How do the Badgers match up against Appalachian State on Sunday?
The Wisconsin Badgers are now 2-0 on the season, as they defeated Montana State last Thursday at the Kohl Center, 79-67. Max Klesmit was sensational against the Bobcats. The senior guard from Neenah went 6-for-11 from the three-point line and finished with 26 points, matching his career high last year at home against Indiana.
Wisconsin plays their third of five straight home games on Sunday at 11:00 A.M. CT against the reigning Sun Belt Conference champions, Appalachian State Mountaineers.
What should Badgers fans know about the Mountaineers?
Opponent Preview
Appalachian State had its best season last year under head coach Dustin Kerns when the Mountaineers won the Sun Belt Conference regular-season crown. Unfortunately, the Mountaineers fell to Arkansas State on a buzzer-beater in the second round of their conference tournament and settled for the NIT, where they lost in the first round at Wake Forest, 87-76, to finish the season at 27-7.
The Mountaineers were voted sixth in the Sun Belt Conference preseason poll. Appalachian State looks to replace valuable players from last season’s squad. Leading scorer and All-Sun Belt forward Donovan Gregory exhausted his eligibility. The transfer portal also hit the Mountaineers hard this previous offseason. Top rebounder and second-leading scorer Tre’Von Spillers is now at Wake Forest, outstanding shot blocker Justin Abson is now at Georgia, and three-point specialist Terence Harcum is now at Georgia.
Appalachian State comes into this game with a record of 1-1. The Mountaineers lost their home opener last Monday to Miami of Ohio 77-63 and shot 9-of-32 from the three-point line in that game. The team rebounded by defeating NAIA St. Andrews 108-54 in Boone two days after the loss. Freshman forward Michael Marcus Jr. has been the leading scorer coming off the bench with 13.5 PPG.
Two players the Badgers will have to shut down are guard Myles Tate and forward CJ Huntley. Both players returned to Appalachian State and earned preseason Sun Belt Conference honors. With Donovan Gregory’s graduation, seniors Tate and Huntley are the leaders for the Mountaineers this season. In their loss to Miami of Ohio, Tate finished with 21 points, five assists, four rebounds, and four steals. Huntley, the tallest player on the Mountaineers team at 6’ 11’’, finished with 15 points in eight minutes against St. Andrews.
The Mountaineers’ success last year was in part due to their defense. While KenPom’s defensive efficiency ranked no. 41 in 2023-24, Appalachian State led the nation with 6.5 blocks per game. So far this year, the Mountaineers have yet to reach that level, as they sit 125th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Score Prediction
While Wisconsin has worked on their three-point shooting on their offense, Appalachian State has yet to develop an identity on offense. The Mountaineers are still trying to mesh after their transfer portal losses, so the Badgers are getting them at the right time. Appalachian State will push the Badgers in the first half, but Wisconsin should win this game by a comfortable margin.
Prediction: Wisconsin 70-57.