Who are the key players on both sides for Sunday’s game?
The Wisconsin Badgers look to continue their winning streak as they take on the Appalachian State Mountaineers this Sunday. Appalachian State has started the season 1-1, with their one loss coming at home against Miami (OH).
Head coach Dustin Kerns and his Mountaineers squad won the Sun Belt regular season title last year, but failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament.
Here are two Badgers and two Mountaineers to look out for in this contest:
Wisconsin: Nolan Winter
Appalachian State only has one player on their roster above 6’9”. This is a favorable matchup for Badgers power forward Nolan Winter, who has had an excellent start to the season. Winter had his best game as a Badger in their season opener against Holy Cross, but was quiet in their second game against Montana State.
Winter has shown a comfortability with stretching the floor as a shooter, but also as a threat inside the paint. I expect him to take multiple three-point attempts in this game, while also attacking Appalachian State’s undersized frontcourt.
Wisconsin: Steven Crowl
Out of all of the Wisconsin starters this season, Steven Crowl has been the quietest. Crowl had a solid start to the game against Holy Cross, but hasn’t been the same player as we saw last year.
Crowl picked up a few early fouls last game against Montana State, which kept him quiet for the second straight contest. I expect that to change against Appalachian State.
Crowl has shot well from beyond the arc and has looked aggressive when given opportunities in the paint. I want to see Crowl have a “get right” game on Sunday so he can get on the right track before the Badgers’ marquee matchup against the Arizona Wildcats.
Appalachian State – Michael Marcus Jr.
Michael Marcus Jr. has had an underrated start to the season. Marcus is only a freshman, yet leads the Mountaineers in both points per game and rebounds. Marcus brings much-needed size to Appalachian State which will give them a chance to match up against the Badgers’ frontcourt players in Winter and Crowl.
Expect Marcus Jr. to start out strong both offensively and defensively and give this Wisconsin team some trouble early on.
Appalachian State: Myles Tate
Fifth-year senior Myles Tate was a solid piece for the Mountaineers last season, but has started off even better this year. One thing that Tate was lacking last year was a consistent three-point shot. He shot only 28.7 percent from beyond the arc last season, but has improved to an impressive 62.5 percent thus far.
I doubt that he will stay at that level, but it would be huge for the Mountaineers if he could remain consistent as a shooter. Besides being a scoring threat, Tate is also a very capable passer. He averaged 3.5 assists per game last season, so expect him to facilitate a majority of Appalachian State’s offensive plays.
I predict that Wisconsin starts off somewhat slow, but still pulls away for a big victory over Appalachian State in their final game before they face Arizona next Friday.
Final Prediction: 83-58 Wisconsin