Wisconsin (1-2) vs. Robert Morris (1-2)
Game: Friday, Nov. 17 inside the Kohl Center
Time: 6:00 P.M. CT
Watch: Only on B1G+
Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Brian Butch on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio
Prediction: Wisconsin 82, Robert Morris 64
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
Betting line: Wisconsin -20.5 (according to ESPN BET)
PRE-GAME NOTES
MADISON, Wis. — After opening the season with an impressive 105-76 win over Arkansas State, Wisconsin followed that up with two straight tough defeats.
The Badgers were beat by the now-No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers, 80-70, then followed that up with a crushing 72-59 loss to Providence.
Tuesday’s game against the Friars was never even close. They lost by 13, but were losing by much more for the majority of the night.
AJ Storr’s end-of-game stats looked promising, but he shot 7-17 and scored 13 of his 22 points in the final 10 minutes of the game, after it was essentially over. The performance did improve his points-per-game average to 18, which is just one sign of Storr’s scoring prowess.
“The first half we got down, and it felt like we lost our groove a little, hard to get out of a hole when you’re down, especially in college basketball,” Storr said after the game. “I think bringing that intensity right out of the gate would help us a lot.”
The rest of the starters combined for just 18 points on 6-16 shooting from the field. Chucky Hepburn entered averaging 16.5 points per game over the first two games, then scored eight on 2-10 shooting. The frontcourt duo of Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl combined for 10 points on 4-14 shooting, leading to some post-game criticism from Greg Gard.
“Finish. Finish. [Wahl and Crowl have] been here nine years combined. Finish in the paint. I don’t know what else I can do or tell you. You got to finish. Get to the ball tight, you better get to the foul line. You better finish,” Gard said.
One player who did exceed expectations for the Badgers was John Blackwell. He saw some early minutes and took advantage instantly, scoring seven of Wisconsin’s first nine points. The freshman guard finished with 11 points on his way to earning a bench-high 26 minutes.
Back-to-back disappointing losses confirmed the Badgers’ biggest issue so far — defense. They allowed a Tennessee team that’s known for their defense to score 80 points in the Kohl Center. Providence lost three starters and a head coach, and still dominated the Badgers from start to finish.
Wisconsin will get a chance to bounce back against a far less-talented team in the Horizon League’s Robert Morris Colonials.
They’re led by Andrew Toole, the 43-year old who’s coached the Colonials for the past 13 seasons.
Toole’s challenge so far has been coaching around the Colonials’ worrying lack of depth. Their bench has scored just 32 combined points across the first three games.
They’re led by four players averaging over 10 points per game, and the next highest averages five. Wisconsin’s overarching goal will be neutralizing Robert Morris’ few true scoring threats, led by two key transfers.
Their leading scorer so far is Justice Williams, who transferred to Robert Morris after two seasons at LSU. He’s played two games and is averaging 18.5 points per game, including a 20-point performance in the opener against Xavier.
After being killed by Providence’s smaller lineup, without a starter above 6-foot-9, the Badgers will deal with an undersized frontcourt consisting of two 6-foot-7 forwards.
Williams may lead in points, but the best all-around player for the Colonials this season has perhaps been Markeese Hastings. This is Hastings’ third stop in college, after spending two years at Butler, then another two at Western Michigan. He seems to have finally found some footing with Robert Morris, as he’s begun the season averaging 15.3 points and a team-high 10.7 rebounds per game. Hastings is also arguably their defensive leader, averaging 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks so far.
The other forward, Stephaun Walker, is one of three returning Colonial starters. He earned a starting job as a freshman last season and has improved mightily since then, doubling his points-per-game average from 6.8 to 13.3.
The Badgers will enter Friday with a 72-4 all-time record against Horizon League opponents. They’re far more talented than the Colonials and are expected to win handily, but given some of Wisconsin’s puzzling struggles in the past two games, nothing feels guaranteed.
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