Who will be the X-Factors in Wisconsin’s matchup on Monday?
The Wisconsin Badgers open their season at home tonight against the Holy Cross Crusaders.
Led by head coach Dave Paulsen, the Crusaders finished its 2023 campaign with a record of 10-23. Holy Cross finished 9th in the pre-season Patriot League poll, just above Loyola Maryland and behind Navy. Paulsen and his squad are looking to get on the right track and start off strong against a top-tier Big Ten program in Wisconsin.
Here are two Badgers and Crusaders to look out for in this contest:
Wisconsin: Steven Crowl
Holy Cross lacks size across the board, which bodes well for Wisconsin’s Steven Crowl. Crowl had his best season as a Badger last year where he averaged 11.2 points per game, 7.3 rebounds, and just above two assists. Greg Gard mentioned that he expects Crowl to make a jump in aggressiveness and play on the floor this season. This game is a perfect place for Crowl to start that jump.
When I went to practice a couple of weeks ago, it was clear that the offense would run through Steven Crowl. This follows a greater trend in both college basketball and in the Big Ten conference itself. The Big Ten has been dominated by centers in the 2020s, with guys like Zach Edey, Kofi Cockburn, and Hunter Dickinson leading this resurgence.
If Wisconsin wants to stay as a top-tier team this season and going forward, they need to dominate in the paint and in the frontcourt. That all starts with Crowl, so expect him to have a strong game in the Badgers’ home opener tonight.
Wisconsin: G John Tonje
John Tonje was an under-the-radar portal addition by Coach Gard and his coaching staff. Tonje was a mid-major star at Colorado State and transferred to Missouri last year but essentially had a lost season due to injuries. Tonje comes to Madison as a player who is looking to make an impact from Day 1 as a senior.
Tonje’s shooting ability and comfort level as a scorer stood out to me in both practice and in the Red-White scrimmage a few weeks ago. He is more of an off-ball scoring threat who won’t pass up a shot. Tonje brings a similar yet different skillset to Wisconsin than AJ Storr, who was similar in his scoring presence. Expect Tonje to attempt many threes and jump shots this game and try to start his season off on a good note.
Holy Cross: F Caleb Kenney
Holy Cross returns last year’s Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year in Caleb Kenney. Kenney was a force to be reckoned with in the Patriot League, averaging 6.5 rebounds and two blocks per game. Kenney fits the 3/4 position well so I expect him to be matching up against players like Xavier Amos and John Tonje in this contest.
Kenney isn’t a perimeter threat, but is very efficient inside the paint and can give opponents trouble with his physical play style. I expect Nolan Winter/Steven Crowl to help guard him in the paint on a few possessions to limit his effectiveness and ability to score easy baskets.
Holy Cross: G Joe Nugent
Sophomore Joe Nugent is a very under-appreciated pure shooter in college basketball. Nugent averaged 40.3% from beyond the arc on a very high volume last season for the Crusaders. He’s looking to improve on his impressive freshman season by catching fire away at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin struggled defensively down the stretch last season, especially against the three-point shot. Nugent gives us an early look on how well the Badgers can defend and limit damage from beyond the arc this season. I’d expect John Blackwell and Kamari McGee to guard him in certain situations as more athletic guards, but I could also see John Tonje up against Nugent for a little bit as well.
I expect Wisconsin to win big against Holy Cross, but both Nugent and Kenney could give the Badgers trouble if they let their guard down.
Final Prediction: 88-59 Wisconsin