag: Steven Crowl

Wisconsin basketball enters AP Poll top 25 after big win over Arizona

Wisconsin basketball enters AP Poll top 25 after big win over Arizona

Wisconsin basketball landed at No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday.

After being placed in the ‘receiving votes’ section of last week’s poll, Wisconsin received 370 points in this week’s update to firmly cement itself in the hierarchy.

The team’s signature win against the Arizona Wildcats played a pivotal role in its new position. In that game, wing John Tonje dropped 41 points on eight made field goals and a record 21 made free throws.

Wisconsin has now entered the upper echelon of Big Ten programs across the college basketball landscape. Only No. 6 Purdue and No. 16 Indiana ranked higher than Greg Gard’s program on this installation of the hierarchy.

Wisconsin also rocketed up the latest KenPom ranking and ESPN’s latest BPI. After being ranked No. 40 in the KenPom list on Nov. 12, UW moved up 11 spots to No. 29. At No. 22 in the ESPN BPI, the Badgers are up seven spots from about a week ago.

Backed by the strong individual contributions from Tonje, UW is averaging nearly 89 points per game off 47.4% from the field, 39% from beyond the arc and a blistering 90% from the free throw line. It’s safe to say Wisconsin has answered any offensive questions from those concerned over its offseason loses in the transfer portal.

Wisconsin’s next game is at home against UT Rio Grande Valley on Nov. 18.

Wisconsin basketball vs. Arizona: Full matchup preview for Friday’s game

Wisconsin basketball vs. Arizona: Full matchup preview for Friday’s game

Wisconsin basketball (3-0) returns to the hardwood for its fourth game of the 2024-25 slate on Friday night for a matchup against the Arizona Wildcats (2-0).

The Badgers enter the contest after a 87-56 win over Appalachian State last Sunday. The performance was easily UW’s most impressive of the season — the Badgers rattled off a 23-0 scoring surge in the first half to virtually seal the triumph at the Kohl Center.

Arizona, meanwhile, is 2-0 to start the year with an average margin of victory of 43.5 points per game. Its most recent win arrived in a 58-point triumph over Old Dominion on Nov. 9.

Led by guard Caleb Love, Arizona rosters seven players who score at least nine points per game. The Wildcats hold the No. 9 ranking in the nation and have become one of the top programs across the entire sport.

Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. CT on Peacock. Before that point, here is a full preview of how the Badgers and Wildcats match up:

Statistical Preview

KenPom Rating:

  • Wisconsin: No. 39 overall (No. 34 offense, No. 63 defense)
  • Arizona: No. 7 (No. 11 offense, No. 12 defense)

ESPN BPI

  • Wisconsin: No. 27 overall (13.2) — No. 5 in the Big Ten
  • Arizona: No. 4 overall (19.4) — No. 2 in the Big 12

2024-25 Averages:

  • Wisconsin: 83.7 points per game (47% shooting, 37 % from three), 61.3 points allowed per game (42% shooting allowed, 38% from three)
  • Arizona: 97.5 points per game (50% shooting, 32% from three), 54 points allowed per game (37% shooting allowed, 29% from three)

ESPN Matchup Predictor:

  • Arizona 62.1% chance to win, Wisconsin 37.9%

Wisconsin Key Players

  • G John Blackwell (12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1 steal on 39% shooting)
  • G Max Klesmit (16 points, 1.0 rebound, 2.0 assists, 3.0 steals on 43% shooting)
  • Wing John Tonje (17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists on 55% shooting)
  • C Steven Crowl (10 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists on 48% shooting)
  • F Nolan Winter (10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1 assist on 70% shooting)

Arizona Key Players

  • G Caleb Love (13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds on 46% shooting)
  • F Tobe Awaka (11.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks on 69% shooting)
  • G Jaden Bradley (11.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 50% shooting)
  • G KJ Lewis (11.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks on 56% shooting)
  • F Carter Bryant (9 points, 2.5 rebounds, on 58% shooting)

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Prediction, betting odds

Spread: Arizona favored by 4 1/2

Moneyline: Arizona minus-115, Wisconsin plus-105

Over/Under: 152 1/2

All College Basketball Odds via BetMGM.

