Wisconsin Badgers during the 2023 Red-White Scrimmage

Men's Basketball October 23, 2023

Five Things to Know: Wisconsin vs. Stevens Point

Badgers tip off season with exhibition

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin men's basketball season is quickly approaching, as the Badgers unofficially tip off their season with an exhibition against UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at the Kohl Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on B1G+.

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Each of the last 18 seasons, the Badgers have hosted a team from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) during exhibition play. In fact, UW head coach Greg Gard is an alum of WIAC member UW-Platteville and spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the Pioneers.

Wednesday's game also marks the seventh-annual Cancer Awareness Game. Partnering with Garding Against Cancer and the UW Carbone Cancer Center, Wisconsin will recognize survivors, doctors, researchers and those helping to fight this dreaded disease. Garding Against Cancer was founded in 2016 by Gard and his wife, Michelle, and since its inception has raised $7.5 million for cancer research in the state of Wisconsin.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW:

Ryan Evans during a 2011 game vs. UW-Stevens Point

Ryan Evans (5) vs. UW-Stevens Point in 2011

1. SCOUTING STEVENS POINT

Wisconsin and UW-Stevens Point will face for just the second time. The Badgers earned an 80-54 exhibition win back on Nov. 5, 2011. Wisconsin is 18-0 all-time against teams from the WIAC. The Badgers are also 60-4 all-time in exhibition player, winners of 49 straight (dating back to 1992).

Wisconsin men's basketball starting lineup 2023

2023 starting lineup of Chucky Hepburn (23), Steven Crowl (22), Connor Essegian (3), Max Klesmit (11) and Tyler Wahl (5)

2. EXPERIENCE BODES WELL

Wisconsin returns a number of its rotation players this season, including its entire starting five from a last year's team that advanced to the semifinals of the NIT. UW returns 92 percent of its scoring, the most of any major conference team in the country. When head coach Greg Gard has a team that returns at least three starters, Wisconsin has averaged nearly 22 wins (12 in Big Ten) per season. UW was an NCAA tournament team four of those five instances.

AJ Storr during the Red-White Scrimmage in 2023

Wisconsin guard AJ Storr (2)

3. NEW FACES IN MADISON

Wisconsin welcomes a handful of new faces to the team this season. Transfer sophomore guard AJ Storr joins the Badgers after playing at St. John's last season where he was an BIG EAST All-Freshman Team standout. UW also has a heralded freshman class made up of John Blackwell (Highland Park, Mich.), Jack Janicki (White Bear Lake, Minn.), Nolan Winter (Lakeville, Minn.) and Gus Yalden (Appleton, Wis.).

Head coach Greg Gard during a game in 2019

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard

4. GARD'S GUIDANCE

Greg Gard enters his ninth season as head coach, having led Wisconsin to Big Ten titles in two of the last four seasons while maintaining a winning culture. Gard has guided the Badgers to a record of 164-93 (.638), the fourth-highest win total and third-highest win percentage in program history. Wisconsin has won 20 or more games in 18 of the last 21 seasons, including last season.

Chucky Hepburn during a game against Purdue in 2023

Wisconsin junior Chucky Hepburn (23) vs. Purdue in 2023

5. BATTLE-TESTED BADGERS

The 2023-24 schedule shapes up to be a competitive and exciting slate for Wisconsin this season. Last season, the Badgers faced three ranked teams the entire season. This year, Wisconsin is scheduled to face four AP Top 25 ranked teams in the first 10 games alone (three of those four teams are ranked in the top 10).

Wisconsin has had a penchant for playing in — and winning — tight games. Last season, UW played in 21 games decided by five points or less. The Badgers were 13-8 in such games. UW's 21 “close games” last season was the most by any major conference team since at least 2009-10.

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