Wisconsin (3-2) vs. SMU (4-1)
Game: Wednesday, Nov. 22 inside the Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Florida
Time: 7:30 P.M. CT
Watch: FS1
Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Brian Butch on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio
Prediction: Wisconsin 68, SMU 65
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
Betting line: Wisconsin -6.5 (according to ESPN BET)
PRE-GAME NOTES
Wisconsin will enter the next round of the Fort Myers Tip Off against SMU with some momentum after beating the No. 24 Virginia Cavaliers on Monday, 65-41.
It was the best they’ve played all year by a long shot. The Badgers shot eight of 18 from 3, with seven different players scoring from long range at least once. They somehow made 44.4% of their 3-pointers after entering shooting 14.5% on the season. They also completely overpowered a smaller Virginia team, out-rebounding the Cavaliers, 48-21, including 20 offensive rebounds.
Steven Crowl led the way on offense, finishing with 15 points on 7-10 shooting, along with 10 rebounds. He also didn’t let opposing big man Blake Buchanan score a single point.
“Coaches have been on me about having a dominant mindset,” Crowl said after the game. “I think they’ve done a good job of being on me about that. I think as a team we need to start a little faster. We didn’t do that the past couple games. I think we did a great job today.”
Crowl’s frontcourt mate, Tyler Wahl, was also incredibly effective — finishing with nine points and 10 rebounds, including a staggering seven on the offensive glass
Once again, freshman John Blackwell was almost as impactful as any other Badger. He finished with the second-most points, scoring 10 points off the bench while shooting 2-3 from beyond the arc. Yet those were the only two field goals he made all game, meaning he could be in store for even more of an impact once he cleans up his closer range scoring.
What’s most surprising about Wisconsin’s offensive explosion is that they did it without much contribution from A.J. Storr, who’s still the most talented and highest scorer on the team, averaging 13.8 points per game. Storr’s two most recent games are the only two where he’s finished without scoring double figures, shooting 5-16 from the field in that period.
The Badgers were ultimately fine without much from Storr, which is great news for them, but they should try their best to get him going once again if they want to continue their momentum.
Still, Wisconsin finally played 40 minutes of elite basketball against a quality team. It could’ve been an aberration, or it could be the beginning of a resurgent season for the Badgers.
“I know (Virginia head coach) Tony (Bennett) fairly well and I love their program and I have so much respect for them,” SMU coach Rob Lanier said after the West Virginia game. “So if (Wisconsin) beat them the way they did, you know that they're playing good basketball right now.”
Next up for Wisconsin in the Fort Myers Tip Off is SMU.
The Mustangs will enter at 4-1, with their only loss coming against the No. 13 ranked Texas A&M Aggies, who beat them, 79-66. SMU has scored at least 70 points in every other game this season.
In their recent win against West Virginia, they were led by guard Zhuric Phelps, who scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Yet it wasn’t the most efficient performance, as Phelps shot just 8-17 from the field and 1-7 from 3. Poor shooting has been a theme for Phelps, who’s currently making just 33.3% of his field goals and 9.5% from 3.
Second in scoring, both for the season and against West Virginia, is guard Chuck Harris. The Butler transfer has averaged double-digit points in all three of his seasons so far, and is up to a career-high 13.8 points per game.
The Mustangs could struggle down low given how Wisconsin just slaughtered Virginia’s smaller lineup. Their starting forwards and leading rebounders, Keon Ambrose-Hylton and Samuell Williamson, stand at just 6-foot-9 and 6-foot-8, respectively.
Despite some inconsistency from their lead guards, they’ll ultimately have to lean on Phelps and Harris if they hope to beat a hot Badgers team.
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