Wisconsin (22-13, 11-9 Big Ten) vs. James Madison (31-3, 15-3 Sun Belt)
Game: Friday, March 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
Time: 8:40 P.M. CT
Watch: CBS
Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Brian Butch on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio
Prediction: Wisconsin 77, James Madison 68
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
Betting line: Wisconsin -5.5 (according to ESPN BET)
PRE-GAME NOTES
The Wisconsin Badgers will begin their NCAA Tournament campaign against the James Madison Dukes of the Sun Belt. It’ll be a battle between two teams that made their respective tournament championships, with the Dukes even winning theirs. Each side will try to use some of that momentum on the bigger stage.
The Badgers, ultimately, haven’t played a team like James Madison in months. Their makeup is almost completely opposite to the basic Big Ten style that Wisconsin has gotten used to. The Dukes are small, but fast-paced and incredibly efficient.
Their lineup runs through the upperclassmen backcourt of Terrence Edwards Jr. and Noah Friedel, who rank first and second, respectively, in minutes and field goal attempts on their team.
Edwards is one of the more dynamic guards on any mid-major team in the country. His 17.4 points per game this season led the Sun Belt.
Friedel is third on the team in scoring at 12.1 pointer per game, but will enter the tournament with some extra confidence and momentum. He scored a team-high 52 points in their three Sun Belt Tournament games, which included a season-high 28 points in the semi-final against Texas State.
Their frontcourt is led by forward T.J. Bickerstaff, who, at 6-foot-9, is the tallest player in the rotation. He’s second on the team in scoring, at 13.4 points per game, and first in rebounding by a longshot at 8.5 per game.
Bickerstaff is immensely valuable for a smaller team like the Dukes, but he could be overwhelmed by Wisconsin’s superior size.
This trio led James Madison to a superb 31-3 record this season. They’re 10th in the nation in scoring, averaging 82.2 points per game, and eighth in point differential, after allowing just 69.1.
Yet the gaudy stats should be taken with a grain of salt given their level of competition. They ranked 294th out of 362 teams in strength of schedule, according to KenPom.
James Madison was incredibly successful this season, but are still in search of respect. An upset against a ranked team could transform their national reputation.
Greg Gard and the Badgers will hope to benefit off of some of the momentum they gained in the Big Ten Tournament and not revert to their end-of-regular season selves.
They entered the tournament as a five-seed and won three games in as many days, before losing to No. 10 Illinois in the championship. Despite the loss, it was exactly what the Badgers needed to get back on track after a disastrous end to the season.
A.J. Storr led the Badgers in scoring during the tournament, averaging 22.5 points over the four games.
Friday should be a big opportunity for Storr and Wisconsin’s big men, all of whom thrive in the paint. The Badgers will surely try to take advantage of the fact that James Madison’s tallest player is just 6-foot-9.
It’s also worth mentioning that both Chucky Hepburn, Max Klesmit and John Blackwell will likely have their hands full trying to limit the Dukes’ guards.
The ultimate key for the Badgers is defense. Nobody wants to get into a shootout with a top-10 scoring team in the country.
Two of James Madison’s three losses came against Appalachian State, who were the only Sun Belt team with a better defense than the Dukes.
If the Badgers slow the game down and force James Madison to earn their baskets against a real team, they could lose some of their steam.
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