Wisconsin has played extremely well in all three second halves of their first three games of the 2024-25 season. Backed by 17.7 points per contest from transfer wing John Tonje, the Badgers have put together an extremely efficient season from all three levels of the hardwood. UW also opened its season with two 7-footers down low in Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter, a potentially lethal threat against smaller lineups.

Unfortunately for UW, Arizona accounts for 51 rebounds per game and leans on a well-rounded attack from nearly every player in its rotation. In fact, seven players muster at least nine points per appearance.

Prediction: Arizona 92, Wisconsin 78

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Wisconsin basketball ‘receiving votes’ in first AP Poll update

Wisconsin basketball ‘receiving votes’ in first AP Poll update

Wisconsin basketball received six votes in the latest AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday.

Despite amassing a 3-0 start to the 2024-25 season, Wisconsin didn’t experience much of a shift from its position in the AP Top 25 poll from Oct. 14. In that iteration of the hierarchy, Greg Gard’s program pocketed five votes ahead of the season.

Since then, Wisconsin has vanquished all of its early-season opponents by an average of 22.3 points per triumph. In his first season as a Badger, transfer wing John Tonje has spearheaded the offensive attack with 17.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Senior guard Max Klesmit has followed with 16 points per game, and John Blackwell, Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter have chipped in with at least 10 points per contest as well.

As a team, Wisconsin is shooting a blistering 92.5% from the charity stripe and 37% from beyond the arc. Even though their adversaries aren’t anywhere near the AP’s top 25, Wisconsin has done exactly what its needed to do thus far.

In UW’s most recent win over Appalachian State, the Badgers orchestrated a 23-0 scoring spurt and saw five players score at least 10 points in the effort.

Wisconsin was also rated No. 40 in the latest KenPom ranking and No. 29 in ESPN’s latest BPI. The three wins have elevated them at least nine spots in both lists.

The Badgers return to the hardwood for a marquee matchup against No. 9 Arizona on Friday. A win against the touted Wildcats could catapult UW into the top 25 bubble.

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.

RECAP: Wisconsin basketball beats Holy Cross in season opener

RECAP: Wisconsin basketball beats Holy Cross in season opener

The Wisconsin Badgers opened their season with an 85-61 win over Holy Cross at the Kohl Center on Nov. 4.

In his Badger debut, transfer guard John Tonje captained scoring duties with 23 points and corralled five rebounds. Sophomore center Nolan Winter shot a perfect 6-6 from the field for 15 points and snared a game-high eight rebounds, and sophomore guard John Blackwell registered 16 points and four boards as well.

Wisconsin utilized the exact same starting lineup vs. Holy Cross as it did in its scrimmage against UW-River Falls:

G: John Blackwell

G: Max Klesmit

G: John Tonje (transfer)

F: Nolan Winter

C: Steven Crowl

While the final score suggests a wire-to-wire domination, UW’s first half output said otherwise. After veteran center Steven Crowl nailed his first 3FG of the season, Holy Cross wing Gabe Warren scored 11 points to push the Crusaders ahead 13-3 within the first four minutes.

He and forward Caleb Kenney would maintain the pressure to bring the Holy Cross edge to 23-7 at the 11:54-minute mark. Tonje and Blackwell would help UW regain control, however, as they combined for 20 first-half points at intermission.

After sparring with Holy Cross for the first stanza of the second half, the Badgers surged offensively. Tonje and Blackwell picked up right where they left off; the duo scored 14 of UW’s first 22 second half tallies to make it 59-46 Wisconsin with just under 10 minutes to spare.

From then on, Winter handled virtually all the scoring duties for the Badgers. The 7-footer shined with 13 points in the final six minutes and showcased his range with two 3FG.

