The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s regular season began in disaster, but just as quickly, it turned a 33-minute surge into a morale-boosting performance.
The Badgers cruised past Holy Cross 85-61 Monday night at the Kohl Center, and had it not been for the Crusaders exploding to a 21-5 lead by the 13-minute, 39-second mark of the first half, the margin of victory could have been even more significant for Wisconsin (1-0). It outscored Holy Cross 80 to 40 thereafter, picking up its defensive intensity and forcing the Crusaders to shoot 33.3% in the second half (43.4% overall) after a scorching start to the game.
The Badgers, before they could really get any sort of rhythm, were already seemingly headed for disaster. While they missed 11 of their first 13 shots, Holy Cross (0-1) hardly missed any. Wisconsin gave it open looks, and the Crusaders capitalized: They shot 9 of 11 from the field to start the game.
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Wisconsin coach Greg Gard noted following the Badgers’ exhibition win that his team, clearly, has some defensive issues. And that showed itself early and often. But a little more intensity from the Badgers’ guards helped turn around what looked dangerous from a longer period than expected.
From a deficit as large as 16 points, Wisconsin went on a 22-7 run over 7:44 to cut the deficit to 30-29 with 4:13 left — taking its first lead since it was 3-2 at 18:04 with 3:27 remaining in the first half. More good defense by Wisconsin led Holy Cross to miss a 3 before halftime to keep it a one-point game heading into the break, Badgers trailing 36-35.
Neither team got much separation early in the second half, as the first five baskets of the second half alternated teams and changed the lead each time. But the Badgers were the first to strike twice in a row, taking a 42-40 lead on a 3 from guard John Tonje with 16:13 left and extending it to 44-40 on a wide-open Tonje dunk in transition. It was the start of a 16-0 run for Wisconsin over 3:48 to take a 15-point lead, 55-40.
The Badgers’ offensive explosion didn’t continue at quite the rate it had exemplified, but like had happened to them in the first, Wisconsin’s barrage left Holy Cross too far removed from the home team in the lead. After a rough first 6:21 of the regular season, Wisconsin had fully recalibrated.
It took the Crusaders’ punches, but the deflections on defense, periodic offense didn’t waver. Wisconsin made five shots in a row, then missed five shots in a row. But the result, after a make by Wisconsin graduate forward Steven Crowl and a 3-pointer by senior guard Kamari McGee, still allowed Wisconsin to stretch its lead to 64-46 with 7:25 left. From there, the Badgers were in complete control.
Wisconsin guard John Tonje celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer against Holy Cross on Monday at Kohl Center.
Here are three things that stood out.
Wisconsin will live (and die) by the 3-pointer
Gard said after an 11 of 32 3-point shooting performance in the exhibition that the reason for taking that many 3s is simple math: Three is more than two. Just as easy to understand as two possessions is more than one and three possessions is more than that. Wisconsin, on a trip down the court with a little more than 13 minutes to go in the first half, got three 3-point tries. All of those were misses.
Yet Wisconsin has made one thing abundantly clear in the first few games: It will continue to shoot those 3s. Even when it starts 1 of 10 from distance, as it did Monday. Even after two misses and two offensive rebounds on a single trip down the court, guard Max Klesmit walked into a wide open 3 at the top of the key, and still missed it. Wisconsin shot 10 of 21 from 3 after nine misses in 10 tries to start the game, and 11 of 31 for the game.
For as much as empty sequences might hurt, Gard is right that the shot could change things quickly. When the Badgers finally got the game close in the first half, Tonje demonstrated that with a few makes in a row to tie the game at 25 with 5:17 left. McGee passed up an open 3 of his own to provide him with the first one, then Blackwell connected with him from the opposite wing to the same spot. Tonje hardly had to rush each time, and the shot came through eventually.
Max Klesmit’s defense awakens Wisconsin
It only amounted to two first-half steals, but Klesmit amped up the defensive pressure and got his hand on a lot more passes than the Badgers forced into live-ball turnovers. As Wisconsin went on its run to prevent disaster to open the regular season, Klesmit was the catalyst, despite continuing to struggle with his shooting. Klesmit shot 3 of 9 from the floor (1 of 7 from 3) for seven points, seemingly misfiring on a lot of the open looks that he has made with regularity over his Badgers career — and the ones that Wisconsin will likely need him to hit if it can reach its potential.
But as a focal point for this Wisconsin team, Klesmit was able to impact the game even when he wasn’t in a rhythm. That’s what he has to do, and it was a good sign that Klesmit didn’t sink into the depths of Wisconsin’s rough start. As the driving force of the Badgers’ energy, he never can.
Can John Tonje lead Wisconsin in scoring?
If there’s a player who could benefit most from the heavy-shooting offense this season, it might be one of its newcomers in Tonje. Because Tonje is comfortable from 3-point range, and the graduate has not been shy about taking as many shots as possible.
After taking a team-high 11 shots (tied with Crowl) in Wisconsin’s exhibition, Tonje scored 23 points on 6 of 11 shooting Monday. His 11 shots led the team. Blackwell will have the ball in his hands a lot, and scored 16. But Tonje seemingly will always look for his opportunities, like when — after back-to-back 3s to tie the game — Tonje put his head down in transition, crossed left to right and connected on a layup at the rim to score his 10th points of a 12-3 Badgers run over 2:44 late in the first half. Even after a slow start, he could get hot in a hurry.
