MILWAUKEE -- Head coach Greg Gard said the exciting thing about this year's team was the unknown. As he put it, he'd be learning about the group as the season went along.

His to-do list this year includes, but is not limited to, figuring out his rotation, learning what pairings work well together and how far players are in their development.

Naturally, just two games into the season, that list of questions is still being figured out, especially with a group that is filled with youth, inexperience - often both - and transfers acclimating themselves to the program.

Despite that, the team was able to pick up a win on a night that it shot 5-of-20 from beyond the arc. They did it in familiar fashion with the defense leading the way. Wisconsin held Stanford to 1-of-16 from three and forced 16 turnovers, which led to 18 points and a 60-50 victory in the Brew City Classic.

"I think the toughness," Gard said when asked what he's learned about the team through two games. "And they understand how important the defensive end is. I think we're going to have to have contributions from across the board. The next game it may be two different guys sitting next to me. They understand the importance of being a team and how we have to work together collectively and pick each other up."

That depth was on display Friday evening. Unlike a season ago with UW’s rotation usually only going eight deep, Gard can look to as many as 12 players to provide quality minutes on a given night.

Against the Cardinal, Gard rolled out 11 players in the first half. Markus Ilver didn't see any acton in the win, but he's a 12th man Gard is comfortable with.

"It's strength in numbers," Gard said of the team.

The fluidity of the rotation was also evident. With Max Klesmit getting into early foul trouble, freshman Connor Essegian stepped in as the first man off the bench and went on to play 23 minutes. Foul trouble certainly played a role, but Jahcobi Neath was first off the bench in the opener against South Dakota.

Chucky Hepburn will pace the offense for UW and be on the floor more often than not. That said, the minutes at point guard behind Hepburn appear to be another puzzle piece for Gard to figure out. Friday, he went with Isaac Lindsey first in that slot over Kamari McGee. Neither saw consistent playing time, however, with Lindsey logging only three minutes and McGee just two.

“A lot of things we can learn from this game, getting challenged like this early in the season with a younger team is going to be good for us,” Gard said. “There are so many things we can learn from the film as we go through it over the weekend. It wasn’t always pretty, but this group has a toughness to them as we continue to develop as we go through the early part of the season.”

While the pieces are still coming together for the staff and the team, two things appear to be clear through two games: the big three of Tyler Wahl, Steven Crowl and Hepburn is a nice starting point for Wisconsin, and Essegian will be a key piece off the bench.

Wahl once again led the Badgers in scoring, this time with 17 points. He made one of the pivotal plays of the game - driving baseline and finishing with a strong layup for an and-one opportunity. Wahl wouldn't complete the chance, but Jordan Davis collected an offensive rebound off the missed free throw and put in an easy basket to extend what was a six-point lead to 10 with four minutes to play.

Hepburn chipped in with 11 points and five assists, while Crowl was just short of a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.

“He’s got to continue to play through some of the fatigue and that started to show a little bit in the second half,” Gard said, as Crowl finished with nine points, a career-high 11 rebounds, three blocks, and four fouls. “Play through that, still trust the fundamental things we talk about, staying down, keep your feet on the floor, maintain contact, all the things we talk about all the time … It’s good for Steve to have that experience.”

As it goes with most true freshman at UW, Essegian will still need to be figure out the defensive end, especially at a slim 185 pounds. The freshman’s shooting ability and feel off the ball, however, will make him tough to keep off the floor.

"When you got a guy like that that has the offensive ability that he has, he takes a lot of pride in his defense and he knows that he has continue to improve," Gard said of the freshman. "That's great as a coach because I know he can shoot it, I know he can score and to be able to come in there and spell Max when he got into foul trouble."

After matching its season high from a season ago with 12 threes in the opener against South Dakota, the Badgers managed to piece together a win in a different, yet familiar, manner.

"They have a lot of the characteristics of a Wisconsin team," Stanford head coach Jarod Haase said following the game. "They definitely do."

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