Preview: Wisconsin vs. Texas A&M in Las Vegas at the Maui Invitational
Wisconsin (2-1, 0-0) vs. Texas A&M (4-0, 0-0)
Game: Monday, Nov. 22 inside the Michelob Ultra Arena
Time: 1:00 PM (CT)
Watch: ESPN2 (Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas)
Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio
Prediction: Wisconsin 63, Texas A&M 59
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
PRE-GAME NOTES
Wisconsin continues its early season tournament festivities on Monday with a date against Texas A&M in the Maui Invitational. Coming off a slightly disappointing loss at home to Providence, the Badgers have a chance to bounce back against another high-major opponent.
UW will likely have its second leading scorer back in Jonathan Davis. The second-year player missed the previous game against the Friars due to a foot injury, and his absence was felt on the offensive and defensive end. With both Davis and Jahcobi Neath out, Wisconsin's limited rotation was able to generate good looks but could not get their shots to fall during a 63-58 loss.
Against the Friars, the trio of Lorne Bowman, Chucky Hepburn and Carter Gilmore shot a combined 1-for-8 from the floor. The loss of a dynamic playmaker had some positive outcomes, though. It forced Brad Davison, who finished with 25 points, to create more. It also allowed for Tyler Wahl to see more opportunities in the post and generate offense with his energy. The junior forward finished with a career-high 16 points.
The Badgers defense once again proved to be a strength against Providence. It should continue to be able to, at the minimum, keep the squad in games moving forward.
“Our defense gives us a chance to win every game that we are in,” Davison said following the loss to Providence. “This is probably one of the best defensive teams I’ve been on in my four years."
Across from them, Texas A&M finds itself in a similar situation as a program. Buzz Williams' group returned just six players, with only four having much playing experience. Four of its starters come via the transfer portal, including leading scorer Henry Coleman III (12.5), who came over from Duke. Marcus Williams (Wyoming), Javonte Brown (UCONN) and Tyrece Radford (Virginia Tech) join returnee Andre Gordon in the starting lineup.
The Aggies deploy Quenton Jackson as someone who could be labeled as a sixth starter. He is currently fourth on the team in minutes (22.7) and scoring per game (10.8). Jackson was the leading returning scorer and also led the team in steals and three-point percentage a season ago. Look for Texas A&M to try and push the pace with a guard-heavy attack. Wahl should also get a good test here as well with Coleman III the leader for the Aggies.
Monday afternoon should be a solid measuring stick for two teams looking for an identity early in the season. The contest will be just the second all-time meeting between the two programs with Wisconsin wining the lone matchup back in December of 1984.
| Pos. | Wisconsin | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Chucky Hepburn (Fr.) |
6-2, 211 |
7.0 |
2.0 |
1.3 |
|
G |
Brad Davison (Sr.) |
6-4, 200 |
16.0 |
5.3 |
1.3 |
|
W |
Jonathan Davis (So.) |
6-5, 194 |
15.0 |
4.0 |
3.5 |
|
F |
Tyler Wahl (Jr.) |
6-9, 221 |
7.7 |
4.7 |
1.0 |
|
F |
Steven Crowl (So.) |
7-0, 234 |
11.0 |
6.3 |
0.7 |
Manage privacy settings
| Pos. | Texas A&M | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Andre Gordon (Jr.) |
6-2, 186 |
8.5 |
3.5 |
2.3 |
|
G |
Marcus Williams (So.) |
6-2, 197 |
10.8 |
2.8 |
3.3 |
|
G |
Tyrece Radford (Jr.) |
6-2, 200 |
11.3 |
6.8 |
2.0 |
|
F |
Henry Coleman III (So.) |
6-8, 243 |
12.5 |
0.8 |
5.8 |
|
F |
Javonte Brown (Fr.) |
7-0, 253 |
2.3 |
1.3 |
0.3 |
Manage privacy settings
_________________________________________________
*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den
*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel
*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)
*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @JakeKoco, @TheBadgerNation, @RaulV45
*Like us on Facebook