Preview: Wisconsin plays host to South Dakota to open the season

Wisconsin (0-0) vs. South Dakota (0-0)

Game: Monday, Nov. 7 inside the Kohl Center

Time: 7:30 P.M. CT

Watch: BTN (Chris Vosters and Shon Morris)

Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio

Prediction: Wisconsin 85, South Dakota 67

Follow Online: The Badgers' Den

Twitter: @Badger_Blitz

Betting line: Wisconsin -12

Wisconsin will open its season by hosting the South Dakota Coyotes from the Summit League Conference. The Badgers will once again enter the season as afterthoughts in the Big Ten, despite returning the key "big three" of Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl.

The 2022 Wisconsin Badgers have the look and makings of a team that can be dangerous in a variety of ways, primarily because of the number of players who look ready to contribute.

Hepburn will run point for Wisconsin once again in his sophomore season, and he's widely considered to be one of the better second-year players in the country. He was already a capable facilitator as a true freshman, and he led the Badgers in three point percentage with a 34.8% clip. It's reasonable to expect growth in both of those categories.

Wahl is an efficient scorer who is working on adding an outside shot to his game. In the absence of Johnny Davis and Brad Davidson, Wisconsin is going to need to find points elsewhere. Wahl is a primary candidate to pick up the slack with his ability to score in the post as well as his developing jump shot. He should see a bump in his 11.4 points-per-game from 2021.

The junior big man Crowl is another player who is primed for a breakout. Crowl was a very good five in 2021, but his game should only be improving. He's worked on adding mass to his 7-foot frame, and has a nice outside shot that can really space the floor for the Badgers. Assistant coach Dean Oliver referred to him as one of the best players in the country.

In addition to the "big three," the Badgers figure to have help from plenty of places. Jordan Davis is an experienced guard that brings a little bit of everything, just like his brother did. Wofford Transfer Max Klesmit is a lights-out shooter and brings a toughness and physicality that is a staple of Badgers basketball. Green Bay transfer Kamari McGee is a strong, well-defending point guard. Carter Gilmore is coming into his own and has taken big steps forward, according to many within the program. Freshman guard Connor Essegian is still learning the nuances of defense, but his jumper is a thing of beauty.

As for South Dakota, their starting five figures to be experienced and ready to go in Madison. The first thing that jumps out about the Coyotes is that they can make it rain from beyond the arc. Guard Mason Archambault shot 39.4% from downtown last year. Kruz Perrott-Hunt shot 39.2%, and 43.2% in 2020. A.J. Plitzuweit is a bucket waiting to happen when he gets hot. Their big man, Tasos Kamateros, is also a good shooter. The Badgers struggled to shoot the three ball last year, so this will be an area to watch.

The Coyotes are rather small. Mihai Carcoana, a forward from Romania, is the only South Dakota player that can really challenge Crowl's height, standing at 6'9''. However, the Badgers aren't that deep at big man, with the redshirt freshman Chris Hodges expected to slot in behind Crowl.

Wisconsin won their only other game with South Dakota, beating the Coyotes 76-61 back in 2010.

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