As a team, Wisconsin shot 49.2% from the field, 35.5% from outside and a perfect 16-16 from the charity stripe. Wisconsin out-rebounded Holy Cross 38-21 and scored 18 more points in the paint.

With both Crowl and Winter down low, UW poses a challenging matchup for any team without size. Against Holy Cross, a team without a 7-footer on its 2024-25 roster, there’s no denying that the Badgers entered the game with a clear advantage,

Still, the story was the play from Tonje. A capable shooter and veteran presence in UW’s locker room, it appears as if head coach Greg Gard will lean on the former Missouri and Colorado State hooper to pick up some of the scoring slack after AJ Storr transferred to Kansas.

Guard Kamari McGee also looked sharp. In 27 minutes off the bench, the senior logged 7 points and four assists as the pilot of Wisconsin’s second unit.

Wisconsin now moves to 9-0 in season openers under Gard. The Badgers will be back in action on Thursday, Nov. 9, vs. Montana State at the Kohl Center.

Sights and sounds from Wisconsin Badgers at 2024 Big Ten Basketball media days

Sights and sounds from Wisconsin Badgers at 2024 Big Ten Basketball media days

Wisconsin basketball was well represented at the 2024 Big Ten Basketball media days on Thursday, Oct. 3.

Head coach Greg Gard, sophomore guard John Blackwell, senior center Steven Crowl and senior guard Max Klesmit made the trek to Chicago, Illinois to represent the Badgers this week.

The group participated in several hits for Big Ten Network, spanning from short social media videos to entertain badger faithful and panel discussions about the team this coming season.

While Blackwell, Gard and Klesmit were present at the Big Ten Network studio set, Blackwell fielded a question about Klesmit being the top trash talker on the 2024 team.

Here’s what he and Gard had to say:

UW’s representatives also participated in individual interviews and photo ops during their time in Chicago.

Before the media day appearance, Wisconsin was ranked No. 12 alongside   Nebraska by the Big Ten media on Wednesday. Given the departures of guard Chucky Hepburn, wing AJ Storr and veteran Tyler Wahl, Wisconsin finds itself in its typical preseason position: underrated.

The Badgers will kick-start its loaded 2024-25 schedule with an exhibition game against UW-River Falls on Oct. 30 and look to build off its 22-14 output and first-round loss in the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament a season ago.

Wisconsin men’s basketball releases 2024 non-conference schedule

Wisconsin men’s basketball releases 2024 non-conference schedule

The Wisconsin Badgers’ men’s basketball program released its 2024 non-conference schedule on Thursday.

Greg Gard’s group will open the season against Holy Cross on Nov. 4 at the Kohl Center. The Badgers will follow their first regular season match with four consecutive non-conference home contests in Madison.

Montana State (Nov. 7), Appalachian State (Nov. 10), Arizona (Nov. 15) and UT-Rio Grande Valley (Nov. 18) will each venture to Wisconsin in the opening month of the 2024 season.

The first-ever Greenbrier Tip-Off follows the local action shortly thereafter. Wisconsin will face UCF and either LSU or Pittsburgh on Nov. 22 and Nov. 24, respectively.

A quick Kohl Center tune-up vs. Chicago State on Nov. 30 follows before UW makes its way to Milwaukee for its annual I-94 rivalry game against Marquette on Dec. 7.

The final roadblock arrives during the recently announced Dec. 14 match against Butler at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, home of the Indiana Pacers. The Detroit Mercy Titans will also play Wisconsin at home on Dec. 22.

On top of the non-conference campaign, which figures to be one of the more challenging slates across the college basketball landscape, Wisconsin will also face a bevy on conference opponents in Madison and across the country.

UW will host 10 Big Ten opponents this season and travel to Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Rutgers and USC for road conference games.

Prior to the chaos, Wisconsin will play host to UW-River Falls in an exhibition on Oct. 30 at home.

Seven members of Wisconsin basketball team receive All-Big Ten honors

Seven members of Wisconsin basketball team receive All-Big Ten honors

The winter term Academic All-Big Ten team was unveiled this past week and 73 Wisconsin Badgers athletes made the cut, seven of which were on the men’s basketball team.

On Greg Gard’s team, starting frontcourt mates Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl made the list, while Kamari McGee, Isaac Lindsey, Markus Ilver, Isaac Gard and Ross Candelino were also included.

Wahl in particular maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, joining Owen Lindmark from the Badgers men’s hockey team as the only other athlete to do that with Wisconsin.

Of the other sports, the Women’s Basketball team (6), Men’s Hockey (11), Men’s Swimming & Diving (15), Women’s Swimming & Diving (23) and the Wrestling team (12) made up the rest of the 73 athletes recognized.

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Wisconsin’s Steven Crowl showed his importance in win over Ohio State

Who is the biggest key to the success of this Wisconsin basketball team?

Wisconsin basketball finally got back in the win column last night with a 62-54 triumph over Ohio State.

The win moves the Badgers to 17-8 on the season and 9-5 in Big Ten play, now 2.5 games behind first-place Purdue.

The story from the victory over Ohio State, at least in my opinion, was the much-needed bounce-back performance from center Steven Crowl.

Related: Wisconsin basketball social media reacts to massive win over Ohio State

Crowl finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and two assists on 7/14 shooting.

The good night comes after the veteran big man failed to reach double-digit points in each of the last four contests, including a forgettable one-point outing in the loss at Nebraska.

Crowl was noticeably more aggressive throughout the contest, finishing with his highest shot total in eight games and highest three-point attempt total of the season. I believe aggressiveness is a good thing in his case, especially when he’s rebounding well and shooting efficiently.

Many focus on the play of Tyler Wahl, Chucky Hepburn or A.J. Storr when talking about where the Badgers must improve. One of the biggest factors in the losing streak was the poor play of Crowl, making tonight’s performance against Ohio State that much more encouraging.

Keep in mind this trend:

  • January 26 vs Michigan State (81-66 win): 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists on 6/9 shooting
  • February 1 at Nebraska (80-72 loss): One point and 13 rebounds on 0/2 shooting and 0/2 from three
  • February 4 vs Purdue (75-69 loss): Eight points and five rebounds on 3/6 shooting
  • February 7 at Michigan (72-68 loss): Three points and four rebounds on 1/4 shooting
  • February 10 at Rutgers (78-56 loss): Seven points and 13 rebounds on 3/8 shooting
  • Last night vs Ohio State (62-54 win): 16 points, 10 rebounds and two assists on 7/14 shooting

When Crowl plays well, the Badgers often win. It definitely appears to be a causal relationship.

Rutgers men’s basketball looking to extend winning streak to three games

Rutgers basketball faces a tough opponent in Wisconsin.

On Saturday afternoon, Rutgers men’s basketball will be putting their winning streak on the line against Wisconsin. So far this month, Rutgers has gone 2-0 after a disappointing January. Against the No. 11 Badgers, they will have the chance to stun the college basketball world.

As Rutgers looks to pull off their biggest win of the season, they will have their hands full with AJ Storr and Steven Crowl. Through 23 games, Starr has set the tone offensively for the Badgers, averaging 16.5 points. Crowl has been a menace on the boards, averaging 7.5 rebounds a game.

Rutgers is 12-10 (4-7 Big Ten). Wisconsin stands at 16-7 (8-4 Big Ten).

 

For Wisconsin, stopping Mawot Mag and Jeremiah Williams will be crucial to victory. In his last two games, Mag has added 30 points to his resume and hauled in five rebounds. Williams has provided a spark since joining the team at mid-season. This talented duo has helped make Rutgers hard to stop.

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While Rutgers will be playing the role of underdogs, they have looked like a different team this month. In their last two wins, they have been able to close out games against conference teams. That is something they struggled with prior.

Additionally, Rutgers will have home court advantage. They are 9-3 at Jersey Mike’s Arena this season and hungry for another Big Ten win.